But obviously he’d misjudged. She wasn’t like he’d hoped. It seemed that all her adventures, the dangers, had made her want to live a different life. One where she knew what was coming from day to day. No surprises. Certainly nothing like what she must have experienced in the Rabaa Massacre.

He left the schoolhouse, locked the door behind him and drove to the carnival grounds. The place was filling up. Loud music clashed with kids yelling and laughing, and there was the smell of popcorn and hot dogs.

When he saw Mike at the entrance table, listening to the women ticket takers, he smiled. He went to stand beside her.

“What do you want?” one of the women asked in an unpleasant tone.

“He’s with me,” Mike said. “He owes me a big lemonade.”

Griff laughed. “I do. I’ll—”

The woman cut him off. “We don’t have any lions here.”

“It’s just his shirt,” Mike snapped. “He’s not on safari.”

Griff smiled at the women. “I don’t know about that. You three look like you’re in need of taming.” Mike rolled her eyes but the women giggled.

“Go on with you,” the first woman said. “No charge.”

“Thank you very much,” he said. “And if a lion shows up, I’m dressed to save you all.” He caught up with Mike.

“That was Betty Lewis,” she said. “She usually...” Mike didn’t finish, as she would have said that Betty usually didn’t like anyone but did seem to like him. “What do you want to do first? Ride the teacups?”

“I want to say hello to Forey.”

“You know her?”

“Are you kidding? She gave me food and information. I’m in love with her. Even though she did ask a lot of questions.”

“Like what?”

“All about me. Parents, siblings, did I have any childhood traumas? Been married? Any kids? Do I have a girlfriend now? Am I financially stable? She pretty much went over my entire life.”

Mike didn’t let him see her frown. Forey hadn’t asked Hayes a single question. She’d been very polite to him, but not the least invasive or inquisitive.

When they got to Forey’s booth, Mike stood back and watched the women. None were under seventy and they were all flirting with Griff. He said he liked pie better than cake, so he was given a paper plate with three kinds of pie. They waited for him to take his first bite, but he stopped, fork in the air. “I just want to be sure that this fruit is from Heritage Harvests.”

“Of course it is!” Forey sounded affronted. The women smiled. A quarter of Mason worked for the company.

“Truly delicious.” Griff ate all three slices and the women were beaming at him.