CHAPTER TEN
Luisa—
Friday night, my father caves to my mother and younger siblings' whining and takes us all to the county fair. It’s a family tradition with us, and I haven’t missed one since I was old enough to remember.
We’re loaded into my father’s big car. It’s the first fair that my older sister is not with us, but she and her husband and our cousins are all meeting up there tonight.
I haven’t heard from Blue since the morning we had breakfast and he kissed me goodbye.
He told me he’d be busy this week with club matters and probably would be out of town.
I laid awake at night, wondering what he’s doing and where he is.
It’s been quiet in town with hardly a motorcycle in sight. Perhaps they all left town.
The only excitement was when Carmen and I went down and watched the carnival rides being set up for tonight’s opening. We watched the big Ferris wheel being erected, and the carousel and the funhouse. Last year, she dragged me onto the Zipper, and I got sick.
Carmen said she’d probably already be here when we arrived, and I look for her when my father parks in the gravel lot and we all pile out. I spot her standing by the food vendors, waving her arm.
I return it and ask my father if I can go off with her.
He gives me his permission, and I dash off to join her.
She’s got a box of popcorn and holds it out to me. I take some and glance around.
“Where’s Ramona and Marcela?”
She shrugs. “They were here earlier. I think they went to ride the Scrambler.”
“Oh. Have you been here long?”
“About twenty minutes. So?” She arcs her brow. “Have you heard from him?”
She means Blue. She’s been asking me this all week. “Not a word.”
“Have you texted him yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’ll contact me when he can. I’m not going to be that girl.”
“That girl?”
“The one who tries too hard. I’m not going to chase him.”
She huffs a laugh. “Isn’t that what you did when you went to his clubhouse?”
“No,” I bite out a little too quickly, irritated because maybe it’s true.
“Right.” She hooks her arm through mine and changes the subject. “Let’s go ride the carousel. It’s my favorite.”
A few minutes later, I’m seated on a pretty white and gold horse spinning in a circle when the sound of motorcycles carries over the calliope music.
Carmen and I turn toward the sound and spot them.
I don’t have to read the patches on their backs to know it’s the Saint’s Outlaws pulling into the gravel lot.
Carmen gives me a look, nodding toward them.
I don’t need her to point them out; I’m totally aware of Blue as he climbs from his bike and glances toward the fair.
When the ride ends, Carmen and I wander closer and watch the six of them strolling through the fair. A couple of them laugh and point toward one of the arcades where you shoot a target. They stop and play, and I stand in the shadows by the hot dog vendor, my eyes feasting on Blue.
God, how I’ve missed him.
In my mind, I will him to turn my way, and when he does, our eyes connect. He gives me an almost imperceptible lift of his chin, then he scans the crowd, and I know he’s searching for my father.
I can’t blame him.
“Carmen?” I hiss.
“Yeah?” She’s standing at my side, her gaze on them as well.
“Let’s go over to the funhouse.”
She glances at Blue, then me. She knows immediately what I’m up to.
I point toward it with as little a gesture as I can, and Blue glances that way, then nods.
He doesn’t keep me waiting long. I’ve kept an eagle eye out for my parents, and they’re nowhere in sight.
Blue wastes no time in taking my hand and tugging me toward the funhouse entrance.
Once we’re inside, it’s dark and private.
He finds a corner and pulls me into it, and his mouth comes down on mine.
His kiss is hot and hungry, and I clutch at him desperately.
God, I’ve become addicted to his kisses. I can’t get enough.
When we finally break apart to gasp for breath, he cups my face. “Didn’t expect to see you up here. We were passing through town on our way to the clubhouse. Been riding for hours. Didn’t know Prez was gonna stop until he pulled over.”
“I get it.”
His thumb strokes my cheek. “Missed you, though.”
“Did you?”
“Of course.”
Several people come through behind us, and Blue grabs my hand. “Come on.”
We walk through the hall of mirrors and then the wobbly stairs and spinning barrel. By the time we make it outside, I’m dizzy and feeling a little woozy.
Blue frowns when he sees my hand on my stomach. “You okay?”
“Yes. Of course.” We stand in the dark shadows along the side of the funhouse, but still, I’m nervous someone in my family will pass by. But then I spot my father in the distance talking with Blue’s president.
Blue rubs my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You want a lemonade?” he offers.
“Yes, I’m probably just overheated. It was hot in there.”
“Come on.” We walk to a nearby stand, and he gets us two drinks.
I’m not worried about my father, because Carmen is standing nearby, keeping an eye out for me. Bless her for the good friend she is.
