Angel Sands Collection Books 1 - 3

by Carrie Elks

  “Because if you’re not interested, I could be.” Ally wiggled her eyebrows at Ember.

  “Leave him alone.”

  Ally’s grin widened, she was obviously pleased at Ember’s reaction. “Why? You want first dibs?”

  Nicholas’ first ring landed squarely over the block. He and Lucas let out a whoop. Nick turned and high-fived Lucas, and Ember felt every inch of her body light up.

  “No,” Ember said, still whispering to Ally, but her mind was telling her different. She had every dib, and the thought of Ally trying to flirt with Lucas made her stomach turn.

  Nicholas threw the second ring, and it clipped the top of the block, spinning around for a second before finally settling down in place. Strike two for Nick.

  “We did it!” Nick shouted, giving Lucas another high five. “One more to go.”

  “Well done, boys.” Ally grinned over at them, then looked back at Ember. “He’s good, right?”

  Not once in her life had Ember ever felt jealous of her friend. Even with her long legs, enviable figure, and thick, luscious blond waves, Ally had never once felt like a threat to her. But when Lucas glanced at Ally and nodded, Ember felt her whole body tense up.

  But then Lucas slid his gaze to hers, again, and their eyes connected. A slow smile broke out on his lips before he looked down at Nick. “You’ve got this one, buddy,” he said. “But the last one is always the hardest. You’re full of adrenaline, full of nerves. You need to keep a steady hand if you want to win.”

  Nicholas looked up at him. “Yes, sir,” he said, nodding slowly. “Yes, I’ve got this.”

  All of them were silent as Nicholas lined the ring up with the block, squinting his eyes as if to will it on its way. He flicked his wrist without releasing the ring – a practice, Ember assumed, then rolled his shoulders and shook his arm before launching the ring, letting it arch up into the air.

  All four of the adults held their breath as the ring seemed to move in slow motion, rising up from where Nick released it at the counter, then down toward the three wooden blocks at the back of the booth. Ember pursed her lips together, willing the damn ring to land right where it needed to be, so that Nicholas could win one of those great big teddy bears.

  It felt like minutes before it hit the corner of the block, and the wood slowed its descent. It teetered for a second, half on, half off the block, and all of them gasped as it stopped completely.

  It was neither on nor off. Ember frowned, glancing at the printed rules fixed at the back of the stand. They said three rings on three blocks to win, no mention of what to do if only half the ring was on the wood.

  “Did I win?” Nick asked, frowning at the ring.

  “Should he throw again?” Brooke asked, biting her lip. “It’s not on the block, is it?”

  “It’s half on,” Ally said. “That’s a definite win, right, Ember?”

  Nick looked up at her, hope lighting his eyes. “Is it a win?” he asked her. “Do I get a teddy bear?”

  Ember hesitated for a second. She’d learned during her six years of teaching that sometimes children would be disappointed. It wasn’t something you could avoid all the time, no matter how heart wrenching it was to see their sad faces. And yet to disappoint him at the Angel Day Fair, and at the beginning of it, felt almost illegal.

  “Of course you won,” she said, grinning. “It’s touching the block so that means you win.” She made a note to herself to add an extra twenty dollars to the takings at the end from her own wallet, just in case she was interpreting the rules wrongly. “Here you go.” She lifted one of the teddy bears down from their hook on the ceiling of the station. “This is the best one. He’s got a smile as big as yours.”

  Nick’s mouth dropped open. “He’s huge,” he said, trying to wrap his arms around the stuffed toy. “Look, Mom, we won!” He turned to Lucas, still holding the bear against his chest. “Thank you, I couldn’t have won him without you.”

  Lucas reached out and ruffled his hair. “It’s a pleasure. And I’m sure your mom’s delighted you guys get to carry that bear around with you all day.”

  Nicholas looked as though he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do. Ember would have offered to keep the bear behind the stall, but she was pretty sure nothing would part Nick from the bear. “I’m going to call him Lucas, after you,” Nick said.

