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“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.” She grinned.
“Shall we?” He offered his arm and escorted her to the truck. Madison scooted over next to him like they were kids on their first date.
The music played from his radio, a sweet country song she had heard a hundred times before, but for the life of her she couldn’t name the tune. Her focus was on the man next to her. “Do you like to dance or are you the stand around and listen to the music kind of guy?” she asked when they stopped at the red light.
“It’s been years, but I reckon I can figure it out if the right lady asks me to dance,” he teased, shooting her a wink.
Madison wasn’t sure if his answer was good or bad. Good because she really wanted to dance with Caleb. Bad because she was more nervous now than she had ever been on prom night, a testimony to the very difference in the way she felt about him. “It’s been years for me too.”
“Then I reckon we will figure it out together or be the laughingstock of the town.”
“Well, okay then.” She nodded.
Caleb parked the truck and came around to open her door. He took her hand as she slid out. “After you.”
“Thank you. I love a gentleman who hasn’t forgotten the word chivalry.”
“Music to my ears. Your words and the band playing one of my favorite songs.” They walked side by side, throngs of people everywhere she looked. Eating. Laughing. Dancing. Playing games. And riding the Ferris wheel. Against the evening sky, the lights of the big wheel stood out, a wave of nostalgia hitting her head on. She hadn’t been to the festival since she was in high school, but even then, it hadn’t seemed to be filled with such excitement in the air.
Madison suspected her revelation was centered on Caleb.
“Let’s stop here and get an Elephant Ear,” Caleb suggested.
“Oh, yum. The best one is the plain one with just powdered sugar on it. Lots and lots of powdered sugar. I don’t know why people love to overload them with all sorts of crazy toppings.”
“So, we’ll have to agree to disagree. I knew there had to be something we wouldn’t agree on.” He chuckled.
Madison frowned. “What do you mean?”
“My favorite is an ear with bananas, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream on the top.”
“Yuk. Sounds closer to a banana split than an elephant ear.” They moved to stand in line.
“That’s because I love banana splits. It’s my way of combining my two favorite desserts. Joelle’s the one who got me started down this path, so blame her.” Caleb chuckled.
Caleb placed their orders. “At least you didn’t say chili. Only in Texas would they dream of putting chili on a dessert. Yuk.”
“Yuk is right, but I reckon it’s more popular in other places than you could possibly imagine. There’s so many names for elephant ears, I can’t even remember them all. But they are a staple food at every fair in the country.”
The man handed them their food and they sat down at one of the empty picnic tables. “What else do you like to do at the festival? I mean aside from eating and dancing.”
“Try my hand at some of the skill games, I reckon. Joelle doesn’t need any more stuffed animals, but she sure does love adding to her collection. Makes me feel like a winning father when her eyes light up with joy if I knock the milk cans down or sink a basket.”
“You are a winning father, whether you win or not.” She meant every word and hoped at some point he would see himself the way others saw him. A dedicated dad determined to do right by his daughter.
“Thank you. Seeing as we are about done here…” he stood and tossed the trash into the nearby can. “May I have this dance?” Caleb asked, taking her by the hand.
“Of course, I was wondering when you’d get around to asking.” Not that she would dance with anyone else, because all her dances were just for him.
They moved to the dance floor, hand in hand. It was a fast song, and she was pleased to see Caleb was a skilled dancer. None of those crazy chicken moves some boys did because they didn’t know any other way. He moved to the groove, all the while smiling and laughing like he was having the time of his life.An echo of how she felt.
The music slowed, and he drew her into his arms. “Finally.”
They fit together perfectly, and Madison wrapped her arms around his neck, moving in close. She laid her head on his shoulder, wishing this moment would last forever. He tipped her head back and gazed down at her, a smoldering look in his eyes. Caleb lowered his head and kissed her.
A magical kiss in a magical moment. This was the one she wished could last forever.
“Since when do adults go for PDA’s?” an elderly woman asked, grinning.
