Page 99 of Tourist Trap

"Come on, a deal for a friend?" he asks.

I shake my head. "It's a community fundraiser, Brad. No discounts." He truly issuchan asshole.

He takes me in, then looks to Miles. "Of course, just joking." He hands me the hundred that's so crisp, it must be straight from the bank unless he irons his cash, which I wouldn't put past him. "Just three, keep the change."

I lift an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"That's all I'll need," he says, and I roll my eyes, taking the cash and handing him three softballs.

"Stand at the line, then throw," I say.

He nods and gives me a cocky grin before moving toward the chalk line we made earlier this morning. Everyone stands around him, Miles and our friends glaring at the asshole as he stretches like this is going to be some huge, impressive feat instead of a kid's carnival game before he makes his first throw.

I've never never been more happy to see someone miss a target. I let out a snort that I cover with a cough when he misses, and Miles looks at me with a wide smile. I shake my head at him, then look back to Brad.

"Wind is pretty strong today," he says, and I look to the flag behind him to see it's drooping, showing there’s barely a breeze. I nod and give him a tight smile before he winds up.

"Or maybe you just can't aim," Miles says, and I snap my head to him, eyes wide. He doesn't even look at me; just keeps smiling at Brad like he already knows he's going to miss before he releases the ball.

This time he's closer, though he still misses.

"You suck, mister," some kid I kind of recognize as a younger sibling of one of my lifeguards says, and his mother quickly shushes him before Brad glares.

"Come on, man, can't hit a target?" Miles says, taunting Brad. I have to fight a laugh.

"Fuck off."

"This is a family event, Mr. Baker; we'll have to ask you to refrain from foul language," Helen says. I don't know when she got here, but she's also smiling at Brad like she's entertained by him missing his shot.

This whole town is nuts, and I love it. Brad's jaw goes tight. Before he turns back to Miles, winding up and throwing.

The ball misses the target again, and to my pleasure and horror, the kids gathered behind Brad started cheering.

His face goes beet red as he turns and walks off, leaving Miles laughing hysterically before he drops into the water, Grant already taking Brad's spot with his next round of balls.

"This was good," Helen says as he dunks Miles on the first try, the kids cheering again. She stands next to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "Fun for the town and the tourists. You've got an eye for this kind of thing."

I shrug and smile at her. "PTA kid. I've been to more fundraisers than anyone ever should."

"I'm just saying. Something to keep in mind. Anyway, you're on break," she says. "Take that boy with you before Grant spends his life savings."

I smile as Grant throws his last ball at the target, hitting it again, and Miles falls into the water. I nod because the baseball coach is already standing to the side, waiting for the shift he signed up for, a bunch of his players lined up to dunk him. I have a feeling he'll get even more wet than Miles did.

Grabbing a towel, I walk over to the tank. "Time’s up, bud," I say, and he gives me a smile.

"Already?"

"I'm on break."

His eyes go soft before he climbs out of the dunk tank. "Does that mean we can go hide under the boardwalk for a bit? Make out?"

I let out a loud laugh, loving this side of Miles that I rarely have seen in the past but am glimpsing more of each day. Playful and fun, less worried, less stressed. Though I like all of the versions of Miles, I like this one best.

"Hold your horses, bud. First, you gotta dry off."

He wiggles his eyebrows at me as he takes the towel, draping it over his shoulders. "So you're not saying no…"

I roll my eyes, and he shakes his head like a dog, his hair sending droplets of water toward me.

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