  Lucas blinked a couple of times, as though something was caught in his eye. Ember could have sworn he teared up a little, although she knew he’d never admit to it. She stared at him for a moment. What was that all about? It wasn’t like Lucas at all.

  Lucas nodded at Nicholas, his voice gritty when he replied. “I’d be honored if you did.”

  “Okay, let’s take furry Lucas and head over to some more games.” Ally shot a glance at Ember and then at the real Lucas. “We’ve got lots to see, haven’t we, Brooke?”

  “Um, yeah, sure.” Brooke looked confused, but turned to smile at Ember anyway, before looking at Lucas. “Thanks for your help. You’ve made a little boy very happy.”

  “That’s not the only person he’s making happy,” Ally whispered loud enough for Ember to hear.

  “You’re welcome.” Lucas nodded at her.

  “We’ll come and say hi again later,” Ally raised her eyebrows at Ember. “I can’t wait to hear all the news. Bye, Lucas. It was great to meet you. Hope to see you again very soon.”

  17

  Lucas leaned on the ring toss counter, watching as Ember’s friends walked away. He still had a smile on his face from seeing the kid win that teddy bear. Nick’s expression of joy had definitely been something worth seeing.

  “You did a good thing there,” he said to Ember, who was pulling a replacement teddy out of a plastic bag and hooking it up on the ceiling. Her movement lifted her t-shirt up, revealing the smallest sliver of skin between her waistband and the hem of her top. He swallowed and pulled his eyes away.

  “What good thing?” she asked. “From what I could see, you were the one being the hero. First you won Carter over, and now Nick. Who’ll be next to succumb to your charms?” She leaned on the counter, her elbows only inches from his. Her eyes were wide, their chocolate depths looking brighter in the sunshine. He could see himself reflected in them.

  “Are you running this thing all day?” he asked her. Quickly, he glanced at his watch. He was supposed to be collecting some money for Frank. The committee leader would be wondering where he was if he didn’t get on his way. But he didn’t want to leave her, either. As soon as he’d seen her behind the counter, when he’d walked up behind her friends, it had been like the sun coming out all over again. She made him feel lighter than he’d felt in a long time. Warmer, too. He wanted to bask in her for a while.

  “Until seven. Then the night shift takes over.” She smiled. “How about you?”

  “The same.” His mouth went a little dry. Enough for him to have to clear his throat. “Would you, ah…” Damn, when was the last time he tried to ask a woman out? He couldn’t remember, but he was certain it hadn’t been as hard as this. “Do you have any plans this evening?” he finally managed to ask. “Would you like to head over to the rides with me? I figure you know this place better than I do, maybe you can show me the best things to do.”

  “I’d like that a lot.”

  Despite the relief of her acceptance, his heart was still pummeling against his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time it had raced this fast. Not for a long time – unless you counted during an emergency call out.

  “Okay. I’ll come meet you here at seven.”

  “Don’t be late.” She smiled at him. It took him a moment to realize she was kidding with him, and he found himself smiling back. “I need to warn you, though, when it comes to the bumper cars I’m a mean driver. Nobody can keep up with me.”

  “I can believe that.” He slowly nodded. It was impossible not to laugh at her mock-outraged expression. “Okay, I really gotta go now. I just need to take your hourly cash and leave you a rec
eipt.” He reached in his pocket for his pen and paper.

  It only took a few seconds for her to hand the cash over. The crowds were still spilling in, and she hadn’t taken in too much money yet. Still, he counted it and left her a receipt, then put the money in the zipper bag Frank had given him for just that reason. “I don’t know if it will be me coming around for the money again or if Frank will send someone else, but I’ll definitely see you at seven. Be ready for me, Speedy Gonzales.”

  The smile that split her lips was blinding. “It’s a date.”

  It’s a date… Her words had been echoing in her thoughts ever since Lucas left the booth, and she’d watched him as he disappeared into the ever-increasing crowds. What on earth had made her say that? Even if it was a date… and she wasn’t totally sure if it was or wasn’t.

