Page 64 of Fairground

“Sorry to interrupt,” she says flatly, her arms folded over her chest.

“No interruption at all,” I say quickly. Turning back to Macie, I gesture toward Rae. “Macie, meet Rae, the woman who discovered you and helped coordinate all this.”

Macie’s grin doesn’t falter for a second at Rae's rotten mood. She steps toward her, hand extended. “Hi! It’s so nice to finally meet you, Rae.”

Rae forces a polite smile, but I can see the tension in her posture. “Likewise. Glad you could make it for the test run.”

Macie’s ponytail sways as she nods enthusiastically, and I swear she could be in a hairspray commercial with all that bounce. Not my style, but it's impressive the way it's frozen in place.

“Okay,” Rex interjects as he pulls out a cigarette and stuffs it between his teeth. “The sound guys are here, but the band’s still enroute. Regardless, we’ll have her run through a couple songs, check the stage setup, and make sure she’s comfortable. Then we’ll get out of your hair and head back to Charlotte. Who should we send the contract to for signatures?”

“Rae’s fine,” I say, stepping slightly to the side so Rae can take the credit she deserves. She shrugs, her usual spark noticeably dimmed, but doesn’t argue. I study her carefully before nodding at Rex. Something’s up with her today. “Send it to Rae.”

When the pair heads off toward the stage, I turn to Rae and gesture toward the plastic chairs lined up at the edge of the lawn where attendees will watch the performance. We take seats side by side, the buzz of Macie’s excitement lingering in the air between us.

I glance at Rae out of the corner of my eye. Something’s bothering her. And as much as she’s trying to keep it together, it’s written all over her poorly concealed facial expression.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

She arches a brow, her gaze fixed past me, lingering on Macie. “It’s been a rough week with the boys.”

“That so?” I ask, leaning back casually. “Anything I can do to help you?”

She sighs, her shoulders dropping. “Daniel sprained his wrist at baseball practice. He’s been extra clingy in the mornings and moping around nonstop. Then Laken picked up another surgery yesterday, and Daniel decided to stay home from school because, and I quote,‘there’s no point in life anymore if I can’t play baseball.’”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Sounds a little dramatic, but I kind of dig it. Sports are life when you’re that age.”

She snorts softly, the corner of her lips twitching upward for the first time since she arrived.

“He’s being over the top about it but he’s also basically me.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say that” I tease.

She rolls her eyes, but her expression softens. “I just haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since... I don’t know...” Her cheeks flush as her words trail off.

I lean in slightly, catching a hint of her scent—sweet cherries, just like the day in the tent with the cherry pies. The memory hits me hard. She’s kept me at arm’s length for the past four days, and I’m itching to close that gap. To taste her again. To ease whatever stress she’s feeling.

“Since the Ferris wheel and the haunted house?” I ask, my voice low.

She bites her lip and nods. “Yeah. Probably.”

Before I can press further, Macie’s vocals boom through the empty fairground, pulling both our gazes toward the stage. She’s belting out what sounds like the chorus of one of her songs, pausing occasionally to chat with the sound guy and adjusting her mic.

When she starts again, her voice fills the space with a honeyed confidence that feels like it might be aimed directly at me. She moves toward the edge of the stage, tossing in a quirky little dance move without breaking my gaze and that’s when I realize I should probably not look at her anymore. Not that I was watching her for the reasons Rae thinks I am. I could care less about any other woman. All I see is Rae.

Beside me, Rae shifts, and I can practically feel her glare on the side of my neck.

Normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t faze me. Women noticing me is just... part of the package. Hell, I’ve been on the receiving end of misplaced jealousy plenty of times before, and it’s never mattered much. But with Rae? I care. I don’t want her to have any doubts about us.

“She’s into you,” Rae says flatly, her tone devoid of emotion. “You should shoot your shot.”

I turn to her slowly, raising a brow. “Excuse me?”

“You know,” she says, waving a hand nonchalantly. “Ask her out. You two would make a cute couple. I read her bio. She grew up on a farm somewhere south of here in North Carolina.”

I shift in my seat, turning fully to face her now, completely ignoring whatever Macie’s doing on stage. “Okay, Edward Cullen.”

Her brows knit together in confusion. “What?”

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