“Actually,” Wade said, breaking into Emily’s intended polite refusal, “you could do us a favor, Ms. McBride. If you don’t mind Ferris wheels, that is.”
She lifted an eyebrow. Had the police chief already figured out the unwritten town motto? “What do you mean?”
Wade’s expression turned sheepish. “Clay, here, has been begging me to take him on the Ferris wheel. I—er—wondered if you’d mind riding it with him. Unless heights bother you, of course,” he added hastily.
“I love the Ferris wheel,” Emily replied with a quick smile at the boy, who gazed up at her hopefully. “I’d be happy to ride with you, Clay.”
“Really?” He looked delighted. “I’ve been wishing and wishing to ride it, but Daddy’s scared.”
Wade’s cheeks were a shade darker when Emily shot him a surprised look. “I—er—sorta have this thing about heights,” he admitted. “I can deal with it if I have to, but it’s not something I choose to do for fun.”
Emily might have teased him about it had Clay not been there. But she wouldn’t say anything to embarrass him in front of his obviously adoring son.
She was rather startled when Clay slid his free hand into hers, linking the three of them as they strolled along the crowded sidewalk. Emily was uncomfortably aware that she’d immediately become the object of speculation by the townspeople who noticed them, but she had no intention of rejecting the child’s friendly gesture. Putting potential gossip out of her head as best as she could, she smiled down at the boy and lightly squeezed his fingers.
It was unseasonably warm in the park, with the afternoon sun blazing overhead and the crowds bumping elbows on the sidewalk. Emily was glad she’d dressed coolly in a loose-fitting denim scoop-neck dress and leather sandals. Though schools had been open for a month and Halloween was only weeks away, summer heat still had a strong hold on Honoria.
The pet show had apparently just ended. Several dogs on leashes, from pedigreed champions to lovably homely mutts, were led past them. Emily couldn’t help smiling at a slightly overweight boxer that seemed to wear a permanent grin on his ugly face. She didn’t know if he’d won any awards for being cute, but he was certainly appealing in his own way.
And then a woman walked past with a glossy red chicken in her arms. The chicken wore a blue mesh collar with an attached leash, and was looking around as if it thoroughly enjoyed the surrounding festivities. Emily blinked, then looked automatically at Wade, who was grinning broadly as he unwrapped a stick of gum.
“Was that a chicken on a leash?” he asked.
“Yes, I believe it was,” she replied just as gravely.
“So just where would one buy a collar and leash for a chicken?”
“At a chicken-and-dressing store,” Clay said with a giggle.
“Now that’s just sick,” Wade said, his smile deepening.
Emily laughed, thinking that it was a very clever joke from such a little boy.
“There’s the Ferris wheel!” Bouncing in excitement, Clay pointed upward.
Wade looked up, and Emily would have sworn he paled. “You’re—uh—sure you want to do this, Clay?”
Clay nodded emphatically. “I want to see the park from up there.”
“He’ll be fine,” Emily said reassuringly. “We’ll be strapped in, and I’ll hold on to him.”
Wade looked at Emily, his expression suddenly speculative. “Maybe I should reconsider riding it. Would you hold on to me, too?”
She gulped as she realized that the chief of police had just made a not-so-subtle verbal pass at her. “I—uh—”
And then he laughed. She told herself he must have been teasing. The chief apparently had an odd sense of humor.
She was relieved when he turned away from her to step up to the window of the ticket booth. “Two tickets for the Ferris wheel, please,” he requested.
Tickets in hand, Emily and Clay moved to the back of the line waiting to ride. A man with a graying braid and a beer belly under his T-shirt stood in line in front of them. Emily was startled to realize that the man was carrying a live green parrot on his shoulder.
“Clay, look,” she said.
At the sound of her voice, the man turned and grinned down at Clay. “How ya’ doin’?”
“You have a parrot on your shoulder!” Clay said, his blue eyes very round.
Looking comically startled, the man turned his head. “Well, danged if I don’t.”