Page 70 of Facing the Line

Jonas and I share a confused glance—I thought Bambi was a deer—but we go with it.

The little girl demonstrates how to pet him, slipping her fingers through the bars of the cage and stroking his side.

“How old is he?” Jonas asks, stepping closer and crouching at eye level with the girl and the rabbit. She blushes under his attention, and yeah girl, I get it.

“He’s three.”

“Well, he looks very, um, healthy,” I tell her, unsure how to compliment a big, fat rabbit. That must be okay because she beams at me.

“His competition is tonight,” she tells us.

“Do you think he’ll win?” Jonas asks her, sticking his fingers through the spaces in the cage like she did.

She nods. “He has a decent chance.”

“Hadley.” He turns to me, his eyes glowing. “You’ve gotta feel this rabbit. It’s the softest thing I’ve ever touched.”

“Chinchillas are the softest animal in the world,” the little girl says, “but I bet Bambi is second.”

“Have you ever pet a chinchilla?” I step closer and wedge my fingers into the gap. It’s like stroking downy fluff, softer than velvet or the puppies at the shelter. I love it.

She shakes her head. “No, but I want to test it out.”

“I bet Bambi is the softest rabbit here,” Jonas says, standing and placing his hand on my lower back. I shiver, not because I’m cold.

The little girl nods. “I know he is. I touched them all.”

“That’s solid research.” He holds out his hand for a fist bump, and she smiles and returns it. “And good luck to you both during the judging.”

“Thanks for letting us meet him,” I tell her. “Have fun.”

Waving, we amble on, visiting the goats, cows, and horses. None of them entice me to pet them, though. The goats have crazy eyes, and the cows and horses are way bigger up close. The llamas ignore us entirely.

“Thanks for this,” I say as we exit the barn. I glance around, but I doubt there are any other college students who know ushere. So I lace my fingers through his like I’ve been wanting to do this whole time.

“Of course.” Jonas smiles at me, squeezing my hand. “I know you want to travel and have wild adventures and experiences, but I love that you find enjoyment in everything, even a little county fair.”

“I’m a city girl, no doubt about it.” I shudder, thinking again of how massive those farm animals were and the way they smelled. “Give me car exhaust fumes any day. But this is fun.”

“But the evening would not be complete without…” He clears his throat, and I raise my brow, waiting for the answer. “Fair food.”

My stomach growls in response. Yes, please.

“Lead the way, Joe.”

I can’t decide between cotton candy and funnel cake, so we get one of each to share.

“Cotton candy makes me think of you,” Jonas says, pulling off a fluffy bite and stuffing it into his mouth.

“Why?” I take a bite of my own, licking the spun sugar off my fingers.

He shrugs, blushing. “Do you have perfume or shampoo with this scent? Because that’s what you smell like.”

That’s adorable. I stop walking, and he does the same, facing me. “It’s a perfume. But what do I taste like?”

Leaning in, he nips my lip in a quick kiss. “Mmm, delicious.”

With a grin, I feed him a piece of funnel cake. “Which do you like better, cotton candy or funnel cake?”

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