Page 91 of Hot Shot

One side of my lips rises. “You’ve had two pretzel dogs, half a funnel cake, and an ice cream cone. I don’t think you’re hungry.”

“But we didn’t ride all the?—”

“We rode everything you’re tall enough to go on. Listen, I know you don’t want to go, but you did it all. And we’re going soon too, so you won’t miss anything.”

She’s pouting, but she doesn’t argue. “Promise?”

“Promise. C’mere. Ten second hug.” I reach for her, pulling her into my arms. This is made difficult by the stuffed poodle, but we manage.

I hug her until she sighs, softens, and eventually pulls away. Her eyes are a little glassy, and she yawns.

I try not to look smug at my rightness when I stand and say goodbye to Patty and Paul, then Cricket once more. Then Dad and Cass’s mom and aunts, all therealgrown-ups done for the day. Our friends are hanging nearby and offer their farewells, and for a second, I watch my daughter leave with a twist in my chest.

A long, deep sigh unwinds it a little.

When I turn, everyone has started to head back toward the food trucks except for Cass. God, she’s gorgeous, her hair long and loose and spilling over her shoulders. She’s wearing a little yellow cardigan over a brown dress with tiny red flowers all over it. Her tights are dark brown, and the toes of her oxblood combat boots are turned into each other. The look on her face tells me everything I need to know.

I pull her into me for a kiss, but it’s too brief—Jessa calls us from ahead, and we follow them down the wide aisle of carnival games. Cass and I barely separate—her arm slips around my waist under my Jacket, and when she hooks her thumb in my belt loop, her fingertips brush my skin, so cold I hiss.

“Jesus, Cass—you’re freezing.” I’ve already stepped away to shrug out of my jacket.

“But then you’ll be cold,” she argues, but I’ve already wrapped her up.

“I’ll live.”

My jacket is huge on her—unbidden, a vision of Cass overwhelms me, just like this at sixteen, drowning in my letter jacket. I catch myself smiling as I free her hair from the collar so the copper curls can fall down her back. And then she’s under my arm again as we hurry to catch up. Our stride is made awkward when I curl my arm so I can kiss her crown, and both her arms circle my waist, her cheek pressed to my chest.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I say and veer toward the parking lot.

But she laughs and pushes us in the other direction. “It’s Remy’s birthday. We’ve gotta go to The Horseshoe after this.”

I groan. “But you changed your mind. All plans are null and void.”

“Not this one.”

I lower my head to say quietly, “We’re going home where I can fuck you like I want to.” I veer us toward the parking lot again, and for a second, I think she’s going to let me.

Sadly, I’m not so lucky—she remembers herself and turns us back to the carnival.

“Not yet.”

“I’ve waited like you asked,” I warn, “but you’ve used up all my patience, Cassidy. I don’t think I have even a sliver of control left.”

“Good. You can take it out on me later,” she says with a wicked smirk, letting me go to grab my hand and pull me into the line of the Ferris wheel behind our friends. The ones who know the truth about us are ogling, but I don’t give a good goddamn.

She’s smiling up at me as she drapes her arms over my shoulders, her body against mine a special sort of heaven.

“You changed your mind,” I say again in wonder.

“I changed my mind,” she echoes.

“What about our sticky, messy lives?”

“They’ll always be sticky and messy, and ours are already knotted together. Plus, everybody thinks we’re married, but I haven’t been able to reap the benefits.”

My cock twitches at the combination of her words, the look she’s giving me, and the rasp in her voice. “What about it being too soon?”

She shrugs. “The kick drum is gone.”

---