Maverick must have recalled those long-ago stolen moments as well, because he gestured down the lane of carnival games. “They’ve got the ring toss going again. Think your luck will hold?”
Ella laughed. “I still can’t believe all three rings landed on the bottles.”
“I played that damn game ten more times after you went back to the table and never managed to hit more than two.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing I won that stuffed dog for you,” she joked.
Maverick narrowed his eyes, puffing his chest out in a way that made her laugh harder. “Sounds like someone’s begging for a rematch.”
Ella tilted her head, trying to decide if he was being serious. Part of her longed to take him up on the challenge, grateful for the chance to be here without any limitations. “I’ve got money to spend,” she said, feeling him out.
Maverick rubbed his hands together, then gestured for her to lead the way. Ella glanced behind her and saw Manny and Edith were still standing in the long line for gyros, gabbing with the other people around them. She had time.
Ella and Maverick walked to the ring toss, and she handed the man running the game three dollars in exchange for the rings. Maverick bought his own set, then gave her that same wicked, sexy grin that still, even after all this time, managed to set her heart racing.
She tried to hold her hand steady as she pretended to line up the perfect shot. The first time had been pure beginner’s luck, so she wasn’t holding her breath that she’d hit a damn thing.
She tossed the first ring, laughing with delight when it landed right on the bottle’s neck, spinning slightly before settling in place.
Maverick shook his head, cursing under his breath. “Should have known better. You’re obviously a ringer.”
“Literally,” she teased, delighted when her retort got a chuckle out of him.
There had been too many things on Ella’s list of reasons why she’d fallen so hard and fast for Maverick Storm, but there was no denying his laugh had been at the very top. Laughter hadbeen in short supply in her house, so she’d always been taken by how cheerful Maverick was, how free with his laughter.
She pointed to the rings in his hand, indicating it was his turn. He tossed one and it also landed.
“Hot damn!” he exclaimed.
Ella clapped, then threw her second, her eyes widening in shock when it also landed. She’d almost decided the game was too easy…until she glanced around and watched no less than four other people standing around the tent miss their next throws.
Maverick tossed another, and it landed.
“You’ve been practicing,” she said.
Maverick shook his head. “I haven’t played this game since…” He paused, making it clear he hadn’t meant to start his confession. With it out there, he went ahead and finished. “Since the last time you and I played.”
Ella wasn’t sure what to make of that. Obviously, it was just a silly carnival game, so it would be stupid of her to build that confession into something bigger and more meaningful than it was. Perhaps he’d started bypassing the games as he grew older, uninterested in winning prizes clearly designed for younger kids.
Ella lined up her last shot, distracted by the sexy man standing next to her. Her third throw bounced several times before flying off the other side. “Damn. The end of my winning streak.”
“Tough luck.” Maverick was looking at her when he casually tossed his final ring away.
It landed dead center, sliding down the bottleneck.
“Oh my God!” she cried out, joining Maverick as the two of them laughed loudly at his luck. “I can’t believe you hit that.”
Maverick clearly couldn’t either, but he still played it off like he wasn’t surprised at all.
The man running the game came over, pointing at the toys hanging along the edge of the tent. “Pick your prize,” he said to Maverick, who gestured for her to select.
“I owe you a stuffed toy.” He’d taken the prize all those years ago, because Ella hadn’t been able to. She said returning with a prize would make it obvious she hadn’t gone straight to the car. At the time, Maverick said he would take care of their “precious puppy,” and the stuffed animal had “lived” in their cabin for the rest of the summer.
Ella wanted to ask him what happened to the original toy but realized that would be opening Pandora’s box to things best left in the past.
So, instead, she selected a new toy, a stuffed cat.
“Changing allegiances from dog to cat?” he asked.
