Page 68 of Yours To Hold
“That’s the whole point of a race!” This time, I get my feet under me and get in his face. “You cheated, Mason Winchester. Is that really what you want to teach your daughter?”
“We Winchesters like to win!” Willow pipes up.
I give her a mock horrified look. “You too, Willow? You too?”
“Just like her dad.” Mason is so proud, it’s hard to give him grief.
“Fine. But you’re buying the corn dogs.” I lean just a bit closer, putting my lips to his ear. “I guess no kiss for you tonight.”
“Fuck me.” I hear him mumble as I grab Willow’s hand and head toward the food stalls.
“You are so sneaky,” I tell Willow as we get in line.
“Daddy doesn’t like to lose.”
“What if I don’t like to lose?”
She shakes her head. “Daddy is the worst loser. He gets mad and stomps around. Uncle Peter beat him at Monopoly and he almost threw the board.”
“Willow! What’d I say about telling people that story?”
“You didn’t lose. Uncle Peter cheated.” Willow sounds like she’s placating him, like it isn’t the first time she’s told this story.
“Poor Mason, can’t win at Monopoly and has to cheat in a slide race.”
“If I want what’s on the line, sure,” he whispers, rolling his eyes. A smile is still plastered on his face. “I don’t know why I agreed to come to the fair tonight.”
I drop a soft hand on his chest. “Because you wanted to hang out with the two of us.”
Mason’s eyes drop to his chest, and I pull back like he burned me.
I know I shouldn’t touch him like this. Not in public. Not with Willow around. Not with the prying eyes of Dixon around. But I couldn’t help myself. I love getting to be with him like this. See this playful side.
“What’ll it be?” The guy in the stall startles me.
“Three corn dogs.” Mason grabs his wallet and hands over the cash as I take the corn dogs from the other worker. He drops the change in a tip jar and we walk away.
“Thanks, Daddy.” Willow takes her corn dog from my hand and walks over to a bench.
“I love corn dogs.” Willow takes an enormous bite.
“Slow down, Pipsqueak. Enjoy it. I don’t want you choking.”
She swallows down her bite and smiles up at Mason. “I know.”
I take a smaller bite, people-watching as the crowd moves around us. People I recognize from school. People I don’t. A few workers from the ranch.
It reminds me of what Seattle is going to be like. A chaos of people where I won’t know anyone.
It’s what I’ve always wanted.
My mind is distracted the rest of the night as we eat our way through the fair. Ride all the rides. Win Willow a stuffed dinosaur.
“Why don’t we go do the Ferris wheel before the fireworks start?” Mason asks.
“Sure.”
The ride starts and stops, letting people on.
