"Really?" she asks with a doe-eyed stare.
"Would I ever lie to you?"
She meets his eyes and shakes her head emphatically. Then she looks back up to the stars and whispers, "I miss you, Daddy."
I instantly tear up at her words, and I can see that Shelby Rae, Buddy and Colton are just as affected.
Buddy clears his throat and says, "What do you say about one last ride on the Ferris wheel before we leave?"
Lilly grabs his hand and says, "Yeah!" She reaches out her other hand and says, "Come on, Mommy."
Once all three are out of sight, I turn to Colton. "Who knew Buddy would be so great with kids?" I ask.
He shrugs. "Not me. I thought he'd be a bachelor for the rest of his life."
I grin as I think of the three of them being a little family. "It's nice that he came into Shelby Rae's life when her and Lilly needed him the most."
"Fate," Colton whispers.
"Do you believe in fate?"
He shrugs again. "I suppose I do. It brought you to me twice now, didn't it?"
His words halt all other thoughts I had. If he truly believes that, then maybe we do have a future together. I had been so worried that I was a one-night stand or a friend with benefits that I never really considered the possibility of him wanting something more with me. New hope blooms inside of me, and I cling to it desperately, never wanting to let it go.
"Do you want kids someday?" he asks.
I hesitate. I want to say that I want kids with him, but I don't say the words aloud. "Maybe. Yeah," I say as nonchalantly as I can. I have no idea how thin the thread is between having Colton and him pulling away again. It always seems like we're walking on a fine edge when we're together. I don't want to say or do anything to chase him off.
"How many?" he asks curiously.
"Two. Maybe three."
"I'd like a big family. Five or six."
"Five or six?" I exclaim. Colton and I had talked about kids before in the past, but we were kids ourselves then. We always said we wanted kids, but never spoke about how many. Considering how closed off he was just weeks ago, I'm amazed he's even talking about this with me. Maybe there's a future for us after all.
"Yeah. Or more," he says with a smirk.
"Wow!" I say, shocked. "Your wife is going to be barefoot and pregnant for a while."
"Maybe I'd like her that way." He wraps his arms around me, briefly passing his hands over my tummy. Is he imaging me pregnant with his child? I don't dare ask. I don't want to ruin the moment.
His hands venture further down, and I'm about to tell him we can't do this in public, when he reaches into my cotton candy bag and steals some of the blue that I love so much. He shoves a big piece in his mouth, and I can't help but laugh at him. He looks so young and carefree and for a moment it's easy to forget what he's gone through over the past five years.
"I haven't had cotton candy in forever," he reveals.
"Well, by all means," I say, handing the bag to him.
He takes it from me and shoves another big piece in his mouth, reminding me so much of Lilly.
With sugar still on his lips, he leans down and kisses me. He tastes just like the sugary sweet dessert, and I can't help but moan. "Cotton candy kisses are the best," I say, mimicking him from earlier.
He kisses me again and smiles. "I agree."
* * * * *
IT'S LATE WHEN we leave the fair just as they're shutting all the rides down. Colton and I walk hand in hand back to his house. My heart is fluttering as we step up on the porch. Should I kiss him goodnight and leave, or is he going to ask me to stay the night? We've had such a dramatic shift in our relationship over the past few days that I can't even tell which way is up anymore.
