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“Why?”
“Because you have to hit it just right.”
“All right, Goldilocks. Prove it.”
He repeats the same motion, although this time the mallet hits the center. The metal piece skyrockets to the top and slams into the bell, making it ring.
“See?”
I stick out my tongue. “Show-off.”
He lets go of my hands with a laugh. “Try again and aim for the center.”
I repeat the motion like he taught me. The metal piece climbs higher than before, but it doesn’t hit the bell.
He passes the worker another ten-dollar bill. “Keep going.”
My eyes slide toward the line building behind us. “There are other people who want to try.”
“They can wait.”
I try once more, aiming for the same spot Julian showed me. Although I don’t hit the bell, I’m getting closer.
“Again.” He taps the center of the base. “Right here. Focusmore on hitting the target than how hard you hit it.”
“All right.” I follow Julian’s exact instructions to a T, hitting the spot he showed me at the perfect angle with the right amount of strength.
The ring of the bell has me throwing myself into his arms with a huge smile. “I did it!”
He wraps his arms around me, giving me a squeeze, and lifts me up. “You did.”
“I don’t care that I lost the competition.”
“No?”
“Nope! Because that was awesome. I’ve never been able to win that one before.”
“I know.” His eyes shine brighter than the flashing light above us.
A few people around us laugh and clap, reminding me of our audience.
“You can let me down now.”
He follows my request, turning it into a whole ordeal as my body slides down his.
My cheeks burn by the time I land on my feet.
“You put up a good fight.” He hands me the stuffed unicorn he picked out.
“Save me from the fake display of sportsmanship and get on with your gloating.”
“Fine. It felt good kicking your ass again.”
“There’s the cocky Julian I know and despise.” I grin.
Before I have a chance to stop him, he steals a quick kiss. It’s nothing more than a soft brush of his lips over mine, but it makes my head spin and my heart race like I ran a marathon.
“Sorry.” He pulls away and scans the group of random festival attendees waiting for their turn at the game.
