Page 55 of In the Dust

We stop by a stand that sends out the scent of fried deliciousness. “What do you want?” The man asks.

I roam the menu. “Fried butter. We have to get fried butter.”

He nods, grinning. “You’re going to get sick on the rides.”

“No, I won’t.”

* * *

I’m heaving,throwing up fried butter into the thicket of bushes at the edge of the fairgrounds after a very spinny ride on the zipper. “Don’t,” I warn him, just as he’s grinning about to tell me all about how he told me so.

He pulls a stick of gum from his pants and hands it to me. “When will you ever learn?”

“Never.” I grin, chucking the minty gum into my mouth to get the fresh feeling back. “Win me something?”

He throws his arm around my shoulder, leading us back to civilization. “Yes, ma’am.”

Colton never goes for the easy games, like balloon darts or the age guessing one. Every single time, he goes straight for the gun game. The one where you have to take the rickety wooden bb gun and shoot the star off the paper. This booth always has the biggest stuffed animals in the fair because it’s so damn hard.

The bb guns are old, and the balls shoot out everywhere. But somehow, he always manages to make the star disappear.

“Boom, baby.” He grins proudly.

The attendant looks at me. “What do you want?” he asks.

Hmm. I look around, pointing to the top right. “That horse!”

Colton laughs when the guy hands it to me; it’s so big that as I squeeze it, I can’t see in front of me. “What are you gonna name it?”

I blush, thanking him. “Peaches.”

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