  “Of course it is. He asked you out, didn’t he?” Ally asked, looking wildly smug as she watched a child fruitlessly throwing rings at the blocks, missing them every time. Brooke and Nicholas had gone home, and Ally had climbed over the counter and insisted on helping Ember run the game. So far she’d spent most of her time asking questions about Lucas.

  “Yeah, but it’s not like we’re going out anywhere. Maybe he just wants somebody to hang around with while he wanders around the fair.” Ember frowned. “He didn’t say it was a date.”

  “But he didn’t say it wasn’t either.” Ally’s smile widened. “And he didn’t contradict you when you said it was.”

  Ember dropped her face into her hands. “Ugh. I’m so embarrassed. Maybe he won’t turn up.” Though the thought of that made her feel even worse. “When did this whole dating thing get so hard?” she asked Ally. “Remember how easy it was at school? A guy would write a letter and drew a ‘yes or no’ box on it then passed it to your best friend. Why can’t it be like that?”

  Ally chuckled. “I can’t see a guy like Lucas Russell using a note to ask you out.”

  The little boy threw his third ring, and it hit the back of the stall, landing nowhere near the wooden blocks. Ember gave him a smile, then offered him a plastic toy from the basket. “You did great,” she told him. “Those rings are tough, you definitely deserve a toy for trying.”

  When he left and Ember had taken the next customer’s money, she turned back to Ally. “How do you know what kind of guy he’s like?” she asked.

  “Well I guess I don’t.” Ally tipped her head to the side. “Because you’ve been keeping him a secret. How long have you known him anyway?”

  “Since he came to the school, he’s the firefighter I told you about.” No need to mention the embarrassing incident at Megassey’s. Or the even more embarrassing non-date. A woman needed some secrets.

  Ally’s eyes widened. “He’s the firefighter? The one who carried you down the ladder?”

  “He didn’t carry me down, I got down myself.” Okay, so that wasn’t strictly true, but Ember really didn’t want to add any more fuel to Ally’s fire. “Anyway, do you really think this is a date?”

  “You have no idea about guys, do you? Which is crazy considering you lived with one for so long.” Ally shook her head. “Although maybe that explains a lot. Will wasn’t exactly a man, not when compared to Lucas.” She rolled her lip between her teeth, staring at Ember. “Anyway, from what I can tell, Lucas doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would be afraid of asking a girl out. He’s strong, he’s masculine, he’s not the sort who would write a note and pass it to Mikey Daniels, you know? He asked you out directly, which means it’s a date. So stop worrying and start enjoying yourself.”

  If you asked Ember, that was easier said than done. Because she could never remember her heart racing after reading a note the way it raced when Lucas asked to meet her after her shift was up. She couldn’t remember Will setting her whole body on fire with one look the way that Lucas managed to do every time their eyes met. It was hard to remember anything at all except the fact that in a couple of hours she’d be spending the evening with Lucas Russell.

  And that thought excited and unnerved her all at the same time.

  The sun had just begun its descent into the horizon when the evening shift arrived, and Ember handed the ring toss stall over to Ron Shorto, a teacher from the high school. The few clouds in the sky were tipped with orange and pink, a contrast to the dark blue of the air around them.

  To her left the fairground rides rose majestically from the field, the tall Ferris wheel silhouetted against the sunset. Frank must have ordered for the lights to be turned on – the strings of bulbs festooned across the rooflines of the booths were sparkling and bright, making the games inside them look enticing.

  Lifting her cross-body purse over her head, Ember leaned against the outside of the stall while she waited for Lucas to meet her. It was still warm – enough for her to have her sweater knotted around her waist and her bare arms exposed to the evening air. It wasn’t just her skin that felt warm, though. Standing here, looking out at the fair she loved, in the town she adored, she couldn’t help but feel as though everything was going to be okay.

  Maybe more than okay.

