“Now you know you’re the only woman for me,” said Caden. She rolled her eyes in response. “I’m flattered, though.”
“By what?” Maggie choked out a laugh. “We are nothing,” she said, wagging her finger between them, “other than friends.”
“All right.” Caden nodded. “Well, as friends, let’s enjoy some of this fair before it gets too dark.”
Maggie studied him, but at least this time she dropped her hands to her sides. Who didn’t love the fair? “What do you have in mind?”
“I spied a Fireball when I put the display cases in your car,” he started, and her hazel eyes lit up with excitement. “You don’t think you’ll get scared?”
“Please,” Maggie scoffed.
“Let’s make a wager?”
“I can’t go to Savannah,” she warned.
“You scream first, I get to take you to dinner,” Caden offered. A crowd of kids ran between them. Caden shook his fist at them, and when Maggie laughed, he shook his head. “Why is Southwood turning me into the cranky old man with his trousers up to his waist?”
“Quite the description you have there.”
“Wait until you meet my grandfather.”
“Who said I’m...”
Before they went back and forth with the questions, Caden reached for Maggie’s hand and led her back to where he’d found the roller coaster. They stopped off at an orange booth, and he bought them several tickets. “I plan on hearing you scream.”
Maggie bit the inner corner on the right side of her bottom lip, and he realized what he’d said. “Again,” he held his hands up in surrender, something he realized he was doing a lot around her. “If I’m not the crotchety old man, I am the pervert. I better quit while I’m ahead.”
“No, keep at it. I like listening to you put your foot in your mouth.”
Caden grumbled and took hold of Maggie’s hand again. He was torn between running with her like the teenagers were doing toward the empty line once the spinning machine stopped or walking slowly to enjoy the tender moment between them.
Once they reached the front of the serpentine line, the conductor cut them off with a thin metal chain. “Ride’s full.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to stand here and talk,” Maggie said with a hum.
“We could dance,” Caden said stepping closer. A fast tune blared from the Himalaya ride beside them. Maggie took a step backward and apologized to the couple behind them. Neither of them had noticed the packed line that had gathered. Seemed like everyone at the fair wanted to experience the Fireball. Maggie stepped forward into him.
“Be careful,” he teased, “we were almost dancing there.”
“You’re funny,” Maggie said. She folded her arms in front of her.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Caden asked and glanced around the area. “I forgot to ask if there was a boyfriend lurking around who might want to rip my head off for standing this close to you.”
“If that’s your way of asking me if I am seeing anyone, the answer is no. I’m single. Single as ever,” she added with a heavy sigh.
“I can help you with that problem,” he offered.
Maggie responded with an eye roll. “It’s not a problem.”
Nodding, Caden recalled her blog. “Haute Tips episode one states a socialite doesn’t need some Prince Charming to save her.”
Eyes stretched, Maggie beamed. “You watched?”
“I binged before coming to Southwood,” he admitted. “Kit raved over you.”
“Did she really?”
“I promise you, we were called into an emergency meeting last week, and there on the overhead screen was your face from your last video blog.”