Travis leads me to a booth where he buys a fistful of red tickets. We circle around to scope out all the rides before deciding on something called the Scrambler. The name turns out to be apt as the ride whirrs to life and then proceeds to fling our car from one side to the other, rising and lowering, and going in a circle all at once.
There’s enough room for two and the extra space means I’m sliding around. Travis has no such problem and ends up clutching me to his side. I can’t see him through the wild strands of my hair flying around us, but I can feel his laughter as I squeal each time the ride catches me off guard.
My legs are wobbly when we get off and my hair a tangled mess. Travis runs his hands through it, pushing it away from my face. “Are you in there somewhere?”
I push up onto my toes to kiss him.
It surprises him, I think, but only seconds pass before his arms drop to my lower back. He leans down and pulls me to him to kiss me the way I think we’ve both been thinking about all week.
Heat pools in my stomach and my face is warm when he lets out a groan and pulls back.
“Come on. I want to win you the biggest, most obnoxious stuffed animal in this place.” He’s dragging me along with him toward the games before I can object.
Rows and rows of games take up one half of the carnival. Travis and I play a horse racing game (we lose to an older guy who calls his horse Betty and says she’s been his lucky horse for twenty-five years), then I win a lovely snowflake temporary tattoo at the duck game (everyone’s a winner but I’m still proud). We must play every game (except the goldfish game because neither of us wants to clean the fish tank), but it isn’t until we stop at the basketball game that Travis gets serious. He pushes up the sleeves of his shirt and rubs his hands together. He’s soserious right now I fight a smile when he points to the wall of prizes. “Frog or Bunny?”
The two biggest stuffed animal prizes are a purple frog or a pink bunny, both nearly as tall as me.
“I don’t know, they’re both so practical for a twenty-three-year-old woman. Which do you think will work better as a body pillow?”
His gaze drops from my face to do a slow sweep of me. Goosebumps race up my arms as his dark eyes find mine again. “Now you have me worrying a stuffed animal’s going to replace me.”
We haven’t slept in the same bed since Vegas, unless you count our couch slumber party with Wren, but I think we both know that’s where things are going tonight.
“Only when you’re not available,” I promise.
His smile returns. He hands the guy working the game his tickets and the game starts with a whistle. A clock above the rim counts down. He picks the basketballs up and shoots without ever taking his eye off the net. My jaw drops and my skin tingles as I watch him. He’s fast and good. He hasn’t missed a single shot yet.
I’ve stopped being aware of anything but him and how much I like him until the buzzer sounds and he turns to me with a big smile. He jogs toward me, scooping me up as happy laughter slips out of him.
“Did you see that?” He spins me around.
“Very impressive.”
He winks and sets me down. One arm stays looped around my waist.
“Which prize would you like?” the guy working the booth asks him.
Travis continues to stare at me.
“The frog,” I say.
“She’ll take the frog,” Travis repeats.
“This was the best hot dog I’ve ever eaten.” My stomach is full and my face hurts from smiling.
Travis sits next to me with his long, jean-clad legs straddling the bench. He extends the cotton candy toward me as he drops another pink, fluffy piece into his mouth.
“No, thanks.” I don’t feel like I can eat another bite for several days.
He stands and tosses the rest of it in the trash, then holds his hands out to me. “Should we hit up a few more rides before we go?”
I glare playfully at him as I let him pull me to my feet. We’ve ridden everything except the Ferris wheel.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” he promises, then tucks my giant frog under one arm. “So will this guy.”
Reluctantly, I let him guide me over to the Ferris wheel line. It’s been a popular ride all night, which is part of the reason I’ve been able to avoid it. But Travis pulls me in front of him and wraps his arms around my waist while we wait.
It’s been such a fun night. I’m sad it’s almost over.
