Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)(78)

“I’d love that.”

When they’d all gotten their drinks and Nevada and Tucker had left, Heidi turned to Rafe.

“Dakota, Nevada and Montana are identical triplets. They all fell in love last year and got married over the holidays. Dakota was concerned she couldn’t have children, so she adopted a baby girl. About the same time, she got pregnant, and now they have two kids. Montana is hugely pregnant and due to pop any day now. I guess Nevada will be next.”

She heard the wistful tone in her own voice. She’d always loved children and wanted to have her own. When she was younger, that had been her plan. A husband then kids. After Melinda had killed herself, she’d been less sure about taking a chance on falling in love. Probably because Glen had always told her love was for suckers. As her heart had never seemed that interested in any guy, she hadn’t worried about the problem.

Now, with Rafe, she was more confused than ever. He said he wanted marriage and children, but without falling in love. His list of requirements didn’t sound anything like her. Which meant she wasn’t in the running. Had she finally found “the one,” only to discover she wasn’t “the one” for him?

“I have more respect for carnival rides now that I’ve worked to put them together,” he told her.

A safer topic, she thought. “There’s a science to how the rides are grouped together. One has to take traffic flow into account, along with price and how many people can ride in an hour.”

“Do the prices vary from venue to venue?”

She nodded. “It’s easier to charge the same for everything, but some rides are more popular than others. The popular rides often cost more. But there are other factors. How many people can you get on and off in a certain amount of time.”

She pointed to the Ferris wheel. “There are sixteen cars, each holding two people. With a good crew, you’re talking four hundred riders an hour.”

“That many?”

She nodded, then turned so they were looking at the YoYo. “See those swings?”

“There’s only one rider.”

“But there are thirty-two swings. They can handle nine hundred people an hour.”

“That’s a big difference.”

“Exactly. Most of the rides fall somewhere in between. It’s all about getting people safely on and off. You don’t want the rides so short anyone feels cheated, but you can’t have lines taking forever. The carnival has to make money, and so does the town.”

“Did you work the rides when you were a kid?”

“I did everything. Rides, games, the food carts.”

“Took care of goats?”

She smiled. “I did have my first goat when I was a kid, yes.”

“You don’t miss the life?”

“I miss the people, but I like being settled. Who wouldn’t want to live in Fool’s Gold?” She shrugged. “Except you.”

“It’s not so bad,” he admitted. “I like it better now that I’m not dependent on their kindness to survive.” He hesitated. “Do you know who Raoul Moreno is?”

“Sure. He’s married to Pia. They have twin girls.”

Rafe laughed. “Fair enough, but he was also a great quarterback. That’s football.”

She pushed him with her free hand. “I know what quarterbacks are, and I have more than a passing understanding of the game.”

“I wasn’t sure. What with you being a girl and all.”

“I thought you liked me being a girl.”

He pulled her off the sidewalk and between a couple of buildings. There were still a lot of people around, but it was a touch more private. And nice, she thought, when he lowered his head and kissed her.

“I do like you being a girl,” he murmured, his mouth against hers.

“Me, too.”

She could get lost in him, she thought. But the price would be too high.

“So, about Raoul?”

“Right.” He led them back into the crowd. “He started a camp up in the mountains. For inner-city kids who don’t have much. He has big plans. It’s a great idea and an ambitious program. But there are other kids. Kids in small towns and on farms who need help. What about them?”

“Are you thinking about doing something with them?”

“I don’t know. Kind of. I’ve been fortunate, and being back here has got me thinking. Not every town can take care of its own the way Fool’s Gold took care of my mom and the rest of my family. I hated being poor and people giving me stuff, but without those baskets of food and gifts, we wouldn’t have had anything for the holidays. Mayor Marsha gave me my first bike. Denise Hendrix brought us clothes. The woman had six kids and she’d already taken in a seventh, and she still thought of us. I wonder how many Denise Hendrixes and Mayor Marshas there are in the world.”

“You surprise me.”

“I surprise myself. I haven’t done anything yet. But I’ve spent the past couple of weeks playing with the idea.”

She wished he hadn’t. Of course, she wanted him to help people, but hearing him talk about it made her like him more. She hardly needed help in that department.

“Enough about that,” he said, and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m thinking chili dogs. What about you?”