Page 102 of Unforgiven

“Sure thing, Peg. I was just catching up with Jay here.”

Jay tipped his hat as she approached. “Gut day, Peggy.”

“And to you as well, Jay. Enjoy the fair and don’t forget to go on some of the rides on the midway tonight.” She winked as they walked off.

Just in the nick of time too. The last thing he wanted to think about was going on the Ferris wheel alone. Or with anyone other than Bethanne Hostetler by his side.

That wasn’t going to happen, though. Not when she hated him.

“Jay, there you are!” his brother Tommy called out. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Tommy had been his parents’ surprise baby. Twelve years younger than Jay, Tommy was twelve, had red hair and freckles, and was built like their father’s grandfather. He was large for his age and would’ve been a great football player if he was English. As it was, he was simply a good farm hand and one of Jay’s best friends. He loved Tommy.

“You found me now. What’s going on?”

“I’m starving. Want to get something to eat?”

“I could eat. What are you hungry for?” He grinned. The kid was always hungry.

“They’ve got a food truck with tacos. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”

The food trucks were off to the side, just before the carnival games and the tent housing all the food and handcraft entries. “What have you been doing?”

“Hanging out with the guys.”

“Where are they?”

“Abel had to go home with his family, and Cade and Zack are hanging out with girls.”

Tommy’s voice sounded so disparaging that Jay had to chuckle. “You didn’t want to hang out with the girls too?”

“Nah. I’m not ready for that.”

“You aren’t?”

“No way. Guess what they’re making Cade and Zack do?”

“No idea.”

“Pet the baby animals.” He grunted. “Like Zack don’t have a ton of them on his own farm.”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid that kind of thing goes with the territory. Girls like baby animals. Most folks do, come to think of it. A baby piglet is cute.”

“Whatev. Cade’s only doing all that because he thinks Mary might kiss him.”

“Whoa.”

“Right?”

“How old is Cade?”

“Thirteen, but he has three older brothers.” He lowered his voice. “He knows things.”

Good grief. “Ah. That explains it.”

“I guess.” He kicked a bottle cap that someone had tossed on the ground.

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