“I don’t mind walking around with you guys for a bit,” he says.
“Really?”
He smiles at me. There goes that fluttery feeling in my stomach again. I need to lock that down. We shouldn’t be seen together. I can’t imagine my face is doing a good job of hiding how I feel about this man.
This thing between us would end suddenly if anything ever got back to my dad. Not that I even know what this thing is. Sam and I have only been together a few times. Spent the night together once. But I want it to keep going.
“I’d say hanging out with you two would be a good night.”
“We don’t get any more snacks,” Max tells him.
“You had your treat.” I ruffle his hair.
“What’d you have?” Sam asks.
“An elephant ear. But not a real one.”
“Good to know. How about we ride the bumper cars then?”
“Can we?” Max looks up at me with pleading eyes.
“Of course we can.”
“Yes.”
Holding his too-large tomato, Max grabs Sam’s hand and starts dragging him off in the direction of the rides.
Oh, Lord, there goes my ovaries, watching the two of them as they walk ahead of me. I pull out my phone and snap a quick picture because I want to remember this moment. Max is jabbering his ear off as I follow behind them, hoisting my backpack with all of Max's things higher up my back.
“Mommy won’t let me ride the spinny things,” I hear Max tell him.
“Those might upset your tummy. Bumper cars are fun.”
“Can I ride with you?” Max asks.
“What about me?” I huff. “What happened to Mom over here?”
Sam leans down and whispers something to him.
“I want to bump into Mommy.” He giggles.
“You’re turning my kid against me now?” I laugh.
“You can ride with my tomato.” Max passes it off to me as we join the line of waiting people.
The ride lets everyone out as we step forward and find an empty car. Sam helps Max buckle in and I find my own car next to them.
“You’re going down,” I tell them.
“No, we’re not,” Max fires back.
The ride starts and Sam lets Max take the wheel, helping every now and then as both our cars get bumped and moved along around the rink.
Max and Sam come right at me and I bounce off. Max’slaugh is infectious. They come at me again, but I dodge out of the way.
“Better try harder next time!”
This time they get me right in the back as I spin around to try and reciprocate. Both of them are beaming as we get one last hit in before the ride ends.
