Chapter Twelve
Zeph
The early part of our evening was big with nice food and conversation, but when we finished all of that, it was time to do something a little more fun, something to appeal to the little in him.
I had checked out a few different ideas before we got together and finally asked Will to see if Sammy had any suggestions.
He did.
A few.
“So, what would you like to do next?” I asked. “I have a couple of ideas.” Strictly not my ideas, but I had them now. “The traveling arcade has all the vintage machines and is in town right now if you’d like to go. Or, we could try out the super slides that just opened.”
His eyes sparkled. “I don’t know which one I want to do more. Is the arcade going away?”
“No, it’s on a big bus, but it’s going to be around for a few weeks, and we can go some other time.”
“Then the slides! Sammy says they are almost to the sky, and you have to climb a lot of steps, but totally worth it.”
“Okay. You’re the boss.”
He giggled, not totally little but not all the way big either. As we pulled up in the parking lot and climbed out, he tipped his head back and let out a “Whoa.”
I’d seen tall slides at carnivals and fairs, but usually just one, and this was the equivalent of an amusement park with multiple styles and heights. “Whoa good or whoa, get me out of here?”
“Whoa good, but maybe I won’t go on that super-tall one over there. It looks scary.”
“Let’s leave all our options open and start with the small ones,” I suggested, unsure I wanted to go on the big one either. “Sound good?”
“Sounds like the best idea.”
This late in the evening, there were no kids running around, just adults, but they were riding all the different slides with every bit as much enthusiasm as any child might.
Brock and I followed the plan, starting out with a fun, brightly colored slide painted with ice cream cones.
We climbed the steps, Brock ahead and me behind him in case he stumbled, but he confidently bounded ahead, arriving on the top landing so fast that he was already seated on the sliding mat when I reached his side. “Here goes!”
His “wheeeee” joined the chorus of others gliding downward.
It wasn’t super-fast but a great start. I had half intended just to watch, but when the attendant offered me a mat, I couldn’t resist. It felt a lot faster than it looked, and it was one of the beginner-level rides.
No sooner had my slide come to an end than Brock was waiting to drag me off to the next one.
Shaped like a dinosaur, no less. We took our turns zooming down the ancient creature’s back, over bumps that sent my tummy into a spiral.
But it didn’t faze Brock. He laughed so hard, he tumbled off the end into the rubber brick pit designed to make landing smoother.
As we wound our way through the park, I learned that there were more than just slides to ride, and games to play as well.
Other than that very tall slide shaped like a snow-capped mountain—which we eventually decided looked more scary than fun—there was a train where each car was a different animal and a Ferris wheel set just where we could watch people go down that scary slide.
The terrified expressions of those racing down the steep slide, zooming in and out of the mountain’s caves and tunnels, had both of us shaking our heads.
“Who would want to do that?” he marveled.
“They don’t look like they are having fun. ”
“No, they don’t.” I shuddered at the thought of the whole thing.
I didn’t think screams of terror were a very daddy-like thing.
But then, when we stopped at the very top of the wheel, I spotted something else.
“Would you like to take a ride on a stuffie? I know it’s getting late, and we should go home, soon, but—”
Brock leaned so far forward so fast, I had to grab his shoulder to keep us from tipping.
“Stuffies!” He pointed, unfazed by my holding him steady.
“Let’s go now!” This was the closest I’d heard him come to little so far, and it stirred delight in me, but we were suspended several stories up on a wheel that was just starting to unload.
It probably took only a few minutes, but from the way Brock vibrated next to me, it felt like an hour to him.
Once we reached the bottom and were freed from our seat, he grabbed my hand and dragged me toward where we’d seen people riding on all sorts of animals and other creatures.
Until we got close, I wasn’t sure how they worked, but it turned out, they were built up on scooters, and you could join a tour on a track that went around the entire outside of the park.
Now that I thought about it, I remembered crossing it as we approached the ticket booth.
I just hadn’t paid much attention, assuming it was for golf carts for employees doing maintenance or something.
Brock picked a dragon, grinning so wide, I could see all his teeth.
To be fair, the other riders—most of whom were likely not little at all—looked pretty happy too.
When we had twenty people seated, off we went, cruising along at about four miles per hour while our leader pointed out sights of interest and Brock recited dragon facts to me.
I loved every minute of it, even if I had gotten stuck riding a hot-pink flamingo that had lost most of its feathers in some sort of molting incident.
The tour took nearly an hour, and by the time we got back to the starting point, it was definitely time for our evening to end.
We had a long walk back to the main gate, and Brock’s stuffie-ride high had worn off by the time we passed the turnstiles.
It was a lot for one night, but more fun than a barrel of stuffies, and I hummed as I buckled him into his seat and smiled down at him.
“I had so much fun,” he mumbled. “Best date on a dragon ever.”
“Me too.” I leaned in a brushed a kiss over his lips. “Let’s get you home before you’re too sleepy to walk inside.” Going around, I climbed behind the wheel and settled in. Driving him home felt good, but not as good as if it had been my home.
Definitely jumping the gun.
But a nice dream.
At his place, I helped him out and walked him to the door. Brock unlocked the door and turned to face me. “Thanks, Zeph. I had a really wonderful time.”
“Me too, Brock. Thanks for spending your evening with me. I’d love to go out with you again.”
“I’d like that, too.” He tipped his face up, eyes half closed. “Will you kiss me good night?”
As if he had to ask.
When he closed the door behind him, I stood there a minute, the warmth of his lips still lingering on mine. Would tomorrow be too soon to see him again?