Page 69 of Ranch Rules

Natalie and Thomas made their way toward the game where he paid for both of them to shoot the water guns. There were two other players, and only sixty seconds to move their figures down the track as far as possible.

Natalie sat on the stool, her eyes narrowed as she concentrated. From the moment the buzzer rang for them to begin, her finger was pressing down on the trigger. Almost without being aware of it she began to mutter to herself, “Go, go, go!”

When the buzzer rang again announcing that time was up, only one figure was ahead of hers. She turned to see Thomas grinning at her.

“Bad luck, huh?”

She scowled at him. “Let’s go again, you can’t get lucky twice.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re a competitive thing, aren’t you?”

“Um, hello, lawyer.”

He chuckled again. “I guess it comes with the territory. Come on, little-bit, let’s keep moving. If we spend all my money here we won’t see much.”

Natalie was only mollified after he let her choose the prize—a bright pink and orange striped sloth.

“What do you say?”

“Thanks.”

Thomas shook his head, grinning. “You’re a bit of a sore loser, aren’t ya?” He held up his hand before she could answer. “I know, I know: lawyer.”

That at least wrung a reluctant smile out of her.

“All right, let’s go grab some cotton candy then and see if we can turn this sour mood of yours around. If not, I have a sure-fire cure.” He winked, and to her surprise even knowing what he was referring to made her belly flip.

What’s wrong with me? This whole little thing must really be getting to me.

“Yeah. Cotton candy sounds great.”

* * *

Though she couldn’thave anticipated it, Thomas was right. A big cone of pink and blue cotton candy had been just the thing to turn her mood around. And after several more games—some she won, with much cheering and whooping; some Thomas did, with much more grace—he even let himself be talked into buying a second cone.

“Hey, are you goin’ to be a good girl and share?”

Giggling, Natalie pulled the cone out of reach when she saw his hand coming.

“Natalie... you don’t want me to embarrass you in public, do you?”

She batted her eyelashes at him and held out the cone, only to yank it away once again, much to her own amusement.

Thomas seemed pretty amused too, though he did pop her bottom. “Be a good girl now, or I’ll take you home.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, pretending to pout as she handed it over. She had already whittled it down by a little more than half.

“You’re so gracious,” he teased.

Though she’d planned to play put out for a few more minutes to see if it would make him give the cotton candy back, she couldn’t manage it. Natalie had never been more relaxed and at peace. She was enjoying her first experience at the fair very much, and was making out like a bandit. So far Thomas had won her the stuffed sloth, which was perched inside a beautiful embroidered backpack purse he’d also bought for her. She had won a plastic visor, large hot pink sunglasses studded with rhinestones, and butterfly tattoos, all of which she’d insisted on wearing. If the partners at Briggs & Spric could see her now, they probably wouldn’t even recognize her, and for once the thought made her smile.

“You’re going to eat it all!” she protested as she looked at Thomas.

“You’re one to talk.”

She reached over and snatched the cone from his grasp, skipping ahead and giggling. The thought crossed her mind that she probably looked about eight years old, but she didn’t care. She was having the time of her life.

“All right,” Thomas said as he caught up to her. “No more sugar for you, young lady.”

---