Page 86 of Knot Convenient

“All right.” I chuckled, then took in more of the fair.

“This is bonkers!” I gasped, looking around. “This is planned by the high schoolers? Remind me to reach out to them if we need to throw a party.” I gazed at Emmett, who was smirking.

“Once upon a time, it was only run by the high schoolers, but the town council started helping and turned it into this big event. As you can imagine, high schoolers cannot be in charge of rides. I recall them wanting all Gravitrons at one point before the council reminded them this was a family-friendly event.”

I nodded. That gave me a little bit of comfort, actually. It was a bit odd to think that a bunch of teenagers would do such a thorough job planning everything.

“Summer!” The sound of my name being shouted grabbed my attention, and I turned to see Noah striding toward us. His hair was messier than usual, and he wore a wide smile as he approached us, wrapping me in his arms without a care to who was watching.

“Hey there. This place looks amazing!” I said, beaming up at him as he held me tightly. It didn’t escape me that there were a few people milling around, giving us curious looks. I didn’t care one bit. Noah was my alpha, and I was proud of that.

“It does, doesn’t it? I think this is the biggest fair we’ve ever done. All the proceeds are going toward the high school and community projects.”

“I guess that means we better get spending!” Tobias said, clapping Noah on the shoulder. “I smell hot dogs, and I’m about to make a considerable dent in my wallet.”

“There’s also cotton candy,” Noah said.

“Sold!” he declared, turning and making a beeline for the stall.

Marshall stood next to me, shaking his head. “He is going to be like a toddler with a sugar rush all damn day, isn’t he?”

Noah shrugged. “Did we expect any less? Though, maybe don’t let him near the candy if he plans on going on the rides.”

“We brought two cars with us. If he fucks up again, he’s on his own,” Marshall said.

I laughed, rolling my eyes. Milo was eyeing all the chaos around him, those big blue eyes wide and observant. Marshall looked so at home with him on his chest.

“Okay, Summer, it’s your first Willow Grove fair! What do you want to do first?” Noah asked, keeping a tight hold of my hand, a huge smile still in place.

I scrunched up my nose. There were simply too many options. My stomach rumbled. I had skipped breakfast…

“How about a hot dog… then rides? Just a hot dog, though; I’m saving the sweet stuff for after. Plus, we can get Milo a little snack too.”

“That sounds like a plan. All the food stalls are this way. I’m sure we’ll find Tobias along the way, cramming his face full of treats.”

We all chuckled and walked over to the rows of food stalls lined up in the same area. A few trucks sat at the end, and everything smelled so good that my mouth watered. My stomach growled louder with each step forward.

I’m going to demolish a hot dog.

We got our oversized hot dogs, and Marshall ripped off some of the bun to give to Milo. He got a bit of the ketchup at first and made the funniest face. But then as we were walking toward a table to sit down, I noticed the particular gleam of a sugary confection you could only really get at a fair.

“Ooo, are those caramel apples?” I asked, craning my head.

“They are.” Noah nodded. “Let’s go.” He tugged me toward the stall, and I went along with him easily.

“Hey, Kyle,” Noah said as we approached the stall, and the teenager behind the booth smiled on reflex before doing a double take when he saw me. “Could we have a candy apple, please?”

Kyle’s eyes remained wide for a moment as he looked between me and Noah. “Umm, right, yeah,” he mumbled, blinking back into focus. “It’s three dollars.”

Noah paid him, but the kid still seemed shocked by my presence. I looked up at Noah, who shook his head with a laugh.

“This is Summer, my mate,” he offered as Kyle refused to stop staring.

“Daamn—I mean dang,” Kyle blurted, a sheepish look on his face. “I don’t think you’re cool enough for her, Mr. W.”

Noah snorted, Marshall and Emmett laughing behind me as I took my apple from the other student behind the counter.

“Gee, thanks,” Noah said sarcastically. “Still, I assure you I am.” He pulled me closer, laying a protective kiss on my lips.