I squinted at him. “Why? Last year, you made yourself sick from eating all those corn dogs. I thought you swore off the carnival.”
“Well, if this is your first date, it would be helpful to have me there. I can watch Lou while you lovebirds take a Ferris wheel ride in the moonlight. Or whatever you kids like to do these days,” he replied whimsically.
“Pops, if you want to come to the fair to size up Linc, that’s fine. But you have to admit to it.”
“I’m not hiding anything. I want to come to suss out this fellow. If he’s up to muster, then you’ll need me to keep Lou distracted so you two can get some alone time.”
“Why are you doing this? Max is your family. This should be strange, upsetting. Right?” I couldn’t help but ask. We’d had that conversation many times, but there was still a part of me that felt guilty and confused that he stood by me so loyally.
“I’m doing this because it’s what I want to do, and it’s the right thing to do. You and Lou are my family, and if you bring this old business up again, I’m gonna start getting upset. I’ve been waiting for you to move on, hoping you would get back out there. It hurts my heart to think of you and Lou alone when I’m gone. I don’t want you soured on the idea of love because of Max’s stupidity. You don’t need a man to have a wonderful life, that I don’t doubt. Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t put this old man’s heart at ease to know you had someone else at your back.” I didn’t even realize I was crying until Pops patted my hand, handing me a tissue.
Wiping my face, I leaned in and gave him a hug.
“I love you, Pops. More than I’ll ever be able to express.”
“Love you, too, girly. Now, enough of this mushy business. Let’s get the Tasmanian devil up and fed so you can get ready for your big date.” I blushed and rolled my eyes before pressing a kiss to Pops’ cheek.
Linc took Pops’ presence in stride, the two of them chatting away like old biddies by the time the night ended. To be fair, after winning the biggest prize in the park for Lou, we were all duly impressed. I figured we would end the night there, having spent hours at the park with the sun fully setting. Somehow, I wound up shoved onto the Ferris wheel with nowhere to run as Linc’s large body commandeered the small cabin.
“Come on, Lou. Let’s get some popcorn and cotton candy to take home. This ride is boring. You two enjoy! Meet us by the ticket booth when you’re done,” Pops said as he ushered us onto the platform, giving Linc a very unsubtle wink.
The first few minutes of the ride passed in heavy silence, stolen glances, and awkward attempts at conversation.
“That was impressive, what you did back there. Thank you for the incredible day. Lou is having the best time,” I told him as the fair moved in the background, the slow mechanical rise of the ride blurring with the beats of the fair lights and music.
“Thank you for letting me join you. Gotta admit, I wasn’t sure I would win that back there. I think it was the absolute terror of losing in front of Walt that really pushed me through. He’s got the wool pulled over all your eyes. That’s not some meek, friendly grandpa. He’s fucking terrifying.”
“He didn’t! We joked about it earlier, but I didn’t think he would seriously say anything… Just thought he would be a nosy chaperone,” I replied with a blush, unsure why I seemed to lose any sort of filter around Linc. His eyes were warm as he slid closer to me, reaching an arm around me, leaning in so I could hear him over the roar of the nearby rides.
“Do you need a chaperone, Sunshine? Or do you think you can handle alone time with me?” he asked, his eyes warm as the arm that was casually slung behind my back slipped under my hair to hold the back of my neck. We were slowly making our way to the top of the wheel, the ride pausing just high enough to see the entire park, but not yet at the top. Unsure how to answer, my body seemed to answer for me. Leaning into his grip, I moved closer tohim in the small booth.
Leaning down, he brushed his lips over my mouth in a gentle kiss, pulling back to look at my face before pulling me closer, his grip tighter. With utter control, he teased me, his kiss aggressive until I was on the verge of climbing into his lap. Then, he would pull back with lightly teasing kisses. When we reached the top of the wheel, he drew away, settling his arm around me as I was tucked into his side.
“Look, you can see the entire town from up here.” He pointed to different landmarks, my body flashing hot and cold as I came down from his kisses. I was having a hard time focusing, my body a riot of emotions. Asshole didn’t even seem the least bit flustered, meanwhile, I was over there, panting like I had run a race.
“Sophie, are you listening to me at all?” he asked, breaking into my thoughts and forcing me to stop staring at him. He had an indulgent smile on his face, so I shrugged, looking up at him.
“Nope. Got distracted enjoying the view.” A wicked smile crossed his face, and he pulled me closer for a crushing kiss, one hand tight in my hair and the other on my hip. His teeth grazed my lip, and I moaned at the slight sting. He pulled back, his hand moving from my neck to cup my face, his thumb running over my swollen lip.
“I guess I can’t be too upset, since you distract the fuck outta me. You scorch me, Sunshine, but goddamn, if it isn’t worth the burn.”
Before I could reply, he pressed a firm kiss to my mouth before tucking me against his chest, his arm wrapped around me.
“Now, tell me something about yourself. A small thing. Your biggest pet peeve. Basically just talk about something that isn’t going to result in me having to climb out of this ride and make a scene in front of your family.” His voice was husky, and I risked a glance down, my eyes widening at the bulge I could see.
“Eyes up here, pretty girl. Talk to me,” he commanded, and I did as he said before I even processed it.
“I hate cilantro. I know people think it’s silly, but it reallydoestaste like soap to me.” It was the first thought that came to mind, but it seemed to do the trick.
“I hate coleslaw. It’s like milky salad. It freaks me out,” he replied, a dramatic look of disgust on his face. The ride paused, and I realized we were almost at the bottom, our time slipping away.
“I think I’m starting to have a crush on you, Mr. Carson.” I told him, trying to sound flirty and fun, even though I felt anything but.
“Well, you’re about to start seeing a lot more of me, Sunshine. Let’s see if we can’t help you explore that thought a bit deeper,” he whispered, his arm tightening around me as we were brought back down to earth.
In a daze, Linc basically guided me out of the cart and through the fair. His strong arm around my back was the only thing keeping me upright and walking in a straight line. Feeling as if we had just taken a ride on the Gravitron, I was spinning, my body feeling unsteady on the ground. When we reached the ticket booth, Lou plowed into my legs, and I had to shake myself out of the stupor.
The next week passed, and Linc proved true to his word. Every morning started with our ritual game ofWould You Rather.On Monday, he called me during my lunch break, offering to stop by the following day to bring me coffee before his shift started.
