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“As if you need that.” Marlee focused on Haylee’s face, using several different colors of paint. When she finished, Emily and Olivia gave enthusiastic shouts and giggles of approval as she handed Haylee a mirror.
Haylee looked at her reflection—Marlee had painted butterflies and flowers along the sides of her face and onto her cheeks. It looked pretty, and how she did it emphasized Haylee’s eyes.
She started digging in her pocket for cash to donate to the children’s hospital, but Tyson said, “I’ve got this,” and dropped a twenty into the jar of bills and coins.
They said goodbye to Marlee and the girls and walked on to where a pie-eating contest was in full swing. Tyson and Haylee cheered on her brother, Justin, who was the first to get to his second pie within the allotted time. Pie filling covered his mouth while crumbs and more filling stained the white bib at his throat.
“Justin has always been a huge pie fan, from peach to pecan to lemon meringue.” Haylee glanced at Tyson. “His wife, Miranda, spoils him rotten by baking pies frequently.”
She turned back to the contest to see a teenage boy she didn’t know catch up with Justin, and now they were neck and neck. Just as the timer went off, Justin managed to eat the last bite, and the mayor declared him the winner.
After congratulating Justin, Haylee and Tyson moved past the petting zoo to a pumpkin latte bar, where Tyson purchased two lattes and two pumpkin scones. They chatted, ate, and drank as they enjoyed the rest of the festival.
When they came to a pumpkin throwing contest, where contestants threw the squash like shotputs, Haylee moved closer to the sidelines. “This looks like fun.”
Tyson handed his almost-empty latte cup to Haylee and rolled up his sleeves. “I’m gonna give it a try.”
Haylee laughed and watched as he took his place in line. When he reached the front, he selected a pumpkin and stood in the shotput ring. He moved forward and put his body into the throw, barely keeping inside the ring as he released his squash.
She held her breath as she watched it sail in an arc and splat on the ground a foot from the farthest shattered orange mess on the dirt.
Haylee handed him his drink when he returned to her side, and she gave him a quick hug. They stood and watched the remaining shotput throws. She held her breath again as the last person’s throw sailed high through the air, then landed a few inches behind Tyson’s.
She cheered and jumped up and down, almost dropping her remaining latte. “What did you win?”
“Looks like a gift card for Apple Amy pies.” Tyson smiled. “I’ll take that in a heartbeat.”
He accepted his award and slid the card into his wallet. “Are you ready for the corn maze?”
“You betcha.” She handed him her empty cup to throw into a nearby garbage barrel with his.
Tyson took Haylee’s hand and led her away from the festival grounds to the cornfield and the entrance to the maze. No one was in line, so they were sent into the midst of the corn.
“Oh, wow.” Haylee looked around them as they rounded the first corner of the maze. The corn grew ten to twelve feet tall, and she felt lost already.
They came to a junction. “This way.” Tyson tugged her to the right. They walked around another corner, came to a dead end, and retraced their steps.
It seemed like they’d walked around for an hour, but it was probably only about fifteen minutes when Haylee stopped Tyson. “I think we’re going to have to send smoke signals.”
He looked up at the position of the sun in the sky. “I’m sure we’re almost there.”
She shook her head. “That’s what you said last time.”
He grinned and led her on. A few minutes later, they walked out of the maze. “What did I tell you?”
“You got lucky.” Still, she smiled and accepted a treat bag one of the attendants offered her.
“Great job,” the young woman said. “There’s candy in the bag, and you’ll find some Apple Amy coupons, too.”
“I love coupons.” Haylee peered into her bag. “Oooh, chocolate caramels and candy corn.”
Tyson popped some candy corn into his mouth and looked at the sky. “It’ll be dusk soon.” He turned to Haylee. “What do you say to a hayride after we pick out our pumpkins and put them in the truck?”
She unstuck her jaws from the caramel she’d just chewed. “I’m game. I haven’t been on a hayride since I was a kid.”
He chewed more candy corn as they headed back to the pumpkin-picking area. “Supposed to be a harvest moon tonight.”
“Perfect.” Haylee breathed in the scents of candy and caramel apples as they came to a display stand.
