21. Dane
After both of us qualified for tie-down roping—me first, of course—I rushed Warren back to the trailer. I want to take him to the fair. It’s so out of my usual behaviour, I pause to make sure I’m not having a heatstroke or anything.
I’m not, thankfully. I’m almost positive this bubbly, overheated feeling is because of Warren inserting himself into my life in more ways than a roping partner. It scares me and thrills me in equal measure. Warren is the bright light I’ve needed for a very long time.
Just this once, I want to do something fun and not worry about rent and care bills, or new brakes and the care of my horse. I want to enjoy a fair, and I want to do it with Warren.
He exits the bedroom, smoothing a hand down the front of his plain red T-shirt. It hugs his shoulders and shows off his biceps. It’s a nice change from the long-sleeve shirts we wear in the arena covered with sponsorship patches. Although he still looks great in those, too.
“I think I’m ready.”
“You think, or you are?”
“You look nice,” Warren says, and if you could visualize an electric current between two people, it would flash like a neon sign right now.
“Thanks. So do you.”
He puffs out a breath and shoves his phone, wallet, and trailer keys in his pocket while I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth, watching the flex of his arms. He smiles at me, and I finally kick my brain into gear.
“What do you want to do first? Do you have a favourite activity at the fair?” I ask as he locks the door, and we begin our walk to the fairground.
“Oh, man. I like a lot of stuff. I didn’t go to a fair until I was 16.
I tried one of the spinning rides, and I’ll tell you this…
not for me.” Warren laughs, and in the moonlight of this evening, I think he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever met.
“But I love the Ferris wheel and sometimes the merry-go-round. Oh, and cotton candy. Gotta have that.”
He glances my way, a boyish grin in place. “What about you? Anything you always go to?”
“It’s lame, but I love all the games. I know most of them you can’t win, and I could buy the prize somewhere for less, but they’re so fun and I kinda like lugging around giant stuffed animals.”
Warren laughs again, and I’m so fucking entranced by him I almost stumble over my feet. “You like to wave that status symbol around then, huh? Brag about how good you are?”
“Damn right.”
“Then you better win me the biggest stuffed animal out there tonight.”
“Challenge accepted.”
After stopping at a bank machine in the exhibit hall, I wince when I withdraw far too much money for one night, but that’s a problem for later.
I join up with Warren in the hall as we survey all the submitted projects from the local 4-H club.
He’s super into reading some of them, too, which is again… oddly charming.
“Look at this one, Dane.” He leans closer, reading the printed words of a young kid describing goat care. “This kid, I bet you didn’t sell his goat. He’s too attached.”
“It’s a cute goat.” As far as goats go, anyway. It has floppy ears like Warren’s rabbit tattoo. I’d keep it just for that reason alone.
“Dad would never let me get a goat. I had a horse and rabbits, and he said that was enough.”
“Wasn’t it?”
Warren shrugs and moves on to the next display. “It was. I was fortunate to have that. I always pushed, asking for more animals.”
I can see that about him. He tattooed his favourite rabbit on his shoulder. That’s a decision you don’t make lightly. He chatters on about other displays and points things out to me.
“Are you still involved in 4-H?” I ask him as we exit to the food row.
“Sometimes. It’s how I met my dad, so it holds a soft spot for me.
” Warren smiles with a fondness I can definitely understand.
“In a way, it saved my life. When I see these displays at fairs, I like to see what the kids are doing and if it’s still popular.
I’ve mentored a few kids who had rabbits before. ”
“I bet you were good at that. You have a way about you kids warm to, I bet.”
Warren shrugs again. “I like to think I made a difference.”
The aromas of competing food trucks make my stomach growl as we enter the area with carnival food.
This one is way bigger than the last one we went to.
While I know there’s probably a cheaper option of hot dogs and burgers at a community food booth, I follow Warren along as he searches all the offerings, prepared to have whatever he has.
“Okay. I think I want to try the wood-fired pizza. It looks far too good.”
“I agree. Want to share one?”
“Yeah, we could. Do you want a lemonade? I’ll get those and find us a spot to sit if you get the pizza.”
I want to argue or give him money because this was my idea, but it’s a suggestion to maximize our time, so I nod in agreement. “Sure. I’ll find you.”
After waiting in line for what feels like forever, I score a fresh pizza before they could cut slices for sale. They slice it and box it, and after a few moments, I spot Warren waving to me from a picnic table in the seating area.
