Chase laughed because she’d had the most fun tonight. They had traipsed through the barns, admiring heifers and pigs, holding their noses because farm animals apparently were odorous. Very odorous. But the young cows were cute with their thick eyelashes and big chocolate eyes. Several of the children who had raised them were there to provide information, their eyes gleaming with pride in their accomplishments. Several of them asked for her autograph or a quick selfie. No one was too weird about a celebrity being in their midst, which was a relief. Cotter’s Creek had been really good about not making her feel stalked, but she had worried about being out in the crowds where some might make her feel too under the microscope.

After touring the barns, she and Zeke had ridden a lot of carnival rides, ramming into each other on the bumper cars, holding tight as they spun around above the ground on swings. She’d totally taken advantage of holding his hand beneath the sight lines of the cars as they plunged, rolled, and spun their way into laughter and breathlessness. Occasionally, when they were away from prying eyes, she had let her head fall against his shoulder, eliciting a smile from him. She really wanted to kiss him but had decided to let him make the first move.

So why hadn’t he tried yet?

She glanced over at him as if she could decipher why he played it so cool. Didn’t he want to kiss her? She thought he did. Maybe he was being respectful? Waiting on her?

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing. I had a good time.”

Zeke smiled, setting his cowboy hat on her head. “Me too, cowgirl.”

“I had no clue candy apples were that good. If I had tried them before I shotgunned my first beer, I probably wouldn’t have had to go to rehab four times,” she said, making a face.

“Damn, why didn’t someone let you eat candy apples?” Zeke said, giving her a smile. It felt good not to have to pretend with him. Her warts were fairly obvious, but they hadn’t scared Zeke away. Well, not yet.

“Probably because I was always on a diet.”

“Well, that sucks.” Zeke waved at a few overly curious people as they departed the entry gate. Some people had snapped pictures of them as they passed by, but she’d seen no paparazzi, so that was a good thing. Still, chances were Zeke would find himself in a magazine or two. She hadn’t asked him if that would bother him. “People are taking pictures of us.”

Zeke nodded, kicking a rock on the gravel road that led to the parking lot. “How do you feel about that?”