Page 11 of My Promise To Keep

Okay, that was it. If he was playing dirty, I was too. I narrowed my gaze and smirked.

‘Oh honey, I know I can.’

I saw the moment of surprise, the way his eyes widened a little, and, big mistake, buddy,huge, he gave me a window. I widened my stance, bent my knees a little, and took a swing. I swung again while he was still distracted, and he was on his back, bouncing on the inflatable in a flash.

‘Yes.’ I squealed and jumped down, bounding over to him and leaning down as he looked up at me, amusement creasing his eyes. ‘Told you I could get you off.’ I winked before turning toward the exit and bouncing away.

‘Cotton candy,’ I said,my eyes widening in excitement.

‘You are a toddler.’ Leo laughed but let me lead him to the promised land.

Doug and Bree were long gone, both of them heading off to quiet corners with someone pretty.

Leo ordered my pink sugary goodness and paid before I could. He did that a lot.

‘Oh my god,’ I moaned at the taste, and he shook his head.

‘You’re going to crash and burn after that high.’

‘Worth it, totally worth it.’

I glared as his big, meaty hand swooped in and took way too much of my sugar.

‘Mmm, you’re right, so worth it.’ He turned and walked away as I stared after him.

‘Zoe doesn’t share food,’ I called out, and he laughed, turning to face me.

‘Honey, that ain’t food.’ He winked and walked backward. ‘Come on, I need a hot dog.’

The day had been fun. We’d always made the effort to go to the fair together since we were kids. Even now that Leo and Doug lived out of town and Bree was basically always working her little butt off.

As we sat on some barrels, Leo with a disgusting hot dog and me with my cotton candy, I felt happy. I had bad days. I had days when I missed Luke so much I couldn’t remember how to breathe, but those days were fewer now. I was living my life the best I could.

I looked around at the people of our county, couples dancing together in any bit of space they could find with the music all around. Teenagers laughing with friends, kids on their daddy’s shoulders. Families trying to win stuffed toys and make memories that would bring them back next year with nostalgic smiles already on their faces.

‘I love the fair,’ I said absentmindedly, and Leo turned to me, smiling.

‘Me too, munch.’

I shook my head and held out my arms for him to lift me down from the barrel he’d had to lift me onto.Munch, short for munchkin, was Leo’s nickname for me and had been since we were kids. It was better than shrimp, I guess, which is what he called Bree.

Leo stood, wiped his hands on the paper towel he’d grabbed with his hot dog, then threw it into the trash before standing in front of me, raising one eyebrow.

‘Would you like me to help you down, munch?’ I nodded. ‘You gotta learn to use your words, sweetie.’

I laughed. Leo was three years younger than me, but he’d always had this mature head on his shoulders — always seemed older than he was.

‘Leo, please, will you help me down?’

I batted my eyelids, and he growled as he stepped close, then gripped under my arms and lifted me down.

‘It isn’t that high. You didn’t need my help,’ he said, and I shrugged before stepping away and calling out,

‘Why have a dog and bark yourself?’

‘Did you enjoy the fair, munch?’ Leo asked as we sat on his dad’s porch. Buck, his amazing father, was still out enjoying the fair with hisfriend, Lucy. The woman he absolutely had not been in a relationship with for years, even though they had multiple sleepovers a week. Why they didn’t just make it official, I did not know. Everyone in town knew about them.

I was tired, but I loved our little debriefs. We would always sit down together at the end of the days we’d spent together. Whether we’d been shopping, working, drinking, or at the fair, we always took some time to just sit together. Leo often spent the night on my couch, but it was such a nice night that we headed straight for Buck’s porch since I didn’t have one.

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