“Thanks, Spence. I would like to think so. Oh, and I can’t leave for another two hours. But, you know, Olivia is done in ten minutes. She can go with you.” Chase had no idea if Olivia liked to go on carnival rides, but she might want to take a ride on Spencer, and if so, Chase could give her that shot. Even if she said she didn’t want it.

She did.

“Nah. I can wait on you.” Spencer crossed his arms and glanced around at the activity swirling around him.

The scent of popcorn and the greased axels of the carnival rides permeated the midway, along with the shrieks of kids whipping through the Blue Torpedo, a looping coaster. The sun had started its descent behind the large Cornucopia Hall, casting fingers of gold on the food trucks and exhibits lining the thruway that pointed patrons to the carnival games and rides. Chase had never been to a festival and itched to taste the stickiness of candy apples and feel the wind on her face as she whooshed by on the Scrambler. She only had to wait a few more hours before Zeke came to fetch her, and she didn’t want Spencer tagging along, even if he was a great guy.

She glanced back at Spencer, who looked ridiculous. “I thought you liked smart girls.”

Spencer grinned, his teeth a blinding flash beneath his fake beard. “True. But that one is prickly and buttoned up like a Victorian spinster.”

“All the more fun to undo the buttons.”

Spencer lifted his eyebrows. “Touché.”

“And if you want to know a pinkie-swear secret,” Chase continued, sticking her hand out the small window in Spencer’s direction. He hooked his around hers, giving it a wag. “She has a crush on you.”

“No,” he said, his eyes widening. “The shrink?”

“She’s not a shrink. And she’s not so bad once you get to know her,” Chase said with a shoulder shrug.

“Way to sell me on her.” Spencer laughed, and, even looking like a psycho, he was pretty cute. “So where might this little cactus be? If she has a thing for me, maybe I can win her a stuffed animal or see if she’d be interested in taking a ride on the Tunnel of Love.”

“There’s no Tunnel of Love, weirdo. And she’s over at the food trucks wearing a gorgeous green apron just like this one. Approach cautiously, since you look like something out of a ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic video.”

“Exactly what I was going for,” Spencer said as he sauntered away. He walked about ten paces, turned, and said, “You owe me more than this bracelet.” He lifted his arm and showed the fluorescent band beneath his long-sleeve thermal camo.