  Hope was a strange emotion. When you had it, it painted the world in a myriad of colors, making everything look enticing and beautiful. And when it was gone? It was as though the world had been bleached – no, not bleached, bled dry. Because everything turned grey, not white. Hopelessness drained the bloom from everything, leaving you with only a darkness that made you want to curl up inside.

  But right now, as she stared out at the Angel Day Fair, her heart felt full. A little fluttery, too, at the thought of seeing Lucas again. It had only been a few hours since she saw him last – before Frank reassigned him to the other side of the fair – and yet it felt so much longer.

  A movement in the far corner of her eye caught her attention. Strange how she could recognize him with her peripheral vision, even when he was surrounded by a crowd of people he stood out to her. She slowly turned her head, staring at him full on, and that fluttering in her chest turned into a thousand butterflies. How had she ever thought he was sullen? Now that she knew him better she understood that you had to earn a Lucas Russell smile. But when you did? It was as though a floodlight had turned on and it shone directly on you.

  He reached the ring toss and she stood back, watching as he talked with Ron, his brows knit together as if he was a little confused. But then he turned, his eyes searching until they alighted on hers, and those butterflies in her chest swooped and dived all over again.

  Had he changed clothes, or hadn’t she noticed what he was wearing earlier under that bright yellow jacket? Either way, he looked amazing in a pair of dark wash jeans and a light grey Henley sweater. He smiled, and she felt her skin flush with warmth all over again.

  “Hey.” He walked over to her, stopping just short of where she was standing. “So you’re free?”

  “As a bird.” She grinned back. “Though I plan to avoid Frank all evening, just in case he tries to pull us back in.”

  Lucas nodded slowly. “Good idea. Maybe we should buy some wigs, get a disguise.”

  She laughed, trying to imagine him in a wig; it was almost impossible. “As long as we’re out of here before the fair closes down I think we’ll be okay.”

  Lucas glanced at his watch. “Well we have a few hours until that happens. How about we go and enjoy ourselves?” He held a hand out to her. She slid her palm against his, feeling the roughness of his skin, the heat of it. Then he folded his fingers around hers, and she had to work hard to push the air out of her lungs. It felt good, so good, to be holding hands with Lucas Russell.

  “Where do you want to go first?” he asked her, as they meandered up past the booths, toward the midway where the rides were.

  “I don’t mind. As long as you don’t make me play the ring toss I’m game for anything.” She looked around. “What’s your favorite ride?”

  He looked bemused. “I don’t have one.”

  “What did you love when you were a kid?” she asked h
im. “Were you an adrenaline junkie?”

  He slowly shook his head. “No, I didn’t come to the fair when I was a kid.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “You’re looking at me like I committed some kind of crime.” He laughed. “I just wasn’t keen on the fair.”

  “But why not?” She frowned. “I thought all kids liked the fair. What was it you didn’t like? It can’t be the rides, because I know you’re not scared of speed or heights.”

  They’d reached the ticket booth for the rides. Lucas handed over twenty dollars and took the pink slips of paper the seller slid beneath the glass. When Ember tried to offer him some money, he shook his head. “I got this,” he told her. “And I can’t really remember why I disliked the fair so much, I think I felt too cool for it. Plus the beach was always empty on Angel Day, so it made surfing much better than usual. I liked to take advantage.”

  “Do you still surf?” she asked him.

  “Occasionally.” There was a smile playing around his lips. “Though my friend Griff would say it isn’t often enough. Until recently, I was too busy at work to hit the waves more than a couple of times a year.”

  “So what changed?”

  That easy smile disappeared from his mouth, and she immediately regretted asking the question. He blinked a couple of times, as though something had gotten into his eye. “I’m based at White City. I’ve just been helping out at the Angel Sands station for a bit.” He bit the corner of his lip. “I… ah… should be heading back to White City soon.”

  She recognized that expression on his face – she’d seen it on her own often enough. Every time somebody asked her about Will leaving, and whether she saw it coming. “Well then maybe we should start with the Ferris wheel?” She raised her eyebrows. “There’s a great view of the ocean from there.”

  He visibly relaxed. “I thought you were scared of heights.”