Page 99 of The Way We Win

My lips twist, and Jack squeezes my hand. “Be right back.”

I wait as he walks over to take a knee beside his sparkly little girl. “What if I promise to bring you back tomorrow and walk through it when the sun is out?” His voice is so gentle and sweet with her.

“It won’t be the same, Daddy! Tonight they have lights and music, and they’re doing that smoky thing, and everybody’s screaming.”

“I know, but they’ll do fun things tomorrow, too.” He puts a hand on her waist. “Remember that time we watchedThe Nightmare Before Christmas,and you couldn’t sleep?”

“That was last year, Daddy.” She rolls her eyes, and her inner teenager is coming out strong.

“I sure could use some help with Gigi and Haddy.” Hendrix walks over, talking loudly. “I wish there was someone they liked as much as me to help me take them through the pumpkin patch.”

Jack glances up at him, then back to his daughter. “Uncle Hen sure could use your help.”

Just then a girl comes running out of the hay maze crying,and her friends gather around her doing their best not to laugh. She’s shaking and dabbing away tears, and Kimmie’s eyes widen as big as saucers.

She puts her hand on her dad’s shoulder. “I should probably help Uncle Hen. Gigi is a lot of work, and he’s not around her as much as me.”

“That’s my girl.” Jack pulls her in for a hug.

“You sure are helping me out, KJ.” Hendrix holds out his hand, and she takes it, glancing back at the crying girl. “We’ll get some caramel corn and maybe an ICEE and some cotton candy.”

Jack watches them go a minute before turning to face me again. “I hope she doesn’t get sick.”

I can’t help a laugh. He’s so good with her.

“Who’s ready to scream?” Garrett yells, and Liv grabs his shoulders, hopping on his back.

“I expect you to keep me safe,” she laughs, hugging him close as he holds her legs.

“Nobody’s getting close to my lady.”

Jack captures my hand in his, pulling it into the crook of his arm. “Mine either.”

Reaching up, I hold his bicep with my other hand, warmth pulsing with every heartbeat. “Am I your lady?”

“You know it.”

Dylan grabs Logan and heads to the entrance, tickets in hand. Zane and Rachel are right behind them, followed by Garrett carrying Liv on his back.

Eerie music plays over tinny speakers, and every now and then a scream will echo from somewhere deep in the maze, stopping my heart.

Lining the entrance are baby dolls painted white in white dresses with blood spattered all over them, and white-painted masks peer at us from between the bales.

“That’s creepy,” I mutter, hugging closer to Jack’s side.

Bright lights shine down from tall poles scattered aroundthe maze, and the walls are illuminated with purple and orange twinkle lights or Halloween-store monsters and witches.

We line up to hand over our tickets, and I jump when an automated hand swings out from behind a sheet.

“You’re not scared, are you?” He grins down at me, and it’s so sexy.

I wonder how crowded it is in this maze. I wonder if every dark corner contains a teenager waiting to scare us or if we might actually have a chance to sneak away and make out.

I’m scared and excited and horny as a teenager when a girl lets out a scream behind me, making me scream and jump in front of Jack.

“Stop doing that, Levi!” she snaps, and I peek around to see it’s Sadie dressed up in a pink dress with a poofy skirt along with her homecoming crown and a wand.

“Cut it out, Levi.” Austin stands beside her, pinching his lips to hide his grin.

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