Page 48 of Chasing Fireflies

“But we wanted to take a drive,” Drew cuts in. “And we don’t know why we haven’t told you two sooner about it. Anne and I used to go there all the time when we were younger.”

I look down at Sara. “Wanna go have some fun?”

“Sure.” She smiles.

“Umm, Cash, son, it looks like both of you got a little paint on your faces,” Drew says.

Baby and I look at each other, and neither of us can help the laugh that bubbles up from our chests and bursts out of our mouths.

*

The sounds of rollercoasters swooshing through the wind and people laughing and screaming ring in my ears, and I grab Sara’s hand as we walk on the black pavement.

“What do you want to ride first?” I ask her.

“Everything.” She grins big. We jump on the first ride we see. It’s a train coaster, but from the looks of it, it hauls ass and seems fun. We walk up to the line of people and stand and wait. TVs play in all corners of the line, and fans blow, giving us a little break from the heat of the day. Our turn is next. As soon as the train stops, Sara climbs in first, and I pull the bar close to us. People stand on a wooden platform and watch us, and the person operating the ride says a few safety words before he hits a green button and the ride starts. It’s slow at first, but picks up speed quickly, and before we know it, we’re flying through twists and turns. The sound of Sara’s laugh makes me smile, and she throws her hands up when we drop down a huge hill into a dark tunnel. The ride jerks sideways, surprising the hell out of me because we can’t see anything. Sara’s hands are forced down, and when we come out of the tunnel and stop, she laughs. “Holy hell, that was fun.”

*

Windblown hair and tired feet, we’ve walked all over this park and ridden everything. We’ve eaten, and I’ve played a few games, winning Sara some stuffed animals, which she gives away to the kids except a little elephant. “I love elephants,” she says.

“I love you,” I tell her.

*

“I think the bathroom looks great.” Sara stands wrapped in a towel, looking over the work we did today. The walls are a fresh pale yellow, and the crown molding stands out with its new white coat. She’s shower clean and smells so good.

“I agree,” I say, grabbing her towel from the back.

“Cash,” she says in shock, turning around and covering her breasts.

“Like I haven’t seen everything you have,” I tell her.

“It’s a natural reaction.” She shrugs. I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and look her over. “For someone who has seen everything I have, you sure don’t act like it,” she says, giving me a small smile.

“You’re beautiful,” I tell her as I walk closer to her. She swallows my compliment and licks her lips. I reach up and run a finger over her belly and grab her waist, pulling her flush against me. I lean down and move her wet hair from her neck and breathe in deep. She smells like a field of lavender and honeysuckles. I taste her skin and move her so she is up against the hallway wall. Running my hand down the side of her thigh, I lift her leg and pull it around my waist. I’m fully dressed, and she stands naked. I grab her ass and suck on her neck. Moving her head to the side, she gives me better access, and I lift her other leg, taking her feet away from the floor and surrounding myself with all of her. Her smell, her hair, her soft skin, her crazy mind, and her heart are pressed against mine. I take her to our room and lay her down. Honeysuckle love kisses my mouth and makes my heart beat faster. She grabs my T-shirt, and I help her remove it so our skin can touch. My jeans go next, and once I sink inside her, she moans into my mouth and I bite her bottom lip. I love her on the outside, like I love her on the inside. Deep and hard, rough and soft. Life-changing and earth-shattering. She’s everything, and I tell her over and over.

“Never let me go.”

“Not possible,” she breathes.

“Promise,” I urge her because I’m desperate to hear it.

“Promise, promise,” she says.

*

Sara

I tap my nails against the bar top as Banner walks over.

“Hey, Sara, what can I get you?”

“I’d like a beer, please, while I wait for Maci and Leigh.”

“Coming up.”

I look back at the empty dance floor. It’s quiet, but it’s early. Banner slides me my beer, and I see the girls walk in the door.

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