Fifteen minutes and twenty-five dollars later, we leave the booth with three stuffed animals in tow. Hey, even I’m not that good. Besides, can’t shame all the guys who come after me trying to charm their girls, now can I?
“Let’s do the Ferris wheel!” Becky shouts, pointing at the attraction we can see in the distance.
“I thought you don’t like heights.”
“I don’t like all the twists and turns of roller coasters, they make me nauseous.” Becky turns to Kate and Penelope. “Ferris wheel next?”
Kate nods, and together we move through the crowd. Now I can clearly see what they meant when they said this isn’t a place for guide dogs. Since it’s Saturday evening, there are a lot of people—teens like us, families with kids running around, couples… They’re all walking around, laughing and talking, barely paying any attention to their surroundings. And while Penny’s good with her cane, there is no help if somebody bumps into you and makes you lose your focus, so she usually holds onto one of us, Kate mostly, as we walk around the attractions.
I look at the girls, who are talking about something, I’m not even sure what, but Kate’s head falls back, and she laughs.
The corner of my mouth twitches up. For all her protests, she seems to be having fun; they both do.
We get in line, chatting while we wait for our turn. Thankfully the line moves relatively quickly, so we don’t have to wait too long.
“Next!” the guy yells, motioning us over. “When it gets here you have a few seconds to jump in, okay?” he explains, barely paying us any attention as he pushes Kate and me forward.
“Sure.”
Kate looks behind her to see Becky and Penny whispering something between themselves.
“I should probably—”
“C’mon, kids.” The guy pushes us toward the carriage as it comes to the platform.
“But…” Kate tries to protest, but the guy’s already pulling the railing down, and we’re off. Kate looks over her shoulder at Becky and Penny, who’ve taken our place. “Penny!”
Both girls look up at us, lift their hands and wave. “We’ll be good,” she shouts, making people turn their heads toward us to see what’s going on. “You guys have fun!”
Becky winks just as their carriage arrives, and they too are ushered inside.
“But…” Kate looks down at them, and then she turns to me. She blinks as what just happened finally falls in place. “They tricked us.”
“They totally did,” I agree, laughing. I’m not the least bit sad at the turn of events.
“Oh, I’m going to kill them once I get down.”
Kate pounds her fist against the railing, making the whole thing rattle. She inhales sharply as the carriage sways in the air. I grab her hand in mine as we wait, utterly still, for it to calm down.
“What? Is it that bad to have to spend the next twenty minutes in my company?” I try to laugh it off, not wanting to sound hurt, but it comes out that way anyway.
“No, of course not,” Kate sighs, looking down at our joined hands. “I’m just worried about Penny, that’s all.”
“Becky’s with her.” I tighten my grip on hers, enjoying the feel of her warm hand in mine. “She won’t let anything happen to her.”
Kate looks up, her face softening. “I know. Doesn’t ease my worries, though.”
“I figured not,” I sigh. Seriously, this girl will be the end of me. Just one soft, pleading look from her eyes, and I’m a goner for her. Falling deeper than before.
“Thanks for today, by the way. I don’t remember when the last time was I saw Penny that happy. You’re so good with her.”
“Just her?” I wiggle my brows playfully.
Kate rolls her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“C’mon, Kitty. Give a guy a break, huh?”
She chuckles, shaking her head. Placing her hand on my chest, she shoves me away a bit, but sitting in the carriage, there isn’t really anywhere to go. I put my hand on hers, twining our fingers together.
“So?” I urge, wanting to hear the words.
“Fine, I had fun too. Happy?”
Her eyes dance with amusement, and something in my chest twists, making it hard to breathe.
Unable to resist it any longer, I reach forward, my fingers tracing her cheek.
Kate sucks in a breath, her lips parting. She put something on them, that glossy thingy girls like to use because they’ve been shimmering all night long under the bright lights of the amusement park.
“You can’t imagine. Seeing you happy and carefree like that is like a drug to me, and knowing I’m the one who put that smile on your face.” I swipe my thumb just below her lower lip. Her fingers grip mine, and it takes everything in me not to lean down and kiss her. “You know I’d do anything to see you happy, right?”
“Even bring my little sister to our group non-date?” she asks, her voice shaking slightly.
“Sorry to disappoint, but allowing Penny to come to our non-date has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh?”
My fingers skim over her face, my hand cupping her cheek. “I’m not sure what it is about you Adams girls that draws people in and makes them fall for you.”
“Emmett…”
My name is a soft sigh falling off her lips. She tilts her head back to look at me, her dark eyes zeroing in on my face.
“Shh.” I press my finger over her lips to stop her from saying whatever she wanted to say. I know that tone all too well, and it’s usually followed by words I don’t want to hear. Leaning forward, I press my forehead into hers. “Not now, okay? Whatever you want to say, it can wait.”
A heartbeat passes in silence, then she nods slowly in agreement.
We stay like that for a few minutes, watching one another like there is nothing and nobody around us. Because there isn’t. Just a vast sky full of possibilities.
Letting out a shaky breath, I pull back, lean into my seat, and throw my arm around Kate’s shoulders, pulling her near. She doesn’t resist me, instead snuggling closer, placing her head on my chest.
That’s how we stay for the rest of the ride, with her by my side, watching the stars. There aren’t that many since the lights of the amusement park are bright, but Kate doesn’t seem to mind.
Once we start our descent, Kate pulls back so we can jump out on time. When we’re safely on the ground, I take Kate’s hand in mine, and she doesn’t protest.
We don’t say anything as we wait for Penny and Becs to join us. I expect Kate to bite into them as soon as they touch the ground, but instead, she wraps Penny into a hug.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes, Becky told me everything that you can see from the top.”
Penny continues talking Kate’s ear off as we get away from the line so we don’t get in people’s way.
Becky joins me, looping her arm through mine. We exchange a glance, a silent conversation passing between us as we listen to the two sisters talk.
It’s fascinating the way Penny can find beauty in little things. How she opens up to the world in her own way and takes it all in, enjoying every moment to the fullest while most people let it pass by them without even noticing. We all should be more like her.