Blue shoves a hand in his pocket and glances around, and I realize maybe he doesn’t want his club brothers to see us together.
He told me the other night that he’d been warned off me by his VP.
There’d be trouble between his president and my father and no one in his club wants that.
He’s risking a lot to be with me; even just standing here drinking a lemonade could get us in trouble.
I smile and decide to push his buttons. “So, when are you going to take me for a ride on your motorcycle?”
“You know I can’t do that, Luisa.”
“Can’t you? No one would need to know, would they? I bet women ride on the back of your bike all the time.”
“You’d be wrong. I don’t put any woman on the back of my bike.”
“You don’t?” I frown because that surprises me.
“That isn’t what this is, babe.”
“Fine. I don’t have anything to wear, anyway.”
His eyes sweep over the sundress I wear. “I like what you’re wearing just fine.”
A scream rends the air, and we glance to see some people pointing up at the top of the Ferris wheel, which is stopped.
I frown. “What are they pointing at?”
Blue gestures to a carny guy who is banging on some levers like they’re stuck or something. “Looks like the ride is jammed.” Blue glances to the top. “Look up there.”
I follow where he points and see a small boy climbing out of one of the swinging seats.
Gasps and shouts rend the crowd below, and Blue and I hustle closer with the growing throng.
“Can’t you do something?” a man asks the carny worker.
“The thing is jammed up.”
“The boy is going to fall,” a woman shrieks. “You have to get him down.”
“I ain’t climbin’ up there, lady. You crazy?”
Blue touches my shoulders. “Wait here.” And then he presses through the gathered mob and disappears.
Before I can find him again, someone points. “Look at that guy.”
I spot Blue climbing the metal framing like a pirate going to the top of the crow’s nest on the mast of a ship.
He’s fast and sure-footed, but my heart lodges in my throat.
If he makes one wrong move, one wrong step, he could fall to his death.
I cover my mouth with my hand and suddenly Carmen is at my side.
I meet her gaze with my own terrified one, and she wraps an arm around me.
“He’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He’s almost at the top.”
“I can’t look.” The fear of losing him is overwhelming me.
“Luisa, he’s got him.”
I give in and glance up. Blue made it up to the boy in no time at all, but fear for his safety has all my nerve endings tingling.
“Please don’t fall. Please don’t fall,” I repeat like a mantra.
Blue has one arm wrapped tight around the young boy as he works his way carefully to the swinging chair. The crowd is silent, waiting and watching as Blue puts the child back in the seat, then climbs in with him. When they’re both safe, a roaring cheer goes up from the crowd.
There’s a commotion near the carny worker, and I see another has joined him. I spot Blue’s club brothers gathered nearby, staring toward the top, then their president shoves one of them toward the carny workers, and they go to help.
Finally, the Ferris wheel starts moving again, and the workers unload the ride one car at a time.
When Blue and the young boy get to the bottom, the crowd cheers, and the child and another boy who looks like his brother are gathered up in a crying woman’s arms.
“That must be their mother,” Carmen whispers in my ear.
Blue’s club brothers surround him, patting him on the shoulder, but Carmen and I stay back, melting into the crowd.
It’s torment because everything in me wants to run to him and hold him tight in my arms and thank God he’s safe, but I know I can’t do that.
Carmen grabs my arm and squeezes, and I follow her eyes to see my father standing on the other side of the crowd near where Blue’s president stands. I can tell from the look on his face and the way he approaches his good friend that my father saw the entire thing.
My father pats their president’s shoulder, then extends his hand to Blue.
From this angle, I can’t see Blue’s expression, but he shakes my father’s hand.
“Maybe that’s a good thing.” Carmen leans close to whisper. “It was brave what Blue did. Your father has to respect that.”
“It won’t change anything. Blue will never be suitable for me. Not in my father’s eyes. Blue will never be good enough for Eduardo Sanchez’s daughter.”
“Stranger things have happened.”
“Not in our family. Not anything like this.”
“Then you better remember that and be very careful. If he ever finds out about the two of you, your relationship with your father will never be the same.”
“I know that.”
“And you’re willing to risk it?”
“I don’t want to hurt my father. I just want my own piece of happiness. Is that so awful?”
“Of course not. But I’m afraid that happiness is going to be short-lived, and I hate to see you get your heart broken. When that happens, I’m not so sure you’ll still think this was all worth it.”
“It doesn’t matter now. It’s already too late to save my heart.”
“Aw, honey,” Carmen whispers and puts her arm around me.
I bury my face in her shoulder, all the joy of seeing Blue today gone.