Page 53 of When It Burns

We haven’t been in the car for more than a minute before I feel her eyes on me. “Go ahead and spit it out,” I say with a laugh. “It’s not like you to keep your opinions to yourself.”

My best friend smiles at me before she says, “You look happy,”

“I am happy, Han. I know it sounds crazy, but I have no doubt he’s it for me,” I say, keeping my eyes on the road and ignoring the way my nerves have gone haywire at my declaration.

“Wow. Okay. So y’all are really that serious already?” Hannah asks, and I try to ignore the surprise in her voice.

“I don’t know. I know he’s got some things to work through, but I’m in. Honestly, it scares the shit out of me, but I want him. He came out of nowhere and completely took over my heart.”

“Shit. Okay. Well, I’m happy for you, Caroline. And I’m here for whatever you need. I just want you to be happy,” Hannah says, and I hear the sincerity in her voice. “So, it looks like you found yourself a cowboy after all, huh?”

“Yeah. I just hope I get to keep him,” I say as I pull into my apartment.

We run upstairs and make quick work of changing clothes and touching up our makeup. I grab a light pink v-neck and jean shorts while Hannah throws on a pair of black shorts and a cropped gray shirt. Feeling slightly more presentable, I grab my lipgloss and smear it on before walking back to the door.

By the time we return to Theo and Margaret’s house, night has fallen and everyone is ready to go. We’d invited the boys to go with us to the annual fair while we watched the game. Hannah and I had made it a tradition while we were still in high school, and we hadn’t missed a year since. The rides were a complete safety hazard, and the food contained at least a couple of days’ worth of calories, but we didn’t care. Margaret had already been looking forward to going with us, so we’d decided to turn it into a group event after the great escape.

“Y’all ready?” the boys call out from the porch before we are even completely out of the car. “We’re starving!”

“We literally just ate,” I argue back, teasingly.

The boys just roll their eyes at me as we pile into Will’s truck. He blares the latest Luke Combs album as we drive, We haven’t even made it to the end of the driveway before he and Hannah are bickering over which song on the album is best. Margaret and I share a look before dissolving into a fit of giggles. I know we are both thinking about the fact that Hannah and Will are like an old married couple, but neither of us are brave enough to say it out loud.

Theo wraps his arm around my shoulder and tugs me into his side. He drops a kiss to the temple of my forehead, and I let out a contented sigh as we ride in companionable silence. After a few minutes, I see the lights of the fairground coming closer while Hannah and Will continue to throw verbal jabs at each other.

By the time we pull in and find a parking spot, they are almost screaming at each other over whether Reba McIntire or Shania Twain has the better voice. Finally, Seth is brave enough to step in and diffuse the situation and we make our way inside.

As we walk up to the ticket booth, I reach for the small wallet I had tucked into my shorts. Theo tracks my movements before saying, “Sunshine, what are you doing?”

“Uh, getting my ticket. Is that okay?” I ask, not understanding what he’s saying.

“Baby, I can practically still taste your sweet pussy on my tongue. I’m buying your damn ticket,” he growls low enough that no one else can hear him.

My shocked expression must be all the affirmation he needs because he steps in front of me and pays for both of our wristbands to get inside. Once Mrs. Darleen, the woman working the ticket booth for the Kiwanis club, hands him the pink plastic bands, Theo turns back to me and grabs my hand to pull me out of the way. When we are no longer blocking the line, he wraps his hand around my wrist. My mouth goes dry as I remember what he did last night, and I feel my face blush with desire.

We step inside the entrance as we wait for the rest of the crew to make their way inside. As we stand there, Theo reaches out and wraps his large hand around mine, pulling me into him. He drops a kiss on my forehead, and I bite back a smile at his show of affection. Hannah catches my eye as she walks through the entrance and I don’t miss the look of approval on her face as she takes in our proximity.

After we’ve all made our way inside, Seth says, “I’m grabbing a funnel cake. I’m freaking starving. Anyone coming with me?”

We all nod in agreement, and Theo wraps his arm around my shoulders as we follow our friends over to the food cart. The late-September evening is comfortable, and I love feeling his large body close to mine as we walk. I can feel the eyes of several parents and students on us as we stand in line, but I can’t find it in me to care what anyone thinks.

“So, Chief, how’s Springside treating you?” Seth asks as we stand in line.

“Well, I have to admit, I have found some things I like a lot more than I planned,” Theo says, squeezing my shoulder, making me smile.

Seth grins at us before saying, “Hmm, I see. Funny how that happens, isn’t it?”

After waiting in line for another minute, we make it to the front and the boys order their funnel cake. Once the employee hands them the plate full of fried dough, Theo tears off a piece and feeds it to me. My lips wrap around his fingers, licking the sugar off him before he withdraws his hand, and I chew the sugary goodness. After a moment, he leans in close to me and whispers, “Sunshine, you have sugar on your lip. If you don’t get it, I will, but you better be ready to give our friends a show.”

“Hmm, is that right, Cowboy? You know, I’ve always loved a challenge,” I whisper back with a smirk.

“Just remember, you asked for this,” he growls before gently pushing me against the picnic table beside us and kissing me hard.

I lose myself in kissing him back for a moment, loving the way his arms cage me in and his mouth makes good on his promise by claiming mine, before I remember where we are. As I pull back, I realize Hannah and the rest of our friends are cheering and catcalling loudly enough to gain the attention of several other people in the vicinity. It seems like everyone is staring at us, except for Margaret who has resorted to scrolling on her phone. I worry we’ve made her uncomfortable, but a moment later she looks up and gives me a small wink letting me know we’re good.

“Sorry, y’all. Uhh, so y’all ready for some rides? That Ferris wheel is calling my name,” I say with a shy laugh.

With that, we all split up with Hannah and Will heading toward the carnival games. Will challenged Hannah in the car to the balloon dart game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are still there battling it out when we are ready to leave. Margaret and Seth bonded earlier today when they realized they were both obsessed with the swings that spin you out over the fairground. So, that left Theo and I to entertain ourselves.

---