27 Dates_The Fair Date

by B. N. Hale

  “We do that too,” she said. “Going shooting with them was a way for them to include me. Their lives are very different from mine, but an interest in guns was always something we shared.”

  “Who is the best shot?”

  “Depends on who you ask,” she replied with a laugh. “Each brother will say they are.”

  “And what would you say?”

  “My oldest brother is Baker, but we call him Bake. He’s a Marine and by far the strongest. And I’d say he’s the best shot. My second oldest is Tyler. He’s the smallest of my family and close to my size. But what he lacks in stature he makes up for in intelligence. He decided to join the Air Force and went to the Academy here in Colorado.”

  Reed recalled her mentioning her family on their first date, but it seemed like ages ago. “And the last brother?”

  “Orin. He’s the only one not in the military,” she said. “But he always did march to the beat of a different drum. He’s a mechanic at a shop outside of Memphis.”

  “I bet they were protective of you,” he said.

  Her eyes lit with amusement. “One guy tried to grab my chest on a date to a football game. Bake found out and had a conversation with him in the parking lot. I thought the guy was going to go home with broken bones. He never touched me again. Come to think of it, he never spoke to me again.”

  “I hope he still had his teeth.”

  “Bake is very intimidating,” she said. “But only on the outside. He’s a teddy bear on the inside.”

  “A teddy bear that can kill you.”

  She cast him an amused look. “Are you worried?”

  Reed considered his answer. If their relationship did turn exclusive, he was probably going to meet her family at some point. Until now he’d kept a professional distance from the families of his dates, and he wondered how he would be received.

  “Not worried,” he said. “But I’d be stupid not to be cautious. It’s clear they care about you a great deal.”

  “I couldn’t ask for better siblings,” she said.

  She pulled onto the freeway and headed back into town. The sun had already set but the horizon glowed red and orange. Most of the cars already had their lights on and she activated hers. Several times he noticed her stealing looks his way, her eyebrows pulled together as if in confusion. He guessed it was because of the moment at the range.

  Kate drove them to the eastern edge of town, and as they got off the exit he spotted the twinkling lights of a fair. Complete with a small Ferris wheel and other rides unloaded from trucks, the traveling fair was packed with people.

  “The fair?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I thought it would be fun,” she said. “This particular one has a lot of shooting games, so consider what we just did as practice. Now you need to win me a bear.”

  He grinned as they pulled into a grassy parking lot and found an open space. Reed stepped into the warm air and was immediately surrounded by the scent of popcorn and the sound of laughter. Noticing his smile, Kate gestured to rides.

  “Memories?”

  “When I was a kid there was a fair that came every year,” he said. “They had a giant zipline that felt like flying.”

  “I love the fair,” she said as they fell into step together. “All the sights and smells.”

  Reed put his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to hold her hand. If she noticed the gesture, she gave no sign. She paid their entrance and they walked down the center of the fair, enjoying the sights.

  Tents and carnival style games interspersed the rides, which were surprisingly large for a traveling fair. The enormous Ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl seemed to be favorites, while a spinning ride and a hall of mirrors were also popular.

  “Hungry?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said.

  They stopped at a hot dog vender, which proved to have dozens of toppings including bacon, peas, corn, potato chips, and even chocolate. Several kids were eating chocolate covered hot dogs while their parents looked on in disgust.

  “Hot dog with bacon, please,” he said.

  “Same,” she said with a smile.

  With food in hand they strolled through the crowded fair. Reed savored the surprisingly tasty hot dog as he watched a pair of teenagers attempt to throw rings onto bottles, the rings inevitably bouncing away.

  Small tents served caramel corn and cotton candy. Others provided burgers and fries. Parents struggled to contain their overactive children, while a handful of older couples seemed to be lost in memories.

  “Ready for the first game?” she asked, pointing to the shooting gallery.

  “I don’t know if I can do any better,” he said, but allowed himself to be lead to the booth.

  Built to resemble a forest scene, the shooting gallery had country music blasting from speakers. Targets on deer, bear, and smaller critters dotted the trees and ground, and when hit they swung out of sight. The guns were surprisingly sophisticated, and showed point counters on a display.

  “Step right up!” the man called as two players left with two hundred points each, earning themselves stuffed squirrels. “Do I have myself some shooters?”

  Kate stepped to the first of the two guns and the man smiled, his eyes flicking to Reed. “Does the lady know how to use a gun?” he asked.

  “Oh, the lady does,” Reed said with a laugh.

  The man led Kate to the right gun while Reed took his position at the left. “Two minutes on the clock,” the man said, rattling off the rules with practiced ease. “Break a thousand and get a special prize.” He pointed to the board behind him that depicted rewards for succeeding at varying levels.

  She shouldered her rifle and took aim at a squirrel. “Smaller animals are worth more,” she said.

  “You assume I can hit them,” he said, aiming at a deer.

  “Let the hunt begin!” the man shouted, and the targets burst into view.

