“Never. I saw you the whole time. I even heard Heath saying the popcorn was his if asked.” Olivia raised an arched brow, before popping a few pieces of said popcorn in her mouth.
“Find anything you liked?” Heath asked, walking around her, sliding his hand over her hip, as he leaned around her to look at the table she was standing in front of.
“Not yet.” Olivia turned in his arms to look up at him. Their lips only a few inches apart. As much as he wanted to lean down and kiss her, until neither of them could remember their own names, they had an audience.
“Let’s continue.” Heath took a step back, but he kept Olivia in front of him, so his hard on was shielded. “Ivy, is there anything you want to see or do?” He wanted Ivy to feel a part of this date.
Once again, Ivy looked at her mom for guidance, but Olivia just shrugged. “Up to you, kiddo on what we do.”
“The ring toss. There’s a stuffed animal I saw, when we were here last time.”
“Then, that’s where we’ll go.”
“Thank you.” Olivia said, as Ivy led them to the ring toss game.
“For what?”
“For including Ivy. I know you’d prefer it was the two of us, and I’m not helping matters, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate it.”
Heath took her hand in his and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “I told you earlier I know you’re a package deal. I can’t say it will always be easy. I still don’t think I’m great around kids, but I’m trying.”
“And for that, I couldn’t love you more.” Olivia clamped her mouth shut, as soon as the words were out, but Heath heard them loud and clear.
He stopped in the middle of the path. “Love me more. Does that mean you love me, Liv?”
Olivia nodded.
“I want to hear the words.” No woman had told him they loved him. He wanted to hear Olivia say it.
“I love you Heath Jacobs.”
Heath picked her up and twirled her around in circles. Olivia squealed, clinging to his neck for dear life. Heath felt like the happiest man in the world just then. He set Olivia down, pushing her hair out of her face. “I love you so much, Liv. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I was only existing, before you came into my life. Now, I feel like I’m finally living.”
When he sat her down, Olivia lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him. His fingers threaded through her hair to pull her closer to him. He never wanted to let go. A throat cleared next to them, and they pulled a part slower this time. “We’re coming.”
Ivy was excited, as they stepped up to the ring toss. Heath paid a dollar for three tosses. The man went over the rules with Ivy, and then stepped to the side. One of the three rings wrapped around the peg a few feet away. Her face looked crushed, when the man hosting the game said her turn was over, and she didn’t win anything.
“Do you want to try again?” Heath offered.
Ivy shook her head tears glistening in her eyes.
“Which stuffed animal did you want?”
“The teddy bear.”
Heath wasn’t much of a ring toss player, but there was a shooting gallery two stalls over, and it looked like they had bears for prizes. “How about a bear from over there?” He pointed to the stand.
“I don’t know how to shoot a gun.”
“I can teach you.” He was the best marksman on their team, which had earned him his nickname, Hawk.
“I don’t want to learn.” Ivy backed up quickly, stumbling into Olivia.
“Okay, you don’t have, too. How about we try the ring toss again? I can give you a few pointers.” At least, he could try.
Ivy stepped back up to the stand, as Heath paid the employee another dollar. Heath stepped up behind Ivy and took her wrist in his hand, showing her the right way to throw the ring, and how to see her target. After a couple of wrists motions, he let her go to throw for real. Ivy took a deep breath, and on the exhale, she threw the ring, which wrapped around a peg. She threw the second, and it found its mark. One more, and she would win her prize.
Heath found himself holding his breath, as he watched Ivy throw the last ring. It caught the top of the peg and wobbled, before falling down around the peg. Both Heath and Olivia cheered, as the man handed Ivy her teddy bear.
