Small-Town Sweetheart (The Spring Grove Series Book 2) Read online

  “You start that, and we’ll never leave.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “You are impossible,” she laughs, and when I hear Mawmaw giggle, I wish I felt bad, but I don’t.

  “So Cataway won? My brother will be heartbroken.”

  Delaney’s face changes. “I know, but don’t tell him.”

  “I won’t, but good for her.”

  “Eh, we’ll see if it lasts. She says he’s great, but it’s TV.”

  “True.”

  “Yeah.” She leans into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You ready?”

  Oh, I’m ready to carry her up the stairs, caveman-style. Figure out how to get that onesie off and take her to bed. But then, I also want to take her out. Those shoes won’t work, though. “So, as much as this is going to kill me, I need you to change your shoes.”

  Her brows draw in. “Why? I wore them for you.”

  I groan. “I know. I’m sorry, but I’ll feel like shit if you break an ankle.”

  She rolls her eyes. “If you’d just tell me what we’re doing, I could plan.”

  “Nope.”

  She kisses my jaw. “Fine.”

  I watch as she climbs up the stairs, that ass provoking me to chase it. I turn to find Mawmaw watching me. “Could you be any more smitten with her?”

  I give her a look. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  I did, but I’m not touching that comment with a ten-foot pole.

  So I sit quietly across from Mawmaw and wait for my date.

  “Do you want me to try?”

  “No, Delaney, I got this.”

  “Reed, you’ve spent seventy bucks so far.”

  “I don’t care. I will win.”

  “You haven’t even hit a pin yet.”

  “I have too!”

  Delaney leans into me and grins, her laughter vibrating my body as I glare at the pins. “I know I said I wanted that pink flamingo, but I don’t want you wasting all this money on a ten-buck animal.”

  “Shh, let me win.”

  She rolls her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest. The lights of the Spring Grove annual carnival go nuts around her, making her eyes shine like a diamond. She’s pulled her hair up since we got here. It’s warm, and I don’t blame her. Instead of the fuck-me-heels that I very much enjoyed and convinced her to bring for when we get back to my place, she’s wearing white canvas shoes and looks adorable. She brings back every childhood memory, and I don’t hate it. I enjoy it instead. Unlike when I was a kid and could win these stupid games with my eyes shut, I’ve practically thrown out my arm. But damn it, I will knock down all these pins.

  One hundred and twenty dollars later, still no pink flamingo.

  “Can I try now?” Delaney asks, and I glare over at her.

  “You hit anything, I’m going to be pissed.”

  She presses her finger to her chin, her eyes teasing me. “Can I buy you a corn dog to make it better?”

  I look away, feeling mighty sorry for myself but shrugging. “You can suck my corn dog,” I mutter, and she giggles softly.

  “Done,” she says before waving the guy down. “Excuse me, I have a gamble for you.”

  The carnie with his two missing teeth, matted hair, and looking like he lives in a popcorn machine, he’s so greasy, leans toward us. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “If I knock down all the pins, for each station, can I get all his money back?”

  He scoffs. “Hell yeah, but what if you don’t?”

  “I’ll give you another one-twenty.”

  I give her a sideways glance, but I don’t question her. This is Delaney; this girl always has a plan. His eyes light up at the possibility of scoring another one hundred and twenty dollars. He looks Delaney over, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t believe she can do it. I know for a fact that she can, and I may be more than a little butthurt that I couldn’t. She may have to buy me a funnel cake too.

  “Show me the money.”

  She does as he asks, pulling a wad of cash out of her bra. His eyes light up once more before he lays down three balls. “Three balls, three sets of pins.”

  “Yup, and I want that flamingo if I do it.”

  “Honey, I’ll give you three.”

  A few minutes later, we walk away with my hundred and twenty dollars and three flamingos.

  I’m shocked and speechless. Delaney, she’s beaming as she carries all three of her giant pink birds.

  “Can I ask how?”

  I can’t see over the flamingos, but I can hear her as she says, “I worked at the carnival for two summers.”

  I should have known. “Of course you did.”

  She giggles softly. “I know exactly where to hit to make them all fall. I used to practice on dead days.”

  “You’re insane.”

  “Hey! I just won us back your money, a flamingo for me, for Wilbur, and one for you.”

  I shake my head violently. “Birds. I don’t do birds.”

  “A flamingo isn’t a bird!”

  “If it has wings, that equals bird.”

  She cackles beside me. “Whatever, freak,” she teases, and I laugh at the silliness of us.

  When she stops suddenly, I watch as she walks over to a family that has two young girls. She talks to them, and I see their little faces light up before Delaney hands the girls two of her flamingos. The dad pulls out his wallet, but Delaney waves him off, and with the brightest and most stunning grin, she walks back to me.

  Shit. I am smitten.

  “You gave away Wilbur’s and mine? How rude.”

  “No, I gave away ours. This one is Wilbur’s.”

  I wrap my arm around her. “You’re a good egg, Delaney Kate.”

  She leans her head into my chest. “I try.”

  We walk a bit, checking out the rides and the games. We eat corn dogs and split a funnel cake for dessert. As I sit across from her, I can’t help but feel like this is the best date I’ve ever been on. I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone but her. The lights, the smells, her smile, it’s all too much to take. I reach over and pick up her hand off the picnic table. I thread our fingers together, and when she looks up to me, I smile. “You having fun?”

  She beams around the big chunk of funnel cake she just stuffed in her mouth. “Best date ever.”

  I kiss her knuckles, and all these feelings are swirling in my gut. I didn’t mean to feel like this. I didn’t want to, but I do.

  I don’t want to leave her.

  But that’s because you’re here with her now. You’ll be ready to go once the summer is over.

  Yeah. That’s true, I tell myself.

  Or you won’t go.

  Yes, I will. I have to. I have a job waiting for me.

  You have a job here—and Delaney.

  I shake my head free of my inner dialogue and kiss Delaney’s hand once more. She licks off some powdered sugar, and I flash her a smirk. It’s all over her face. I reach over, wiping her nose and then her lips as she watches me. “This could be fun.”

  I’m confused at her statement at first, but then I grin back at her. “We can stop and pick up some powdered sugar on the way home.”

  “I wouldn’t say that’s a bad idea.” She winks at me, and I chuckle loudly.

  “Well, before that, there is something I have to do.”

  “The fish bowl game?” she asks, getting up as I throw away our trash.

  “No.”

  “The roller coaster? I don’t think my gut can handle that right now.”

  “Nope,” I say, taking her hand in mine as we walk out of the dining area.

  “Please don’t tell me you want another corn dog. You ate three!”

  I laugh as I pull her along and we say hi to people we know, but mostly we stay together. Just the way we like. I know the guys and Gen are here and probably want to hang, but first, I want to do something.

  When I stop at the big Ferris wheel, I feel Delaney’s gaze on me. “I kn