  Kate swiveled, firing at a squirrel and then a badger before taking aim at a bird soaring in the background. Metal pinged in rapid succession, her gun never missing the mark. Reed missed as much as he hit, but found that, after the practice earlier, he did better. When a timer buzzed and all the targets flipped out of view, they both looked down.

  “Woah,” Kate said.

  “You cracked 1,000,” Reed said, dropping his gun back into the holster.

  “I thought it would take us a few hours to come close,” she said, throwing the man a confused look. “Marta’s cousin said it was impossible.”

  “Not impossible,” the man said, a smirk on his face as he pointed away from the range. “Are you ready for your reward?”

  “It’s not one of the stuffed animals?” Reed asked, gesturing to the hanging prizes.

  “I’m afraid not,” he said, leading them away from his booth and to the Ferris wheel across the way.

  “This little lady got a thousand at the range,” he said to the Ferris wheel operator.

  The youth, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen, smirked and gestured them to the front of the line. Bewildered, Kate tried to protest, but they were ushered onto the Ferris wheel and a moment later sent spinning upward.

  “Hope you’re not afraid of heights!” he called as they gradually climbed into the sky.

  “I’m not,” she said, and then noticed they were the only ones on the wheel.

  She frowned and leaned over the edge of the bench as the wheel came to a halt—with them at the apex. The basket swung slightly at the abrupt stop and they both looked down. The operator looked up to them, his smile smug.

  “Enjoy your time in the sky!” he called.

  Reed stifled a smile as Kate called for answers, only to be met with silence. The operator leaned back and folded his arms, clearly content to watch them have time alone at the top of the wheel. Then she finally turned to Reed, her eyebrows knit in confusion.

  “I’m not sure . . .” Then she noticed his expression and her eyes narrowed. “You did this?”


  “I did,” he said.

  “You hijacked my date?” she asked, her voice going up an octave.

  “I did,” he said with a smile.

  Chapter 6

  “How did you do it?” she asked. “I had an entire plan.”

  “I know,” he said, “but I convinced Ember to help me.”

  “Traitor,” she said.

  “I didn’t get to take you out on my turn,” he replied. “So I wanted to steal a few minutes from your date.”

  She began to laugh, the sound building as she leaned back, the motion causing the bench to rock. Grateful she wasn’t angry, Reed reached under the bench and pulled out the bag he’d had Jackson stash for him.

  “Cotton candy?” he asked.

  “This doesn’t mean you win,” she said, her humor subsiding as she accepted the treat.

  “I think it does,” he said.

  “How did you ever turn Ember?” Kate marveled.

  He took a bite of his own cotton candy. “I told her I felt cheated, that Jason had stolen my date. I didn’t want to break our tradition, so we concocted the plan to hijack your date. I’m glad you aren’t angry.”

  “Some,” she admitted. “But more surprised. I love the Ferris wheel but the line is always so long it takes forever.”

  “I know,” he said. “Your mom said you’d always wanted to get stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel.”

  “How did you convince the fair to cooperate?”

  He smiled. “That was the easy part. Marta’s cousin was surprisingly helpful. I swear her extended family is like their own covert army.”

  She laughed again, the tone chagrined. “Do you get the feeling that our friends have no loyalty?”

  “A little,” he said. “But they want us to be happy.”

  “Is that what you are?” she asked, glancing his way.

  He gestured to the view. With the lights of the fair below them, their vantage point allowed for an unbroken view of the valley below. The lights of Boulder were a dim glow beneath a starry night.

  “How could I not be?” he asked.

  “I never expected this challenge to occupy so much of my attention,” she admitted. “I think about it in the morning, when I get ready for work, and in class. One of my professors asked why I was so distracted.”

  He nearly choking on cotton candy. “Dr. Caldin said that to me the day you soaked me. You were beautiful in the masquerade mask, by the way.”

  “You assume that was me?”

  “I know your eyes,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow and smiled coyly. “Oh? Just how well do you know my eyes?”

  “Enough to know they’re beautiful,” he replied. “And I’ll stop there before you think I’m stalking you.”

  “You called my mother and talked my roommate into hijacking my date,” she said. “I think we’re way past stalking.”

  “When you put it that way, you make it sound bad,” he said.

  “It’s only stalking if I don’t like it,” she said. “And I assure you, I’m enjoying every minute with you.”

  Uncertain where to take the conversation, he smiled and looked at the view. The sun had set and the lights of the fair glowed beneath them. Then he noticed the crowd that had gathered below them. He expected them to be angry that the Ferris wheel was not moving, but most had smiles on their faces.

  “It looks they are enjoying the spectacle,” he said.

  She leaned over the edge and smiled at the crowd. “They must think we’re together.”

  “Kiss her!” someone shouted.

  He grinned. “It looks like you’re right.”

  Another person shouted as well, and it quickly swelled to a chant, the sheer volume drawing more people to the Ferris wheel. Employees leaned out of the tent and looked up, grinning as they joined the chant.

  “Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!”

  She turned to him and tilted her chin upward in invitation, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You set the stage,” she said. “You have only yourself to blame.”

  “You’re not going to help me out of this?” he asked.

  “Nope,” she said, her smile widening. “But I think if you don’t make a move, they’re going to riot.”

