Chapter 10 #2
“Alan Huxley’s car is ready,” Will announced as he strolled into the front office. “Oil change and filled the windshield wiper fluid.”
“Thanks,” she said with a smile as she pulled up Alan’s account on the computer and entered today’s work. Within minutes, he was paid and out the door. “It seems like there are no major car repairs today.”
Wiping his hands on a rag, Will nodded. “I don’t think you’ve grasped just how big of a deal this festival is to the town.
No one’s gonna risk missing out.” Placing the rag in his back pocket, he leaned against her desk.
“Now, next week? That’s gonna be a totally different story.
I can almost guarantee that we’re going to be slammed with appointments.
” Then he paused and studied her for a moment. “You still planning on being here?”
Twisting in her chair to face him, she arched a brow. “Wow. That was direct.”
He shrugged. “I don’t see a point in beating around the bush.
” And for such a lighthearted and easygoing guy, he suddenly got very serious.
“Look, Devin’s one of my best friends and we look out for each other.
You’ve been very up front with the fact that you’re going to Oregon, but with the way things have changed between the two of you, I…
” He paused. “I guess…it’s going to be hard on him when you leave.
And the longer you stay, the harder it’s going to be. So…”
She wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not. “What are you saying, Will? That I shouldn’t stay beyond the festival?”
When he didn’t respond right away, MacKenzie figured she had her answer.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt Devin,” she said, doing her best not to sound too defensive. “And I think it’s great that you’re looking out for your friend, but this really isn’t any of your business. I’ll know when it’s time to leave.”
“I’m not trying to be a dick…”
“Then you failed,” she said, and this time she was a little snappish.
“How long I stay or how soon I leave is something we’re both trying to figure out, but it’s good to know where you stand, so…
thanks.” Turning her back on him, she finished entering some invoices that Devin has asked her to do earlier.
“Mac, come on…”
Will was the only person in Sweetbriar Ridge to call her that and she used to think it was an endearment, but now she wasn’t so sure.
All she knew was there was a reason she didn’t trust easily.
She got lulled into a false sense of security in this quaint little town, but apparently people were the same no matter where you went, and she’d be smart to remember that.
Fortunately, the morning didn’t drag and by the time noon came around and they were getting ready to close, she was more than ready to leave.
“Everyone have a good time and we’ll see you up there!” Devin called out before locking up. But when he turned to face her, she knew the instant he figured out something was wrong. “I’d ask why you’re upset, but I have a feeling it has to do with Will.”
Frowning, she shut down the computer. “What makes you say that?”
“Because he’s got a guilty conscience and spent the better part of the last hour trying to tell me how he put his foot in his mouth.” Pulling up a chair beside her, he let out a long breath. “So? Do you want to talk about it?”
The snort was out before she could stop it. “He’s just looking out for you,” she said coolly. “Can’t fault a guy for being a good friend.”
“But…?”
“But…” She shrugged. “I thought we were cool with each other, but apparently he’d like to see me leave sooner rather than later. And…maybe he’s right,” she said miserably. Then, facing him, she braced herself for his rebuttal.
Only, it didn’t come.
Instead, Devin stood and smiled down at her.
“Let’s head home and make some lunch. The traffic heading up to the festival is going to be brutal.
I was lucky enough to score a parking pass for the actual resort, but there are going to be all kinds of busses and a ton of other people all heading in the same direction. ” He held out a hand to her. “Ready?”
“Um…”
“The way I see it is we can sit here and talk about something we’ve already talked about, or we can go and have a great time up on the mountain. It’s completely up to you, but if I get a vote, I’m all for lunch, a shower, and beating the traffic. What do you say?”
When he put it like that, he had a point.
“I say, let’s go have some fun!!”
“So explain all of this to me one more time,” MacKenzie said as she and Devin walked across the parking lot to join the line of people entering the gates.
“Haven’t you ever been to a carnival before?” he teased. “Or a state fair?”
She laughed softly. “A few. But this just seems…different. Better.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone’s been talking about it all excitedly. I think it’s the whole ski resort angle that’s throwing me.”
