“Bye, be home later.” I’m not sure what time I’ll be back, so leaving it ambiguous is better for now.
“Don’t forget to text,” she calls loudly before I can usher Rafe out the door. I turn to face her and mouth, “I will.”Her brows are high on her forehead, and her eyes are wide as she mouths back, “Oh my God.”
I make a face, letting her know I get it, but then I quickly school my features before turning to face the door again. Rafe is holding the screen open for me, and I can’t tell if the angle would have allowed him to see Mom and me geeking out over him or not. I decide to pretend he couldn’t just for my own sanity. I don’t need to start this date embarrassed that we were marveling at his hotness.
Since it’s still rather warm and I chose jeans, I paired them with sandals. As soon as I step outside, I’m grateful.
He lets the door fall closed and takes a few quick steps in front of me to get to the passenger side of his G-Wagon. I actually looked it up. His car cost more than double what a brand-new fully loaded truck would. He opens the door for me and waits as I slide into the passenger seat before closing it. Well, if Mom watched that, it might have earned him brownie points.
My heart rate is crazy high, and I feel like I’m breathing way too hard. Who knew going out on a date could be so nerve-racking? Rafe walks slowly to the driver’s side and climbs in, settling behind the wheel. He pushes a button on the dash and the car starts. If it wasn’t so quiet in the interior, I probably wouldn’t have even realized it.
“Thanks for getting the door,” I murmur, even though it’s a little late. He tilts his head to the side but doesn’t respond. “Can you tell me where we’re going yet?”
“Have you ever been to the state fair?” he asks while looking in his mirrors and backing up flawlessly until the SUV is pointed out of the driveway.
“In Novi?” My voice is high. I’m shocked that he’s taking me to the fair, not that I’m complaining. I haven’t been to a fair in years.
“Yeah.” He looks over at me before turning onto Godferson Road.
“Not in a really long time.” I shake my head.
“I heard about it on the radio and thought we could check it out. You up for it?”
I grin. “That sounds like a lot of fun.” Rafe stares at me without speaking long enough that I start to feel self-conscious. It must register on my face, because he finally looks away and flips on the turn signal before making a quick left turn. Within a few minutes, we’re on the expressway and cruising along. The ride is so smooth compared to what I’m used to, it doesn’t even feel like we’re doing the speed limit.
I wring my hands in my lap. I was much more comfortable with him in the barn. I felt in control there, but right now, I don’t know if I should be asking him questions or just taking a page from his book and keeping quiet. After several more minutes, I ask, “Do you live in Salem?”
“On the north end of Plymouth,” he answers while continuing to stare out the windshield.
“It’s such a small world,” I mutter, thinking about how strange it is we ran into each other at the club when he lives so close to me.
“What’d ya mean?” His voice seems gruffer.
I tell him what I was thinking, and he makes a grunting sound, then counters, “Strange we haven’t met before.”
“Have you lived there long?”
“No, only just moved in,” he says, and I’m left wondering what he meant about not meeting sooner. I don’t ask, I just ignore it. “I don’t have as much property as you do. I think it’s ten acres.”
I’m excited he’s actually talking. “That’s more than me. The ranch is my mom’s.” Rafe turns his head to glance at me, then faces forward, concentrating on the road.
“You take care of her,” he states rather bluntly.
“After her accident. She’s pretty good on her own now,” I explain, not wanting her to sound like a burden, because she’s not.
Rafe exits the expressway and makes a few turns to get us into the line for parking. I can see a gigantic Ferris wheel and several other large carnival rides in the distance. My stomach does a nervous flip. It’s been years since I’ve been on a ride. They seem scarier now for some reason.
“I have cash for parking.” I lean over to grab my cash out of my back pocket as we approach the parking attendant, but Rafe already has money in his hand.
“Premium,” he says, looking dead into the young guy’s face.
The guy looks at the bill in Rafe’s hand and his eyes widen before he reaches out to take it. He makes a small mark on the windshield with a chalk marker and instructs, “Stay to the left. They’ll let you through.” The guy pockets the money and doesn’t offer any change. I’m pretty sure it was a fifty.
“How did you know they had premium? It wasn’t listed on the sign,” I inquire as he slowly guides the vehicle to the left.
“They always have premium if you’re willing to pay for it,” he mutters. I stay silent as we pass several barricades that the workers slide out of our way. It almost seems like a waste to me. I mean, we’re going to be walking a ton once we get there, so what’s the difference if we park close or not?
Eventually, we get ushered into a spot right next to the handicap parking. The ticket booths are only a hundred yards away, but the lines are long. Rafe grabs some sunglasses out of the center console and shields his eyes. I think it’s strange until I realize the windows are tinted so dark, there’s no real need for them inside the car. I wait for him to open his door, then follow suit. I hear the locks engage the moment my door is closed.
