Page 99 of A Hard Fit

“Um, I think everyone with kids is coming. And Griffin, of course. He’s just a large kid, really.”

So Jackson would be there. “Great,” Finn said under his breath.

Rory still heard it. “I’m going to talk to Jackson, okay?”

“You are? At Thrill Island?”

“If he won’t even call but he’ll come for a free day at an amusement park? He can have a conversation with me.”

“Okay.” Finn kissed Rory’s shoulder. “Thanks.” It didn’t really make him feel any better about the day, but it was something.

Rory patted Finn’s hand. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

* * * *

“This is amazing!” Cali squealed, bouncing along the boardwalk to the front gate.

Bryson was right behind her. “Look at that guy! Can you take my picture, Uncle Finn?” He dashed to put his face through the cutout for the ‘hacker’ character. “Cali, come do one!”

Cali chose the ‘distraction’ in the evening gown. The kids smiled wide for Finn to snap a few pictures, then they ran to use the viewing binoculars to check out the harbor.

Rory took Finn’s arm. “Look how excited they are, and they’re not even inside the park yet.”

“It’s pretty great.” They hung back, smiling at the kids’ antics and waving at the Breakpoint staff they spotted streaming toward the gate.

“Is Luka coming?” Rory asked, scanning the crowd.

“No, he… Well, if you can believe it, he actually asked Thomas out.”

“What?” Rory’s jaw dropped. “He did?”

“Yup. They’re going to Montecalvo today.”

“Wow. Good for him.”

“Yeah. Hope he doesn’t fuck it up.” Finn didn’t know how much more pining Luka could take. “Ready to head in?” Finn called to the kids. “We’re just getting started!”

“Coming!” They ran over and each grabbed onto one of Finn’s hands, swinging his arms as they got in line to get their tickets scanned. The place was jumping—besides the employees’ family and friends that Markos had invited, the citizens of Oakport had turned out in droves.

The sign above the gate had been totally redone, from the cheesy slasher font to a slick logo in red, silver and black. Goosebumps stippled Finn’s forearms when they passed through the gates. Everything was how he’d pictured it, except bigger and better in person. There was sparkling new signage everywhere and fresh paint in the new color scheme. There was already a lineup at the Ziller and the air rang with the joyful shrieking from its occupants.

“This looks incredible!” Rory said when they stopped in the main square to take it all in. A family walked by, each kid carrying a red helium balloon tied with black string—the preteen’s balloon read ‘I’m the hacker’ in white letters, the toddler’s said ‘I’m the muscle’ and an ‘I’m the getaway driver’ balloon bobbed from a stroller handle.

Finn smiled. The balloons had been his idea. “What ride do you want to do first?” he asked the kids. Bryson was vibrating so hard it rattled Finn’s bones.

“Finn!” Rory exclaimed. “You have to use the app!” They held up their phone to show the interface they had so painstakingly designed.

“Oh, shi—shoot, right. Of course.”

But Bryson had decided. “That one!” Dancing in place, he pointed at the Thrillcoaster. It was the centerpiece of the park, red tracks twirling and swooping like insect wings unfurled to the sky.

“Does that goupside down?” Cali asked, horrified.

“You don’t have to go on it if you don’t want to,” Finn assured her.

“Don’t be a wimp, Cali!” Bryson said.

She scowled, but her reply was—fortunately—cut off by a new voice calling to them.

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