The Birthday List(40)

“He’s okay.” The car jerked and Poppy gripped my hand so hard my knuckles cracked. “Him and Molly are struggling to adjust to their divorce.”

I tried to adjust my hand and restore some blood flow, but she wasn’t having it so I just let her squeeze. “I didn’t realize they’d been married.”

“Yeah. They got divorced not too long ago.”

Below us, the carnival worker shouted something I couldn’t make out and the car started to rock.

“Last ride. Last ride. Last ride,” Poppy chanted.

“Just close your eyes. Two minutes, and this will all be over.”

She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

Then we rode The Zipper.

While Poppy kept her eyes closed the entire time, I kept mine open and on our linked hands. By the time the ride was over and our car stopped shaking, I’d memorized the feel of her delicate fingers laced with mine.

“Poppy.” Her eyes were still closed tight as our car stopped to unload first. “Poppy, I need my hand back so we can get out.”

Her eyes popped open and her entire frame relaxed. “We did it,” she breathed.

“You did it.”

“No. We did it.” Her eyes looked up to mine as she smiled. “I wouldn’t have done this without you, Cole.”

I leaned closer, not in a rush anymore to get out of this hot cage. Not with her eyes and hand holding mine. “I’m glad I—”

“Hey,” the ride operator snapped. “You guys gonna get out?”

Damn.

“Sorry.” Poppy wiggled her hand free and scrambled to unbuckle her seat belt.

I unbuckled too, stepping out onto the platform. My shirt was sticking to my back and I held on to the rail as I followed Poppy down the stairs to the dirt below.

“No matter what new rides they come up with, The Zipper always seems to ring my bell like no other.”

She laughed and looked up at the ride. “Me and you are done, Zipper! You win.”

When her smile came back to me, my heart jumped in a strange rhythm—almost like it skipped a beat. I’d never felt anything like it before.

“I could use a beer. What do you say, Detective? Can I buy you a cold one?”

My perfect woman. “Definitely.”





Thirty minutes after we’d left The Zipper, I was on my second beer and feeling practically euphoric. The combination of alcohol and the fading adrenaline rush from the carnival rides had put a smile on my face that would stay all night. On top of that, Finn had just texted that he’d brought the kids to the fair, and I couldn’t wait to see their happy faces.

“Hey, would you care if we met up with my brother and his kids?”

“Of course not.” Cole grinned, then drained the last of his beer.

I smiled and did the same, tossing my plastic cup in the trash on our way out of the beer garden.

As we stepped through the gate, Cole’s hand came to the small of my back. “Lead the way.”

A tingle traveled from his fingertips to my neck at the unfamiliar gesture. Jamie had never done that for me—guided me as we walked. He’d been more of a grab-my-hand-and-drag-me-behind-him kind of guy.

But I liked this with Cole. I liked that it was different. I liked that it was subtle. I liked that in a sea of people, it tied us together. And when his hand fell away a few steps later, I missed the pressure of his fingers as we walked through the Friday-night crowd back toward the rides.

Unlike when we’d arrived at the fairgrounds, the sight of bright lights and spinning rides didn’t make me nauseous. An enormous weight had been lifted now that we were done with this particular list item. From now on, I’d never feel compelled to do more than ride the Ferris wheel.

“Thanks again for coming with me tonight.” If not for Cole’s help, I doubt I would have made it through.

“Sure.” He nudged me with his elbow. “Thanks for not puking on me.”

I laughed just as I spotted Finn standing outside the gate to the small dinosaur-themed train. “There they are.” I pointed and changed directions.

“Ugh,” he groaned, glaring at the dinosaur cars.

He’d barely been able to fit on that ride. He’d had to sit in the caboose by himself because it was the only car big enough for his long legs. Even then, his knees had come up nearly to his chin. But he’d toughed it out through the four slow laps, and when we’d drawn a crowd of adults, staring at him with puzzled faces, Cole had just smiled and waved, pretending like it was no big deal that a grown man was on the kiddie train.

“You didn’t like this one?” I teased. “I think this was my favorite ride of the day.”

Cole scoffed. “My favorite part was when I got stuck trying to get out of the damn car.”

I laughed. I’d had to help him off the ride by holding his arm so he could balance as he yanked his feet free. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh.” I tried to rein it in, but I couldn’t stop picturing the faces of the parents who had been watching. They’d had vise grips on their children as they watched Cole curse at the triceratops. “Did you see that one mother? She looked like she was about to call the cops on you.”

“Thank god she didn’t.” He shook his head. “I never would have lived that down at the station.”