“Careful, it’s still hot,” I warn as I set the box down in front of him.
Warren picks up a slice and touches it to his lips. “Not scalding. I’m going for it.” He takes a large bite and closes his eyes. “So good.” He mumbles as he chews, and I have to look away.
“It’s very good,” I agree.
I’m eating pizza and drinking fucking lemonade at the fair with a man I’m getting attached to.
Not just as a rodeo partner. It’s more than very good.
This is the first night since I was a teenager that I’ve let myself have anything joyful.
I’m still feeling guilty about the money I’m about to drop here, but I want to make Warren smile and enjoy himself. He deserves it too.
After our meal, we hit the games alley and try a few. Darts at balloons, basketball shots, and the ever-popular pellet gun shooting the star. Our first head-to-head battle has me beating him by a long shot.
“You almost cleared the star!” he shouts.
“It takes a while to sight these guns, but not bad.”
“Keep going,” he urges, and I signal to the man for another round.
After several rounds of being close, I finally clear one.
The worker points to a row of animals, and I tell Warren to pick one.
He laughs and chooses a stuffed cow. We’re just about to leave when the worker hangs a new giant stuffed animal along the line.
A rabbit.
Warren’s lips part, and I signal for the worker. “What do I have to do to win that rabbit?”
“Trade in the cow and clear the star at the twenty-dollar level.”
I hold out a bill and pick up the gun. The first one is so close I want to argue with the man, but I hand over another twenty dollars. Finally, on the third try, I clear the star, and the man points to the rabbit.
I nod, and he hands it to me. It’s huge with floppy ears and a red bandana, but when I turn to find Warren, it’s worth it.
“I told you I’d win you a giant stuffed animal.”
Warren takes the rabbit with a smile that makes my knees weak.
“Oh my god, Dane. This is the cutest thing!” He runs a hand over the ears like he’s petting a real rabbit. “I can’t believe you kept going to win this.”
“Well, I wasn’t about to let my date down when I promised a stuffed animal.”
The air stills as we both take a moment to let my choice of words sink in. I’m not sure how I’d feel if he were to argue that it’s not a date. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that.
“It’s the best date I’ve ever had.” He leans in, sandwiching the stuffed rabbit between us, and kisses me on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Am I blushing!?
What the actual fuck? My neck turns hot, and I feel so exposed, but Warren again knows how to make me feel like I’m not a freak.
“I think the perfect end to this date is the Ferris wheel. I hear it’s romantic.” He slides his hand into mine.
“Even with a giant rabbit? Can we take it on a ride?”
“Oh, we’re taking it. Let’s go.”
Together we weave through the crowd, and the giant rabbit draws a lot of stares, which I don’t mind one bit. It’s not until we’re sitting in the Ferris wheel buggy with the rabbit on the floor at our feet that I relax into what Warren thinks is romantic.
“I think I like the Ferris wheel because you get a view.”
Warren’s face is turned away and looking out his side of our suspended seats.
He couldn’t be more accurate, though. The view of the man next to me is incredible.
“You certainly get a great view.” My voice is thick, and when Warren turns back to me, I slide my palm along his cheek as the ride slows and stops us almost at the top.
“Dane…” He leans towards me, and I meet his lips with mine. Kissing Warren is the match to the fuse of want I’ve tried to keep extinguished. I’ve tried to ignore the longing for everything he can offer me, but I can’t any longer.
The basket swings as we move slowly down. “Warren…” I break away from his lips and smooth a thumb over his swollen lips. “Is this romantic enough for you? Everything you want?”
He locks his gaze with mine and licks his lips. The scent of Warren’s tangerine body wash fills the tight space of the ferris as I hold my breath hoping for his approval.
“You have broken all my previous notions about you. This has been a night I’ll never forget.”
The basket descends faster, and we’ve lost the view from the top since we were too busy kissing to notice. Not that I mind, but I remember to do one thing. Pulling out my phone, I press our cheeks together.
Warren grins into the camera, and I snap a photo before it’s our turn to exit. I pick up the rabbit and tuck it under my arm before offering my hand to Warren as he exits. Without skipping a beat, his strong fingers curl around my hand, and we’re connected, walking away.
“You ready to get out of here?” Warren asks.
“If you are.”
He nods and walks faster. The current between us crackles as we speed walk back to the trailer. The giant rabbit still tucked under my arm bounces its ears with every step.