Page 40 of Lost Times

Forcing the hormones to the side, I nudged Jasmine and Naomi toward the door. “Alright, come on, you two. If we stay here too long, we’ll miss some of the shows.”

That’s all I had to say. Jasmine was out the door and jumping into the car at record speed, Naomi moving to her car with a shake of her head. After we got in, checking to be sure everyone was ready, I started the engine and headed out.

Ludwig’s hand found mine on the gear shift, the weight comforting and warm. Jasmine happily talked enough for all three of us, Ludwig giving the occasional hum of acknowledgement as I focused on the road.

The drive to the fair was a bit lengthy, thanks to it being a town over, but it was worth it. I was curious how Ludwig would handle the extended time of Jasmine’s talking. He seemed to be fine with it at home, but in the car there was no escape.

When we pulled up to the fairgrounds, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Ludwig was just as at ease and happy as he’d been when we first left. He helped unbuckle Jasmine, then stood to the side, watching everything with curiosity.

Naomi pulled up beside us, getting out and making her way to the head of the pack with a wave. “Come on, I’m covering today since you did our last date.”

I didn’t bother arguing, knowing she would win. Instead, I took one of Jasmine’s hands and one of Ludwig’s before following. The entry booth was fast and painless, hardly taking a few minutes before we were all outfitted in the wristbands the park used to identify those who’d already paid to get in.

Naomi nudged me playfully, nodding to the Ferris wheel. “Want to go for a romantic ride while I bring Jasmine on one of the faster ones?”

Ludwig tilted his head, confusion clear, and I cleared my throat. “I don’t handle the faster rides well, and Naomi knows that Jasmine loves them. Whenever we go to the fair, I usually sit out while they hit those.”

He hummed, eyeing the wheel now. “How is it romantic, if you don’t mind my asking?”

I waved at Naomi and Jasmine before they disappeared in the crowd, my focus shifting back to him as I answered. “Well, once you’re up in the air there’s no one but you, and if you don’t mind heights, it’s a nice view.”

He stared for another minute, then nodded, twining our fingers and moving for it. Once we were settled in the box, he looked around, taking in everything as if for the first time.

When he stared out the window like Jasmine had when she’d first ridden this, I couldn’t help but ask. “Have you ever been to a fair before?”

He shook his head, gaze sliding back to me now. “No. As I’m sure you can guess, my parents were never interested in such things, and they saw sending me there with a nanny as a waste of time and money. In their opinion, I should have been studying, not playing.”

The statement ended with a shrug as if he didn’t care either way, but I could see the flash of old hurt hiding behind his eyes. He’d never admit it, but he’d wanted to go back then, as any kid would.

Squeezing his hand, I soothed. “Well, I’m glad we got to be here with you for the first time then. There’s a lot we can show you, and this is just the start. If you like fast rides, you’ll have to go with Naomi or Jasmine though.”

My stomach rolled at the thought and the box jerked, rising into the air. Focusing on that andnotthe thought of other, faster rides, I leaned against his side and looked out the window.

“It’s even prettier at night. The lights stand out more, and it makes everything glow.” I said, watching the tiny shifts in his features as he took everything in. After a minute of staring out the window, he looked down at me, the intense stare heavy with something I couldn’t name.

He leaned in, mouth sliding against mine in a chaste kiss. Hovering there for a moment, he hummed. “I can see why it’s romantic now.”

I smiled, not saying a word as we soaked in the peaceful atmosphere. While we were in the air there was no one else. No Jasmine to worry about, no work to pacify, justus.

It was bliss, and when we stopped at the top of the wheel, the people below looking like ants, I cuddled into his shoulder and sighed. “I wish we could do this more often.”

He nodded, arm sliding around me and mouth brushing a light kiss against my head. “Agreed, but only having it rarely makes it more valuable, doesn’t it?”

Nuzzling closer, I hummed, giving him that even as the wheel started heading down, the ride almost over. Once we were on stable ground again, my head on his shoulder as we moved through the crowds, I swept the people for Naomi.

It didn’t take long to find her.

She stood on a bench, waving at us with Jasmine doing the same. Seeing them, I snorted. “I love those two, but really?”

Ludwig looked in the direction I was and chuckled. “Well, they managed to get our attention.”

Yeah, they had.

Moving to them, I nearly groaned when the first thing out of Jasmine’s mouth was, “Can we go on that one, Mom?” She pointed to the ride that brought you up into the air and dropped you, the suspension cables zipping you back and forth.

My stomach soured at the thought, and I shook my head. “I’ll sit down here while you ride with Naomi if you want?”

Naomi made a noise, waving her hand with a sheepish smile. “Ah, actually, I’m still feeling a bit off from the last ride, so I should probably take a break.”

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