Warnings and Wildfires

“Sure you don’t want to go on any rides?”

She shakes her head and chuckles self-consciously. “I don’t think I’m tall enough for half of them.”

“Stop,” I warn, hating how self-conscious she seems about her size.

Her gaze flits around the immediate area and she leans up on tiptoes. “I’m only interested in one very specific ride,” she says low enough for only me to hear.

A rumble of approval eases out of me and I plant a quick kiss on her lips. “You’re the perfect size for that ride.”

Madison joins us, looking a lot less thrilled than when she bounded up the stairs for the swings. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It was cool. It went high enough to see the whole Midway, but I’m too old for these baby rides.”

She’s pale and I wonder if she got scared but doesn’t want to admit it.

“Feel okay?” I ask.

Madison scowls and doesn’t answer. Instead, she takes the map from Aubrey’s hands and declares the horses are our next stop.

Aubrey shrugs at me and follows.

The scents of farm animals, barbecue, and a variety of fried foods fill the air. Aubrey takes a bunch of photos of Madison and me, which I appreciate. I always seem to forget. She snaps even more photos of Madison and the two of them discuss the best filters, poses, and angles to use.

I casually hook my arm around Aubrey’s shoulders. “Still having fun?”

“I am. Really. Stop worrying so much.”

“I’m not worried.”

She rubs her finger right between my eyebrows. “What’s this then?”

“Hunger.”

“I guess we better feed you then.” She pinches my bicep. “Need to keep you big and strong.”

Leaning down, I press a kiss to her temple. Love the way she teases me. “I do need to keep my stamina up.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You stay up like a champ.”

I cough-laugh and look away.

Madison asks for more pictures of the horses and I take a few of her to send to her mom.

We promise Maddy we can return to the horses after we eat. Although, I have a feeling something else will have captured her interest by the time we finish lunch.

The avenue of states is all the way on the other side of the fair. We weave through the crowds of people to stand in line for lobster rolls, loaded baked potatoes, and blueberry pie.

“I’ll grab a table outside,” Aubrey says, pointing to the back of the building. “Madison’s still in line for her potato.”

I swing my gaze to the left and easily pick Maddy out in the line. “All right.”

Madison’s picking up her order when I’m handed our lobster rolls and I meet up with her. “Want me to carry those?”

“I got it. Where’s Aubrey?”

“She said she was grabbing a table.”

“I hope it’s in the shade,” she grumbles.

I stop and take her in once again. It’s a warm fall day, but not that hot. Living in Florida, she’s conditioned to much hotter temperatures than this. “Are you sure you feel okay?”

She blows me off and storms outside, leaving me shaking my head.

Aubrey stands and waves us over to a table in a shady corner of the lawn.

“Want to look for those gifts next?” Aubrey asks. She nods to one of the houses in front of us. “The Vermont state house is right there. Probably the best place for maple syrup.”

Madison nods and drags her fork through her potato without really eating any of it.

“You want to trade?” I ask, holding out my lobster roll.

“No. I’m fine.” She flicks her gaze at Aubrey. “The New Hampshire house. We should go there too. They used to have maple cotton candy and really good fudge.”

“Sounds good. I can’t remember the last time I had fudge,” Aubrey agrees.

We finish lunch—well, Aubrey and I finish, Madison didn’t make a dent in her food—and I take the trays to the trash cans. Aubrey meets me there and smiles.

“Ready for a sugar rush?”

“You’re my sugar rush,” I whisper, giving her a quick kiss.

Madison’s already half-way to the next shop when we catch up to her. “What did I say about walking off?” I say.

“I didn’t,” she snaps, jerking out of my hold. “We said we were going here next.”

Bewildered by her behavior, I back off for now.

“Is she okay?” Aubrey asks in a low voice.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should head home after this.”

“Oh boy,” she mutters. “Good luck with that. I think she has her heart set on going back to see the horses.”

“Well, if her attitude doesn’t improve, we’re not going to see anything else.”

“Give her a break. Maybe she’s overwhelmed.”

Maybe Aubrey’s right. Maddy seems to chill as we collect her maple sugar goodies. She even offers to split her cotton candy with Aubrey. Part of me worries Maddy’s not handling Aubrey joining us today as well as I thought she was. Too much too soon or something.

We finish winding through the state houses and move over to craft alley. Madison stops at one of the jewelry shops and immediately zeroes in on a butterfly pendant suspended from a fine silver chain. She’s so enchanted by it, I have to get it for her.

“Do you want that?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I don’t have enough left.”

“I want to get it for you.”

“Are you sure?”

Maybe I should check with the shopkeeper before I commit. He takes it out of the case and lets Maddy try it on. I plunk down my credit card and wait for him to ring it up.

“Oh, that’s so pretty on you,” Aubrey squeals.

My gaze drifts around the small shop. Should I get something for Aubrey too? I’d rather give it more than a couple seconds of thought, so I dismiss the idea.

The shopkeeper returns. He’s also the designer, so he explains to Maddy how to clean the pendant and throws in some polishing cloths.

Outside, Madison slips her arm through mine as we walk toward the next shop. “Thank you, Dad. I really love it.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you mind if I slip in here?” Aubrey asks, nodding to a shop that sells special shea butter lotions and bath stuff.

Maddy wrinkles her nose and pulls me toward a toy stand. “Meet you in the middle,” I say to Aubrey.

I glance down at Madison who’s squeezing a white, fluffy, stuffed owl. “I thought you were too old for toys?”

“It’s for Ella. She loves owls.”

Love for my daughter expands and fills my chest. She complains about her little half-sister a lot, but that she’s still thinking of her and wants to spend her last couple dollars on a gift for her is sweet. “It’s pretty. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“She better,” Maddy says, making me laugh.

We meet Aubrey at the shop she stopped at as she’s checking out. “Anything good?”

“Body butter.” She unscrews the cap of one of the jars in her bag and sticks it under my nose. It’s a soft coconut-vanilla scent. Almost impossible to detect with the air full of sizzling briskets, sausages, and popcorn. “It’s nice.”

And now I’m visualizing all the ways I want to butter up Aubrey’s body.

“Can I?” Madison asks. “Ooo, that smells good.”

Pink spreads over her cheeks and Aubrey opens her bag. “I bought a jar for you too, if you like it. It’s strawberry—”

“Oh, yes. Thank you!”

After Maddy gives it a thorough sniff-test—and I say a secret thank you that it smells nothing like the body butter I’m planning to slather all over Aubrey—I transfer the jar to one of her bags, then pull Aubrey closer. “You didn’t have to do that.”

She shrugs. “I wanted to.”

We follow the sidewalk that leads to bigger outdoorsy vendors. Tractors, sheds, hot tubs, stuff like that. Aubrey stops at the

hot tubs. “I definitely need one of those one day.”

I can vividly picture her in it and have to glance away for a second.

“We have one,” Maddy says. “I’m not allowed in it for more than ten minutes though.”

“You’ll probably cook yourself if you’re in it much longer,” Aubrey teases.

Maddy giggles. “Ella’s not allowed in it at all.”

“Big sister privileges.”

They walk ahead, talking about sister stuff, I guess. We stop to buy squares of fudge and Madison looks around for a bathroom.

“I’ll go with her,” Aubrey says, reaching up and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

A few minutes later, Aubrey emerges alone. “She’s coming,” Aubrey assures me.

“Come here.” I hook my arms around her waist, yanking her closer. Our foreheads touch. “Are you having a good time?”

“I am. Are you?”

“Yes. I—”