My knees wobble. He wants to have children with me? I love our little family, but I’ve always wanted a big family. Maybe not six boys. Smuggler’s Hideaway can’t survive a second generation of Raider brothers. But three or four children sounds good.
I notice Zane’s brothers inching closer to us. Nosy little creepers.
I hold up a hand. “Zane Raider, you have lost your mind. We are not discussing this now.”
“Let’s go.” Miles herds everyone toward the entrance. “I want to ride theAtlantis Adventurefirst.”
“No way,” Zane grumbles. “The last time we rode through the lost city of Atlantis, we nearly got kicked out.”
“But we didn’t,” Miles sings.
“Only because I knew a secret exit,” Paisley adds. “We should go on theEnchanted Tide Carouselfirst. Stephanie loves it.”
TheEnchanted Tide Carouselisn’t your usual carousel ride. Instead of horses, zebras, and unicorns, the ride has mermaids, mermen, kraken, sirens, and other mythical sea creatures.
“Good idea. We can teach Adele all about mermaids,” I say.
Zane laughs. “She’s a bit young for sea lore.”
“You’re never too young for mermaids.”
We make our way to theEnchanted Tide Carousel.“I’m not going on a carousel ride,” Henry, Harper’s dad, announces when we arrive.
“Good. You can guard the strollers.”
Within seconds, the poor man is surrounded by strollers and diaper bags. “I didn’t sign up for this. If anyone wants a free stroller, they can have it.”
Stuart sits down next to him. “I’ll help you guard the stuff.”
“Help me?” Henry snorts. “You’re on your own.” He points to the wheelchair he’s sitting in. “I can’t exactly chase anyone with this thing. But the kids said I couldn’t come if I didn’t use it.”
“Dad.” Harper sighs. “Do we need to discuss how you sit down at the most random and inappropriate places when you get tired while using your cane?”
“I don’t know what the big deal is.”
Harper crosses her arms over her chest. “They had to close the drive-thru when you refused to move.”
“Those cars could have driven around me.”
She throws up her arms. “I give up.”
Kai captures her hand and leads her to the line for the carousel. “He’s giving you a hard time and you’re letting him.”
“Whose side are you on anyway?”
The previous ride ends and the attendant opens the gate for us. “Who wants to play sound charades?” Miles asks as he rushes to ride the kraken. “Winner picks the next ride.”
“You’re on!” Kai slaps Miles on his back as he passes him to mount a Scylla – a six-headed, twelve-legged monster.
Zane and I settle on a carriage towed by two hydras – multi-headed serpent-like beasts – with Adele settled in between us.
“What are the chances we get kicked off this ride?” I ask once the ride begins and the siren song begins playing.
“Woof! Woof!” Kai yelps from atop the Scylla.
“About twenty-five percent,” Zane says.
Miles roars from atop the Kraken.
