Page 80 of Trust

Zelda flipped a pink braid over her shoulder. “My mom says it’s a gift and one I should use for good and not evil.”

“Amen,” Zane said quietly.

“I think he likes Ms. Lucy,” Sam announced loudly. “You’re gonna need a lot of funnel cakes to get her interested.”

“Thanks, little Romeo, for the advice.” Linc gave the small group a confident smile. “I got this.”

“You so don’t,” Zelda snorted. “I heard the ladies chatting earlier, and repelling candle and your name were used in the same sentence.”

“Not a big deal. It’s an opposite attracts thing, and we’ll have things worked out before too long.”

Zelda took Sam and Kelsey’s hands. “I think it’s more of an enemy-to-lover disaster in the making, but that’s just me.” She turned the children toward the ride. “We’ll go stand in line for the Ferris wheel.”

“Expect to be proven wrong, young lady,” Linc called out loudly to the departing group.

“Got to be one of your proudest moments.” Zane punched Linc in the arm. “I’m gonna leave now, so you can get your swagger back in place.”

“Appreciate it,” he mumbled before stalking in Lucy’s direction.

Zane looked around for Olivia and didn’t spot her. “Might as well handle the ride.” He ran his hand over his neck and laughed, knowing the Hawker men were skunking the game. No two ways about it.

TWENTY-ONE

Oliva watched the sky light up with orange and yellow and let out her first full breath of the day. “Whew, that was a long one.”

“Hey, babe, you ready for your inaugural ride?” Zane called out as he approached.

“If only that were possible,” she replied regretfully. “I’ve got a thing with heights.”

Zane rested his hand on her shoulder. “Why in the hell did you have me fix it then?” He bent over and peered into her face. “It was your dream, a shot at happiness.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean I want to actually get in a gondola and be lifted fifty feet in the air and dangle precariously while I wait for the laws of nature to take over.”

“If I’d known, I could’ve programmed it so it only lifts a couple of feet off the ground.”

Olivia covered his hand. “That’s lovely. But seeing everyone enjoy it today was all I wanted. Making something that was abandoned valuable again was my motivation.”

“Feel like there’s a metaphor in there that’s meant for me.”

“Not really.” She stepped away. “I was broken for a long time and appreciated the people who never gave up on me—who saw that I was capable of more and one day would be whole again.”

“Direct hit.”

“Not intended as one.” She let out a breath. “So, are you avoiding me, or am I avoiding you?”

“I think we’re both spooked and acting accordingly,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to a bench facing west.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say goodbye.” She shivered and sat forward. “I know that I shanghaied you into an affair and will eventually craft a beautifully poignant apology for leading you astray.”

“Liv, we both know that I can’t be led anywhere. Least of all, a place I don’t want to go.”

“I was hoping you’d accept my theory so I could heap some blame on your shoulders.” She slid a ring on her finger round and round. “I want your lack of interest in an entanglement to be the sole reason why our little tryst is circling the drain slowly and somewhat painfully.”

“Happy to take all the blame.” He covered her hand. “But I don’t think our missteps have anything to do with my initial reluctance.”

Olivia studied the harsh planes of Zane’s face and admitted that he would always be a puzzle she couldn’t put together. “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way since we’ve taken a turn on the dance floor and found ourselves incompatible.”

“We’re many things, but mismatched isn’t one of them.”

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