  He laughed, giving himself time to think. The crowd grew insistent, their chant rising with impatience. Kate cocked her head to the side as if waiting for the kiss, her smile one of invitation.

  He grinned. “Don’t move,” he said, and then leaned in.

  He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She blinked in surprise and shock but he twisted to the side, brushing his lips across her cheek. The contact was brief but sent tingles to his toes. More importantly, from the crowd it looked like a kiss, and they roared their approval.

  He leaned back with a smug smile. “My apologies,” he said.

  “Cheater,” she said.

  It may have been his imagination, but it seemed she was breathless, and she swallowed several times as if attempting to regain her composure. He popped a bite of cotton candy in his mouth and tried to convince himself that he’d kissed her cheek exclusively for the moment. Then his eyes slid across the now dispersing crowd, and one face stood out.

  Ember.

  Standing with Marta, Brittney, Jackson, and Shelby, Ember stood in the center of the crowd, a smug smile on her face. She noticed him looking and their eyes met. Caught, she smirked and sauntered away, the others following. An ice-cream cone in hand, Jackson saluted as he left. A glance at Kate revealed she did not know the blondes were present. Reed may have sought to hijack Kate’s date, but he was not alone.

  Apparently deciding the kiss had ended the moment on a high note, the Ferris wheel operator pressed a button and they began to lower to the ground. Before their friends disappeared, Reed pointed to Ember.

  “It appears that I wasn’t the only one to hijack your date,” he said.

  It was clear the moment she spotted her roommate. “Ember,” she said, spitting the word like a curse.

  “It seems like she wanted to force a kiss,” Reed said wryly.

  Kate shook her head, and then grinned. “I’ll have to thank her later.”

  “Me too,” he said, drawing a surprised look.

  “You’re not mad she pushed your rules?”

  “A little,” he said, using her words. “But I can’t deny how much I enjoyed it.”

  The Ferris wheel came to a halt and he stepped out, reaching back to help her from the bench. The crowd applauded as they walked back to the fair, and Reed endured the attention with a smile.

  The rest of the night passed in a blur, but his thoughts remained on the almost kiss. It had been years since he’d kissed a girl, and the contact with Kate left an indelible mark. Obviously conscious that their relationship was pushing forward, Kate seemed content to accept the progress. But her looks made it seem she was examining him with new eyes.

  Many times they were stopped so someone could shake their hands. One older gentlemen even smirked and tipped his hat. Enduring the scrutiny with grace, Kate smiled and gently dismissed assumptions even as she glanced at Reed, a twinkle in her eyes signifying she didn’t entirely believe her own words. As the fair finally began to wind down, they returned to her car and she drove him home.

  They talked, but he could not remember the words spoken. His lips continued to tingle with the yearning to pull her into his arms, and it took all his strength to hold the desire at bay. Only when she’d driven away and he stood on his porch did he allow himself to breathe.

  “What do you think, Aura?” he murmured.

  But there was no answer. Whether he meant it to happen or not, her grip on his soul had begun to loosen. Feeling lighter than he had in months, he turned and entered his house, already planning his next date.

  Excerpt from Volume 9

  Kate trudged into the office building and pressed the button on the elevator. Yawning, she took it to the fourth floor and then wove through the maze of cubicles to her
own desk. She sat down with a groan, causing Sara in the next cubicle to poke her head into view.

  “Rough night?”

  With glasses, freckles, and blonde hair, the girl was in the same engineering program as Kate, and they’d gotten the internship together. Both would have to arrive at 5:00 in the morning each Tuesday for the next eight weeks. It was just the second week and Kate was already hating the early hour.

  “Rough everything,” she said.

  “Are things not going well with Reed?”

  Kate smiled softly. “Great, actually.”

  Sara shook her head, making her ponytail dance. “I still can’t believe he hijacked your date.”

  “He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “Sounds like you’re in love.”

  This time Kate kept her smile on the inside. “We’re just having a good time together.”

  Sara grunted, the sound reflecting a world of doubt. She rolled her chair out of her cubicle and into Kate’s. Then she folded her arms and waited. Kate smiled and turned her computer on, but Sara continued to wait.

  “I don’t know where it’s going,” Kate said honestly. “I just know I’m having fun.”

  “Then what’s with the groan?”

  “Our challenge has gotten out of hand,” Kate said. “It started small, but now it seems like everyone is involved. Every time I talk to my mother she gushes about Reed, and I never know if I can trust my roommates. We were up till one last night arguing about my next date and I kept wondering how much they were going to tell him.”

  Sara’s expression turned guilty. “We’re still your friends.”

  Kate heard the we and her eyes narrowed. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing,” Sara said. She attempted to roll away but Kate’s hand shot out and grabbed her chair.

  “What do you know?” Kate repeated sharply.

  Sara’s eyes sought for escape but there was none. They were the only ones on the floor this early, and the darkened offices and cubicles offered no salvation. Grimacing, Sara shook her head.

  “I know I’m supposed to give you a ride home from work today.”

  “Why will I need a ride?”