Page 91 of No Place Like Home
They held each other’s gazes, temptation thrumming. Her resolve weakened. How important was paperwork, really? A simple legality…
“Look, Ace, eventually, this will all be over.” His eyes held a promise, one that wasn’t moving to his lips but she heard loud and clear. “And then…” He tugged her forward, dropped a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll see whatthenlooks like.”
It seemed like it was going to look like long-distance struggles and mayoral campaigns and endless aerial performances. But if he was holding out hope for a different story, maybe she could too. At the least, maybe they could live in denial a little longer.
Run away in the meantime to a circus of their own.
Cade leaned back, a spark lighting his eyes that made her think of freshman-year pranks and debate team wars. “Hey, there’s a whole festival going on out there, remember? Wanna go ride the Cajun carousel?”
Instead of kissing him? No. Rosalyn squinted, trying to let her emotions catch up, regulate. “That depends on what exactly makes it Cajun.”
“The animals.” Cade hopped up and tugged her to her feet. “There’s an alligator, a pelican…I call dibs on the crawfish though.”
“Of course.” She followed him out of the tent and into the festival.
Who needed a carousel when Cade had strapped them into a roller coaster?
twenty-one
“This is embarrassing.” Linc shouldered the handle of the mallet and scowled at the crowd forming around the high striker game outside the circus tent Wednesday evening. The scent of Cajun tacos and tangy barbeque wafted from the food trucks parked across the lot. “I feel like a show pony.”
“Well, youdohave a mane tied up in that bun.” Cade took a slurp of sweet tea as he looked up at the towering red and gold strength test. This wasn’t the time to tell Linc what his own score had been when he’d attempted the game earlier in the day—less than brag-worthy, for sure.
Noah, wearing a backward baseball cap, snorted as he pinched off cotton candy. “I can’t believe you let Cade talk you into this.”
“Hey, slow down. I want a piece.” Elisa looked like a teenager in her denim overalls and pink tee. Noah extended the cone of blue sugar toward her, the look of adoration in his eyes the same one Cade feared showed up in his own every time he caught a glimpse of Rosalyn.
“Everyone started piling up outside the tent before we were ready for the first performance. I figured Linc would make a good side show to buy some time.” Cade shook the remaining ice in his cup and grinned. “Besides, you know he loves being the muscle of the group.”
Linc grunted but didn’t argue as he switched the mallet to his other hand.
“Seriously you guys…” Zoey pulled off a clump of Noah’s cotton candy despite his protest and shoved it in her mouth. “…that giant tent won’t be big enough to hold his ego if you all don’t hush.”
Good point. Cade shifted his weight as he looked toward the tent, closed up before the first performance. He was more than relieved Rosalyn was warming up in the backstage area and not here to see this one-man muscle show.
He, however, could not wait to seeher. Magnolia Days had sailed by without too many issues, though navigating the event took all his time. He was only able to steal moments with Rosalyn throughout the festival, and rarely alone. Which was depressing, seeing how—against his better judgment—he wanted to soak in as much time as possible before she left the Bay.
After the initial porta-potty disaster and one temporary malfunction with the Ferris wheel, things had gone relatively well. Attendance stayed high and sales seemed solid, especially on the food truck side. Magnolia Bay sure liked to eat. But with its admission fee and exclusive merchandise sales, the bulk of their fundraising profit was sure to come from the three nights of the one-ring Cajun Circus.
Which was almost ready to start. Hopefully Rosalyn was too. And the dancing poodles and the magician and the Hula-Hoopers…
Cade checked his watch, then turned to the crowd behind him. “Ten minutes until the tent opens! Have your tickets ready.”
Excited murmurs rippled through the group as they pushed closer to the red velvet ropes Cade had borrowed from the movie theater. It seemed like good news to Cade that there were a lot of people he didn’t recognize—tourists? Noah had mentioned the Blue Pirogue was fully booked this week, something that hadn’t happened all year.
And if Trent and his executive liked what they saw and wanted to film here in the near future, well…maybe Cade was actually going to pull this off.
Maybe he couldn’t pass the bar, but maybe hecouldrun the town.
Three small kids pushed through the wall of adult legs in front of them and looked wide-eyed up at Linc. “You’re huge.”
He glared at them.
The smallest kid ducked behind a taller one. Then another little boy, his cheeks stained with red sno-cone, held up his scrawny, sunburned arm. “Will you flex?”
Linc shifted the mallet. His eyes darted to Zoey, then back to the boy. “I definitely will not.”
“Boo.” Zoey called around her mouthful of candy, eyes sparkling. “Come on, Hercules.”
