Page 37 of Whatever You Want

Brina jumped out of her seat and looked out the window. “Woah…look at that Ferris wheel.”

The parking lot attendant came over to take our money and placed a ticket on the windshield. Logan’s hand brushed up against mine as we weaved our way through the gravel lot. Once we reached the entrance, the girls ran straight to the ticket booth. After looking at the prices, we decided to buy the unlimited wristband instead of individual tickets. Well, I should say Logan bought the girls wristbands. He insisted on paying, which made me feel guilty. These carnival rides weren’t cheap.

The girls were beside themselves as we walked by the blinking neon lights from the rides. Teenagers screamed as they were being flipped around and thrown in the air. The girls paused as we passed the swings; one of their favorite rap songs blared through the speakers. It was amusing watching the ride attendant try to egg them on the ride. Oh, to be young and fearless again.

There were so many attractions; they weren’t sure where to start. After riding the swings and The Round-Up, they made a beeline for the Scrambler, which had a short line.

Logan and I stood back and watched them while I pulled my phone out and snapped a few pictures. Once the Scrambler came to a stop, they jumped out of the car; their smiles were infectious.

“What’s your favorite ride, Ava?” Brina asked while Madison looked through the photos I had just taken.

“She likes the Tilt-A-Whirl,” my daughter stated without looking up.

Logan nudged my arm. “You’re quite the daredevil, huh?”

“I prefer rides that don’t toss me into the air defying gravity.”

“She doesn’t like upside-down roller coasters either,” Madison offered up and handed me back my phone. I glared at her while tucking it away.

Logan shook his head like he was disappointed in me. Whatever, at least I didn’t have to worry about throwing up and having a killer headache from screaming so much. Plus, these rides were taken down and put together once a week. No, thank you.

We reached the end of the midway and stood in the long line, waiting for our turn for the Tilt-A-Whirl; the girls demanded that they ride alone. Logan and I walked along the unsteady platform, climbed into the car, and pulled the safety bar down on our laps. He put his arm around me and grinned. “Don’t go squishing me.” He winked, and I stuck my tongue out because I was mature like that.

He looked around briefly and surprised me when he leaned in and closed his mouth over mine. I no longer cared about where we were because there was no way I could resist him even if I wanted to, which I didn’t. The kiss was needy and quick and way too short. He pulled back with a smirk, and I wanted to cry because that kiss was nowhere near enough.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I picked you up tonight,” he confessed while running the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip. “Just needed a minute alone with you away from prying eyes.”

I was pretty sure my cheeks were the same color as the matching apple cars we were sitting in. The man made me feel like a damn teenager.

The ride started out slow at first before we started spinning in different directions. I gripped the bar, trying and failing to stay on my side. We laughed as the car turned us around and around. Logan’s body kept crashing into mine; there was no way it wasn’t deliberate. I leaned my body as far away as I could, but he refused to give me space.

Once we stopped, I shifted to face him. “You did that on purpose.”

“What are you talking about?” The corners of his eyes were crinkling in humor.

“You banged your body up against mine. I’m going to be sore for days.”

“Banged your body, huh?” He laughed as we made our way off the ride.

I groaned, trying to act put off, but really, I was having the time of my life. The two minutes spent in that hot rusty car wasn’t nearly long enough. My thighs stuck to the ripped leather seats, and I would bet my life savings that these rides hadn’t been cleaned in the last decade, yet I was already dreading when this night would come to an end.

“Did you guys get dizzy?” Madison asked as we exited the ride.

I quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail, brushing the strands back with my fingers. “We did, but it was fun. What’s next?”

“The fun house,” they both said at the same time.

“I’m going to grab a cold beer, want one?” Logan asked, pulling out his wallet.

“No, thanks. I’m good for now.”

Logan got his drink and brought back a couple of waters. I smiled, watching all the little kids crawl along the moving tubes and squeal through the maze of mirrors. “I love carnivals. They remind me of how much fun it was to be a kid.”

“The girls are having a good time,” he said, stepping aside as a little boy came running toward us.

“I am too. Thank you for inviting us.” He squeezed my hand while I met his gaze. His touch was comforting, and it was impossible not to feel the insane connection between us.

We stood there in the middle of the crowd, just staring at each other. So much was spoken without a single word. Logan’s phone rang in his pocket, breaking our connection. He pulled it out and rolled his eyes when he looked at the caller ID.

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