Maggie
MaggiesurveyedChaseasthey stood in line to board the Ferris wheel. His face was scrunched up, and he appeared to be holding his breath.
“Ten seconds, remember?” She looked up at him, put her free hand on top of his and suddenly realized they were still holding hands from when Chase helped her stand. He gave a nod and attempted to put on a brave face.
“Ten seconds,” he repeated.
When it was their turn to step inside the ride, Chase paused momentarily. Maggie looked back at him. “We really don’t have to do this.”
“We’re doing it.” He shot her an attempt at a confident smile as he stepped inside the yellow Ferris wheel car.
Maggie had been trying to decide in her head whether she should sit across from Chase or next to him, but seeing that they were still holding hands it made sense to sit on the same side. As the Ferris wheel began to spin, they were lifted higher into the air. Chase inhaled.
“How ya doing?” Maggie asked, concerned.
“Ah… I’ve been better.”
Realizing she needed to take his mind off the fact that they were going to be a hundred feet in the air, she attempted casual conversation. “I enjoyed your show tonight. You’re really talented.”
Chase turned his attention from the skyline to Maggie’s face. “Thanks, I’m trying. It’s a rough business sometimes.”
“I heard that girl mention that she’d seen you in Nashville…”
Chase blew out a breath, “Uh, yeah. I lived there for a few years before moving to LA about six months ago.”
“Why’d you move?”
“I grew up playing country music, and I guess I wanted to try something new.”
Maggie nodded, “I love country.”
Chase cocked his head to the side, “You do?”
“Yeah, I listened to it all the time growing up. I love the way it makes you feel. The songs are like stories. Huge John Michael Montgomery fan over here.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your favorite song?”
“That seems like an impossible question… but obviously a JMM song. Probably, 'Sold.' I also love 'Suds in the Bucket' by Sara Evans.”
Chase shook his head laughing to himself.
“What are you laughing about?”
“So you’re like a ‘90s early 2000s country fan.”
“Oh yeah, for sure. It just brings me right back to when life was simple. It reminds me of the perfect summer day…” An image flashed through her mind of her mom, dad, and sister at a cabin. They were fishing at dusk and catching little sunfish so fast that their parents could hardly keep up. Maggie’s mom was even getting into it—braving the slimy fish scales to help out. Maggie and her younger sister, Liza were giggling with delight.Where did that family go?It seemed like another lifetime.
Moisture began pooling in her eyes. Feeling Chase’s gaze on her, she peered out at the ocean and rubbed her eye like she had something in it to cover the surfacing emotions.
A comfortable silence settled over them for a moment and then, the Ferris wheel suddenly stopped. Chase’s hand latched on to Maggie’s knee. She tried to reassure him, “I think they’re just letting people off. You good?”
“Uh... haha…Yep, I’m good.”
Maggie patted his back and assessed the adorable man next to her. He was model tall, strong as an ox, and seemingly perfect in every way—but in this moment, she saw that he was human and that made her like him even more.
Maggie could feel his back tense, so she continued, hoping to take his mind off his fear. “I definitely want to hear you sing country sometime. Your rendition of ‘Suspicious Minds’ was my favorite. I heard some country soul in there, and it was amazing.”
“Yeah?”
