Page 54 of Finding You

“How are you enjoying the festival?” Ashlynn asked anxiously.

“Don’t mind her,” Reid quickly said. “These things are a bit of an obsession for her, so she’s always looking for everyone’s enthusiasm to match her own.”

Both MacKenzie and Devin chuckled. “I’m having a great time,” MacKenzie said, grinning. “Just the buildup from hearing about it all week was enough to have me looking forward to it.”

“And now that you’re here?” Ashlynn asked.

“Seriously, I’m loving it. We’ve tried some amazing food and Devin won me something from just about every booth!”

Ashlynn and Reid grinned at Devin. “Aren’t you the sweetest?” Ashlynn gushed. “Have you guys gone on the Ferris wheel yet?”

“Oh, um…” Devin hesitated.

“Ashlynn…” Reid admonished.

“What?” she asked innocently before seemingly reconsidering her words. “Have you guys gone on the mountain coaster yet? We were going to, but…”

“Come on. Let’s see if I can beat Devin and win you something from all the booths,” Reid said as he took Ashlynn’s hand and led her away. “See you both later.”

Once they were out of earshot, MacKenzie looked at Devin expectantly. “I wonder what she was going to say about the mountain coaster. It was weird how he cut her off like that. And I really would like to go on the Ferris wheel. Can we?”

At first Devin just shrugged, but MacKenzie kept at him. He sighed loudly. “Here’s the thing–it’s sort of…a thing, I guess. It was a stupid thing that started back in high school. There used to be a carnival that came around once a year. A small one. They used to set up on the high school football field.”

“O-kay…”

“Anyway, it became a…a um…”

“A thing?” she prompted.

“Yeah. It was a bit of a challenge to see which guy was the first to get a girl on the Ferris wheel and…you know…make out. It was stupid and we were just kids, but every time the carnival comes to town, even after all these years…”

“You all still revert to being kids and try to get the girl on the Ferris wheel.”

All he did was nod.

She looked back at him and did her best to hide her amusement. “And you didn’t want to take me on the Ferris wheel because…?”

He rolled his eyes. “I know it sounds stupid but…everyone’s already watching us and I knew how you felt about that, so I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire and make you uncomfortable.”

“Ashlynn was right.”

Devin looked at her quizzically.

“You are the sweetest.” Standing on tip-toes, she kissed him softly on the lips. Then, grabbing his hand, she tugged him toward the Ferris wheel. With a quick look at him, she shrugged. “Let’s give them something to talk about!”

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the festival was going to be a lot of fun. But seeing it all right now through MacKenzie’s eyes was kind of fun. Her excitement was infectious, and he admired her sense of wonder over the little things.

It was the most carefree he’d ever seen her.

They had gone on the Ferris wheel–and the kisses they’d shared had him harder than he thought possible. As soon as their feet were back on the ground, MacKenzie took him by the hand and dragged him over to the haunted house. He’d been through it a time or two over the course of his life–well, not this one, but haunted houses in general – but this was the first time he’d been tempted to simply run through it so he could take a girl home with him. She was turning him inside out, and the constant state of arousal she had him in was getting uncomfortable.

But in the best possible way.

When they stepped back outside, MacKenzie glanced toward the mountain coaster and that’s when he had to put the brakes on. “Not yet,” he teased, kissing her on the nose. “The line’s a bit long. Between that and the zip line, I don’t think we’d get to do anything else today. We’ll check back in an hour and see which one looks like it’s moving faster.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Hand in hand they walked around, chatting with everyone and maybe it was just wishful thinking but…she fit. MacKenzie simply fit in with Sweetbriar Ridge, and the thought of her leaving was really getting to him.

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