Thinking about the soothing way he touched me causes another round of butterflies to flutter through my veins like they don’t have a care in the world. “Okay, fine. Your tactics may have worked.”
He arches an eyebrow. “What kind of first date would this be if I let you die of fear?”
“First date? Who said anything about this being a date?”
“I did.” He takes my hand again and swings it between us. “Just now.”
I don’t know how he does it. He’s so irresistible, even for me. And that’s exactly the problem. I’m having a hard time keeping my head intact, the more time I spend with him. And the worst part is…right now I don’t even care. “What are we doing next?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Our hands loosely connect as we wander past the farm’s pumpkin patch, where rows of orange globes catch the late-afternoon light like little suns. The air smells faintly of hay and cider, and a breeze picks up through the tall cornstalks we approach.
Bash stops us at the entrance of the “haunted corn maze” the Owens family, who live on the ranch, put on every year.
I take a step back. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t do haunted things.”
Bash’s mouth falls open in amusement. “You can’t possibly believe this nonsense of a maze is actually haunted.”
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m going in.”
“Romilly, you’re exploring this maze with me. You must.”
“It’s not happening.” I cross my arms.
“I insist.”
“No way, Bash.”
He looks like he’s having trouble not laughing. That’s fine. He can laugh all he wants.
“I’m easily spooked, okay?”
That does it. The laughter escapes his mouth for a split second before he reins it back in. “Teenagers put this thing together. You do know that, right? And God is way bigger than anything that could hurt you.”
“I know that.”
“Besides, you’ll have a professional fighter at your side. So, I’ll ask again. Will you please do me the honor of exploring this pathetic and possibly very haunted corn maze with me?”
He extends his hand.
Lord…please protect me in there. Send me every angel you can spare.I sigh. “I hope your dragon-slaying skills are also cross-compatible with ghost-busting.”
Chapter Fifteen
BASH
She actually takesmy hand in agreement to enter the maze. I feel like I’ve just been handed the winning lottery numbers.
As I lead Romilly through the entrance, I rack my brain for ways to make her feel more at ease. Ididnearly scare her to death with that hot air balloon ride. Not my brightest idea, but it led to her trusting me enough to hold her close and protect her, so it was a win in my book.
I can’t stop thinking about the way her body relaxed as my arms wrapped around her, how she rested her hands on my chest, or how it felt like I’d gotten sucked into a timeless vortex of pure bliss.
Lining the maze entrance is a pair of cheerful orange string lights, their warm glow bouncing off the cornstalks, creating golden shadows. The air smells like hay, earth, and the sweetness of cider from the tiny, nearby festival booths. As we step into the labyrinth with walls of cornstalks towering above us, the faint crackle of dried leaves crunches underfoot.
I can’t believe the farm is advertising this maze as haunted. It’s way too cute to qualify, as if the person who decorated it happens to be as detesting as Romilly about such things.
Romilly’s hand tightens around mine as the first prop in the maze comes into view. It’s a weathered scarecrow. The burlap head is tilted unnervingly to one side, and one of its straw-stuffed arms droops like it’s waving at us. A real crow perched on its shoulder flaps its wings and caws, making Romilly jump. I can’t help but stifle a laugh. If this is enough to make her nervous, I already feel bad for convincing her to do this with me.
