Page 56 of The Dangers of Daydreaming

Would I be able to get Lucy to go on it again? I would love a repeat of this.

The ride was short. Too short by my estimation. And when our cart slowed to a stop, I regretfully removed my hand from Lucy’s hair as she pulled back.

Her eyes flipped up to mine, moisture clear in their chocolate depths, and for a second, my heart lurched at the sight. But then a one-thousand-watt smile split her face.

“That. Was. Amazing.”

Yes, it was, but I had to admit to a level of shock at hearing it from her. “It was?”

She laughed, the sound bright and unburdened, and swiped beneath her eyes with her hands. Then she pressed her hand to her chest.

“Oh my gosh, I thought my heart was going to pound right out of my chest. Is this what it feels like to be high?”

I snorted. “No, I don’t think it is.”

She ignored me, hands waving in an attempt to express her apparent excitement. “It is amazing. Incredible. Let’s do it again.”

We stoodin line and rode it two more times, and to my complete and utter dismay, she didn’t hold onto me once. The third time, she even threw her hands in the air, screaming with delight the entire time. My eardrums might never be the same, but I was more worried about my heart.

Eventually, after touring the whole park, we made it back to the carnival games, where I had the satisfaction of beating her soundly at every single one.

“What happened to chivalry?” she asked after my tenth straight win.

“I am pretty sure there is no part in the definition that says I need to let you win.”

She pouted, and it was adorable. “Still would have been nice.”

“No, you would have gotten annoyed at me for pretending to lose.”

Her hand was wrapped around an almost-gone cotton candy cone, and she pinched her lips to the side in thought. “Yeah, I probably would have.” Then she sighed. “I’m totally forcing my cousins on that day to Lagoon.”

I felt strangely jealous of her cousins.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it, their roller coasters are much larger than ours.”

“I will.” The park was closing, or else I would have found more ways to keep her out with me, but as it was, we’d had a long day today and had an early morning staring us in the face. So, we walked back to the van and drove to the hotel with her verbally reliving every moment of the amusement park. It made me happy to listen to her rattle on about each of the things that I had been doing right beside her. Because it meant that because of me, she’d just had an incredible evening. My head was growing big from all the unspoken praise.

I parked at the hotel, held open her doors, and made it up the elevator before I couldn’t help myself.

“So, dinner?”

She didn’t glare, and her smile didn’t fade. “Maybe.”

“Still just maybe?”

She nodded, biting her lip, but her smile was still there. Was she actually teasing me now? I thought that was my territory, but I was more than happy to share. “Let me check my schedule,” she said, and the absolute cheek in her tone made me want to push her against the wall and kiss her senseless.

“I can check it for you, it’s the same as mine.” I used my key card to get us into theroom.

She went straight for her bag, pulling out pajamas, and then passing me on her way back to the bathroom. But she paused, with her hand on the doorknob. “Probably,” she amended.

“I will take probably.”

Chapter 17

Old People Games

Lucy

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