Page 30 of Unforgotten

She probably imagined it, but when their eyes met, she was sure his gaze warmed with approval. It made her feel a little tingly and special. Oh, she knew there was no chance of him ever thinking of her in a romantic sense. He acted like she was just a kid. But she was still a romantic at heart. And who couldn’t help but have a crush on a guy like him?

After she finished her talk, the director walked up to the microphone. “Everyone, let’s give Candace Evans, the beautiful Miss Crittenden County, a big round of applause.”

All the kids hooted and hollered as they clapped.

Candace smiled at them, but she took that excessive compliment with a grain of salt. She’d been told all her life that she was pretty, but she wasn’t anywhere close to being beautiful. She also really wasn’t anything special. It still seemed a little crazy for her to be offering advice to kids who were just a little bit younger than herself.

The director stepped closer. “Candace, would you be willing to stay another fifteen minutes and pose for pictures and autograph the flyers we passed out?”

“Yes, of course.” Searching for Ryan, she added, “I don’t think that will be a problem at all.”

He gave her a thumbs-up sign from across the room.

She smiled back at him.

“All right, everyone. Stand in line if you’d like to get a signed flyer or have your picture taken with Candace.”

Candace stood by the table they’d set up and picked up a black Sharpie marker. “Who’s first?”

“I am,” a little boy said. “I don’t want a picture with you. Can you sign the flyer?”

Scrawling her name on it, she handed it to him. “How’s that?”

“Good. It’s for my mom.”

“I want a picture with you,” a little girl said next. “My mom’s going to take it.”

She knelt down, slipped her arm around the girl’s slim shoulders, and smiled. “I’m ready.”

“Can I touch your crown?”

“Of course. Do you want to try it on too?”

“I can?”

“Absolutely.” Carefully removing it from her curls, she set it on the girl’s head while her mother took a picture.

And on it continued. She discussed high school and her outfit, signed pictures, and posed with kids. Then she noticed that Ryan had moved to stand by her side.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I think you need to finish up soon.”

She almost pointed out that she didn’t have any plans except to go home and eat heated-up leftovers, but then remembered that he was probably more than ready to relax—or even go out with his friends or something. “Okay.” Looking at the director, she held up five fingers.

The director nodded. “Five more minutes,” she called out. “Miss Crittenden County needs to go home, and so do y’all.”

When a couple of girls moaned, Candace said, “Maybe I can come another time. Don’t forget, I’ll be Miss Crittenden County for a full year.”

The main door of the gym opened with a sharp click, and a man and two teenagers rushed toward her and Ryan.

“Hey, do you have that navy-blue Chevy Blazer out there?”

“Yeah, it’s mine,” Ryan replied.

The man stepped forward, his expression grim. “Something happened to the tires. We thought you’d need to know.”

After glancing at Candace, obviously double-checking that she was okay, Ryan strode outside with the man.

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