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How on earth did he remember that? She barely remembered that.
Ryan had been her science lab partner. He’d clearly wanted more than just dissecting the same frog, but Sarah had never felt the connection to him. She’d agreed to the date because it was his birthday, but when he’d tried to kiss her with breath that smelled like chili cheese dog, she’d called it a night.
“That was just as friends,” she said.
“You didn’t date much in high school,” he said.
Since when had he been paying so much attention? She hadn’t thought he’d known she’d existed beyond their tutoring sessions…like a teacher when you saw them in the outside world at the grocery store or at the movies and it felt surreal. “I was focused on my studies, that’s all.”
And she’d only had eyes for him. She kept that to herself.
They arrived at the ticket kiosk, and he bought a twenty pack and refused Sarah’s and Lia’s money when they offered to pay for theirs. “Please. Marissa dragged everyone here. It’s the least I can do,” he said.
They’d barely dragged her. She’d wanted to go. Now that the renovations were done and Marissa was heading to Girl Guides camp in a few days, Sarah wasn’t sure how often she’d see them before she headed back to L.A.
“I want to ride the Fireball first,” Marissa said once they had their hands stamped and were inside the gate. She ran off toward the terrifying-looking ride that raised carts into the air, then twisted them in all directions, including upside down.
Oh, hell no.
“One of my favorites,” Lia said, looking as excited as the nine-year-old.
At least someone was.
Wes looked apprehensive as well. He turned pale watching the riders being tossed around at lightning speed. “I might sit this one out,” he said.
“Come on, Dad. Don’t be a wimp in front of Sarah,” Marissa said with a grin.
Lia shot an intrigued look between them as though wondering what Marissa was implying. Sarah’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she avoided Lia’s questioning gaze and pretended not to read absolutely everything into Marissa’s comment.
Wes sighed as he glanced at Sarah. “Apparently, I can’t be a wimp, but if you want to get us out of this…”
She desperately did, but she didn’t want to look like a wimp, either, so she shook her head. “We’re here, right? May as well go for it.”
Wes’s gaze lingered on hers a fraction too long, and her heart raced.
What else should they go for?
Right now, she’d like to go all in. There had been a moment in the den earlier that day when it felt like he was going to ask her out…before Marissa suggested the fairgrounds and Lia showed up, inviting herself along.
Staring at him now, she knew she would have said yes. Give in and put herself out there one last time for him.
Might be a risky move that would once again lead to heartache, but she’d never been successful repressing her feelings for him. And that night, he looked amazing in a pair of board shorts, sandals, and a shirt unbuttoned down his chest. His dirty jeans, bare chest, and work boots was still her favorite look, but this casual, relaxed air around him that evening reminded her of the guy she used to know in high school, and that familiarity combined with the new sexual attraction she was fighting made him impossibly tempting.
“Okay, I guess we’re doing it,” Wes said, and they fell into step behind Lia and Marissa as they joined the long line waiting for the ride.
Sarah stared up at it. From a distance, it hadn’t looked so bad. Up close, she could see how scary it was. The mechanics holding it together looked slightly rusted with peeling paint, and those grinding noises couldn’t be good. The riders’ reactions were a combination of screams and laughter. She knew which one she’d be.
But there was a small kid on the ride, so it couldn’t be that bad, right? Though the little boy did look kinda green and petrified—the open-mouth, soundless expression plastered on his face each time his car passed them didn’t instill much confidence.
“This is going to be so awesome,” Marissa said, dancing from one foot to the other excitedly as they waited, her strawberry-blond braid swinging back and forth.
“Awesome” seemed like an overstatement, but Sarah refused to chicken out now. Being with Wes and Marissa was good for her soul. She liked spending time with them. The little girl was smart and funny and sweet, and Wes was an amazing dad. He obviously put Marissa’s needs first and was doing his best raising her on his own. Sure, they had their differences, which made it difficult to connect sometimes, but Wes clearly adored his daughter, and that made him even more irresistible.
The ride stopped, and Sarah scanned the row of people in front of them. A quick math calculation had her pulse racing. Shit, they were on next. The exit gate opened, and she watched the slightly dizzy group of people leave the ride, swaying left and right as though trying to get their sea legs.
“Well, they survived,” Wes said.
“That’s debatable,” she said, nodding at the man running toward the nearest trash can.