He chuckled with her. “Well yeah. I can see where that would be a slight deterrent. And to be honest, it’s all new to us too.
I mean…years ago, before it closed down, the resort was open year-round, but I always remember it being a little run-down.
We came here because there was nothing else to do.
There was certainly never a carnival or a festival of any kind.
They’ve been working on this place so much that we’re all wildly curious how it all turned out. ”
“From what little we can see, I’m already impressed. I mean…the main building is gorgeous! And huge! I can’t believe all the rooms were sold out!”
“To be fair, when you got to town last week, it wasn’t open to the public.
I think they only started doing that with reservations starting today.
And from what I heard, most of it was only open to anyone who worked on the resort–the construction teams and their families, architects, investors, that sort of thing. ”
“That’s actually very nice of them and a great way to say thank you.”
“I agree.”
MacKenzie hugged his arm close as they walked, barely able to hide her own excitement.
There was so much to see and so many people walking around that she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do first. The Ferris wheel was huge and it had always been a favorite.
There were all kinds of carnival games where you could win silly prizes.
She spotted several food trucks, booths with kids lined up to get their faces painted, a few other carnival rides, and a haunted house too.
They’d only been there for five minutes and she was already on sensory overload!
“Where would you like to start?” he asked.
“Um…I’m not sure. Maybe the Ferris wheel?” It seemed like a fairly straightforward and simple suggestion, but Devin hesitated.
“How about we play some games first? I bet I could win you one of those giant teddy bears.”
And he looked so sweet and sincere that she couldn’t say no.
So off they went to play. Devin threw softballs, tossed coins, filled balloons with water…
you name it, he did it and by the time they were done, she had a small menagerie of stuffed animals.
So much so that they had to go back to his truck and drop them off.
“How about lunch?” he asked as they made their way toward the food trucks.
And as much as that Ferris wheel kept catching her eye, she let Devin play tour guide and she’d just follow his lead.
For the next several hours, they strolled around and talked to people and ate all kinds of delicious foods, but had yet to ride any rides.
“Hey, Devin! Hey, MacKenzie!” Looking up, MacKenzie saw Ashlynn and Reid walking toward them.
It was obvious to her that they were incredibly in love by the way they looked at each other, and for a moment, she felt a pang of envy.
She loved the way Devin looked at her, but was that love or just lust?
Then she chided herself. Love. They’d known each other for a little more than a week; of course that couldn’t be it. The man was attracted to her and that was it.
And somehow that thought was a bit depressing.
“How are you enjoying the festival?” Ashlynn asked anxiously.
“Don’t mind her,” Reid quickly said. “These things are a bit of an obsession for her, so she’s always looking for everyone’s enthusiasm to match her own.”
Both MacKenzie and Devin chuckled. “I’m having a great time,” MacKenzie said, grinning. “Just the buildup from hearing about it all week was enough to have me looking forward to it.”
“And now that you’re here?” Ashlynn asked.
“Seriously, I’m loving it. We’ve tried some amazing food and Devin won me something from just about every booth!”
Ashlynn and Reid grinned at Devin. “Aren’t you the sweetest?” Ashlynn gushed. “Have you guys gone on the Ferris wheel yet?”
“Oh, um…” Devin hesitated.
“Ashlynn…” Reid admonished.
“What?” she asked innocently before seemingly reconsidering her words. “Have you guys gone on the mountain coaster yet? We were going to, but…”
“Come on. Let’s see if I can beat Devin and win you something from all the booths,” Reid said as he took Ashlynn’s hand and led her away. “See you both later.”
Once they were out of earshot, MacKenzie looked at Devin expectantly. “I wonder what she was going to say about the mountain coaster. It was weird how he cut her off like that. And I really would like to go on the Ferris wheel. Can we?”
At first Devin just shrugged, but MacKenzie kept at him.
He sighed loudly. “Here’s the thing–it’s sort of…
a thing, I guess. It was a stupid thing that started back in high school.
There used to be a carnival that came around once a year.
A small one. They used to set up on the high school football field. ”
“O-kay…”
“Anyway, it became a…a um…”
“A thing?” she prompted.