Page 59 of Forever with the Farmer's Daughter
Mr. Kincaid claps me on the shoulder. “Cameron, Samantha, we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done this week.”
I shake my head. “No thanks necessary, sir, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Mrs. Kincaid hugs Samantha to her side. “Regardless, we couldn’t have had a booth if it wasn’t for the two of you. Which is why we will be taking over for the rest of the night so you two can enjoy the fair.”
Samantha tries to argue. “Momma, you don’t have to do that. We’ve been here all week, we’ve seen…”
Mrs. Kincaid is having none of it and interrupts Samantha’s argument. “Have you had a funnel cake?”
“No. But—”
“Have you played any games?”
“No, but I don’t think—”
“Have you ridden the Ferris wheel?”
Samantha lets out a defeated sigh. “No ma’am.”
“Until you can answer yes to those questions, you really haven’t been to the fair.” She gives Samantha a gentle push toward me and I wrap my arm around her waist. “Now, we are going to hide out here for the rest of the night while you two go and have some fun.”
Samantha looks up at me, and I smile and shrug. “Might as well not argue, you know they’re going to win.”
“Okay,” Samantha concedes. “But we’ll be back to help pack everything up.”
Her momma smiles in triumph and shoos us off with her hands, “Deal! Now off you go.”
We make our way out of the exhibit hall and head to the fairway. Games line either side and I consider each one until the milk bottle game catches my eye. I lead Samantha over to the booth, give the man my money, and take the three balls, determined to win my girl a stuffed animal. I look over and wink at Samantha as I pick up the first ball. My first attempt is too far to the right, so I pick up the second ball to try again.
Samantha claps her hands cheering me on. “You got this, Cameron.”
I lean over and give her a quick kiss and wink again. “For luck.”
Her cheeks flush and a wide smile takes over her face. I draw my arm back and throw grazing the bottle on the left. Samantha winces with my miss. Now more determined than ever, and I wrap my arm around her waist, pull her to me and kiss her until she melts against me. Spectators around us hoot and holler, “Evidently I need more than a quick kiss for luck.”
I pick up the ball, throw it dead center, and watch the bottles scatter off the table. Cheers go up around us and Samantha jumps into my arm as if I’ve won the Super Bowl.
The man inside the booth laughs and motions to the stuffed animals behind him. “Take your pick young lady. What’ll it be?”
Samantha’s eyes dance over her options until she lands on a purple and black dragon. “I’ll take the dragon, please.” He pulls the dragon from its hook and hands it to her. Arm wrapped around her prize she looks up and me and grins. “Gotta rep the home team.”
I laugh and lace my fingers with Samantha’s, raise our joined hands to my lips and place a kiss on the back of her hand. “Where to next?”
She smiles and leans into me as we walk. “Since this is your first fair in a few years, what do you want to ride first?”
I do a quick scan of the grounds and see the Ferris wheel is facing the west, which would give us a perfect view of the sunset.
“Ferris wheel?”
She smiles up at me. “Sounds good.”
We make our way over to the Ferris wheel and get in line. We wait and watch as the wheel spins for several minutes before it begins to stop and let riders off and new riders on. When our turn arrives, the operator lifts the bar and I help Samantha in before sliding in next to her. The operator secures the bar, and we rise into the air only to stop again as passengers unload and load.
I wrap my arm around Samantha, and she leans her head on my shoulder. “Thank you,” she says as we begin to rise again.
I turn and place a gentle kiss on her temple. “For what?”
“Everything. Helping me make ice cream, which if you hadn’t found and fixed the ice cream machine wouldn’t have even happened. Not to mention all the heavy lifting you’ve done carrying the cooler in and out of the hall.”
