He scoffs. “It’s like a fair staple so they’ve got to be around here somewhere.”
“I appreciate the effort but I don’t need corn dogs. We can just find something else. Look, there’s a Mexican place.”
“Who said anything about you?” he asks as he pulls me off to the side of the path by a little picnic area and wraps his arms around me. “I want corn dogs.”
“Oh, well then, by all means, let’s keep searching.”
He glances down the path before turning back to me. “Why don’t you sit down and eat some kettle corn and I’ll hunt down our dinner?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” he answers, leading me over to one of the tables and setting the bag of kettle corn in his hand down. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
His fingers dive into my hair and he pulls me closer, pressing his lips against my forehead and I melt into him, my heart fluttering at the sweet gesture and when he pulls away, I have to fight the urge to yank him back to me.
“Sit,” he orders, gesturing to the picnic table. “I’ll be right back.”
Nodding, I sit down and watch him as he strides away from me, unable to wipe the smile off my face. It’s crazy to think about how much has changed in the last five days. Even thinking that stuns me. No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t feel like only five days. It feels like I’ve known Lucas for so much longer and if I try to imagine how I would feel if we get nothing more than tonight, there’s an ache in my chest that I’m too scared to investigate. I think I knew, before I ever agreed to this date, that I would agree to a second and third and however many he asks me for… which is scary. I don’t like letting him have that much power over my emotions but if there was any way to stop it, I would have done it by now. My fear was so potent earlier this evening that I was ready to sabotage everything.
My phone buzzes in my purse and I pull it out, laughing at the text from Alice.
Alice:
Are you two crazy kids hopelessly in love and
married yet?
Me:
No, but I am having a good time.
Thanks for talking me down.
Sighing, I turn to look out across the fairgrounds. There’s a pond next to the picnic area and a lift strung out in the air across it, carrying folks from one side of the park to the other and a memory of riding it with my parents hits me. They died when I was eight and Alice was Brooklyn’s age so she doesn’t have the same memories with them that I do but sometimes, I think that’s easier. You can’t miss what you never had, right?
My phone buzzes again.
Alice:
That’s what I’m here for.
Have fun.
She sends a second text with a kissy face emoji and I smile as I tuck my phone back into my purse and stare out at the rides as the sun begins to sink below the horizon.
“Victory,” Lucas calls and I turn to him, laughing as he holds up two containers full of mini corn dogs, fries, and a drink tray with two sodas. He sets one of the containers and a drink down in front of me before sitting across from me and I nod.
“I admire your dedication.”
He winks. “Thank you.”
“Your time is up, though.”
“Oh, yeah? My time is up for what?”
I pop a fry into my mouth and study him as I chew. He arches a brow, fighting back a smile as he waits for my reply.
“We’re officially out on our first date and usually, on dates, people get to know each other so it’s time for you to spill.”
He nods thoughtfully, leaning back as he takes a sip of soda. “You think, huh?”
“I do.”
“And what if I disagree?”
Feeling playful, I dip a fry into my ketchup as I mimic his nod. “That’s your right but usually, girls decide if they’re going to agree to a second date based on how well the first date goes and being so elusive is a big red flag.”
“Elusive, huh?” he asks, looking out across the fairgrounds as emotion skates over his face.
“Just tell me one thing. Something real.”
Our gazes meet over the table and the rest of the world melts away for a second. “One real thing… Okay. I’ve never felt more myself than when I’m with you.”
“You mean that?” I ask and he nods, sincerity shining through his blue eyes.
“I do. Now, tell me one thing about you.”
I roll my eyes to cover up my racing heart and rosy cheeks. “You already know things about me.”
“I know but I want to know more.”
I mull over his words as I bite a corn dog in half and chew. “Okay, when my parents were alive, we lived out in the country on this farm. I had a couple horses, two goats, and a pig.”
“I can picture you out on a farm,” he says with a smile. “Pigtails in your hair and little cowgirl boots on your feet.”
“You’re actually not far off.”
“That’s fucking adorable. Please tell me there are pictures.”
Laughing, I nod. “There might be.”
“I have to get my hands on those.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I tease. He throws a fry across the table and it smacks me in the face as he laughs. “Now you’re definitely not getting to see them.”
“What if I say I’m sorry?” he asks, doing his best to look cute and damn it, it’s working.
“Are you sorry?”
A grin stretches across his face as he shakes his head. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“What was your pig’s name?” he asks, reaching across the table and grabbing my hand. I fight back a smile as my heart flutters.
“Piglet… I was in a Winnie the Pooh phase.”
He laughs, that deep warm laugh that I’m quickly falling in love with. “And the goats?”
“Timon and Pumbaa. Lion King phase.”
“Let me guess, for the horses you went with a Beauty and the Beast theme.”
I shake my head. “Nope, close though. Cinderella. Their names were Jaq and Gus Gus.”
“And your parents never tried to get you to name them something else?” he asks, his blue eyes shining with humor.
“Oh, of course they did but I was a very determined child.”
“Who could say no to you?”
I beam. “Exactly.”
“You ready to go on some rides?” he asks, glancing down at my almost empty container and I shake my head.
“Oh, no, mister. You teased me with dancing and now that I’m fed, I’m not missing that.”
Chuckling, he releases my hand and starts collecting all our trash. “You’re not going to let me forget that, huh?”
“Not a chance.”
When he’s finished gathering up our things, he drops the trash in a bin near the picnic table before reaching for my hand and leading me away from the food trucks, toward the sound of music. We round the corner and there is a little pavilion with a stage on one side and a dance floor on the other. On stage, a band plays older country songs and I pull Lucas to the dance floor where a few other couples are swaying back and forth. I gasp as Lucas spins me into his chest and places his hand on my hip as we start to dance along to the music.