Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
JAX
W e bumped along Highway 370 toward Springfield and the Sarpy County Fair. It could’ve been a peaceful country drive, but instead, Grant and Madison had been chanting, “We’re going to the fair!” for the last five miles.
My eyes glanced to the woman next to me in the front seat, who threw her fist in the air as she continued to chant and giggle. Who knew a seven-year-old could get her so riled up? If she wasn’t so smoking hot, I’d wonder if she was a bit of a dork. A second later, the answer became clear as she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped/fell into the back seat with Grant, who squealed with laughter. So, okay; she was a hot dork.
You know that feeling you get on a Friday night, after a long work week, when you pop open a beer and have total peace, knowing you’ve got the whole weekend ahead of you? As I snuck a peek in my rearview mirror at the two yelling goofballs in the back seat, it was the same kind of peace. She leaves on Sunday; stop it with this shit!
We rolled up to the ticket booth and joined the line of many. Madison bit her lip as she checked out the ticket prices.
“Do we buy tickets for each ride?” She wore stress on her face. “What’s the wristband? Do we need tickets and a wristband?”
I couldn’t figure out this rich girl worrying about a twenty-dollar wristband, but she clearly was. “Nope. Today is on me.”
Her emerald eyes shot to mine. “No, I want to pay for myself?—”
“Listen, if you’re willing to put your life on the line at the fair today, the least I can do is buy you a damn wristband.”
Her hand went over her heart before she grabbed me for a hug. “Thank you.” She pulled back. “So, you can ride all the rides with a wristband?”
“Yup. As many times as you want.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” She bent down to Grant. “Did you hear that, Grant? Every ride, as many times as we want!”
Grant snatched Madison’s hand as they both jumped up and down. What in the hell was going on with these two? The foster kid and the world-traveling socialite seemed to fit together like Captain Morgan and Coke, gin and tonic, or copy and paste; things that make you go hmmm.
Grant beamed at me. “Can we go on the zipper first?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, just skipped ahead of us.
Madison drew in a breath. “I see cotton candy! AND funnel cakes?” Her head shook at me in disbelief. “This is pretty fucking amazing, Jax.”
Walking towards us was a large woman, wearing skin-tight jeans, with her big old double “D’s” barely contained in her, I’m inappropriate. Kiss my ass! T-shirt.
I swear I saw stars in Madison’s eyes as she slapped my arm. “Look at that. I think I love the damn fair! Can you believe this?”
No, I could not. But the flicker in those eyes made me want to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and see what kind of fun we could have behind the Houses of Mirrors.
My eyes dropped to those baggy jeans beside me, held up by only that little ribbon, which I had plans for later. With one little tug, they’d drop to the ground, but instead of grabbing the body I was dying to get to know completely, I’d wait for her cheeks to flush for me. I do that to her. Me.
The more hours she was here, close enough for me to feel her energy, the more I was telling my brain to shut the fuck up. True, she was leaving in a few days, but I couldn’t run away. Not from her.
I literally proposed to Abby two weeks ago in an attempt to keep her around yet hadn’t thought of her in days. Everything was upside down; what was I doing? No freaking clue, but it felt a little too damn close to jumping in the deep end, for better or worse.
“Grant, let’s get Miss Madison some cotton candy, okay?”
He nodded. “Yes! And they sell fried Twinkies, too.” Grant gave Madison yet another high-five.
“Fried Twinkies! What the what? Let’s do this!”
Over the next thirty minutes, we strolled down the food truck line and shared deep-fried Twinkies, pickles, and some sucky sushi. (Here’s a tip: never buy sushi out of the back of a van.) We tossed it in the trash, prayed we didn’t get e coli or some shit, and ate some good old American hot dogs instead.
As I found myself shelling out five bucks for a bag of bright blue cotton candy, just what we needed when coming down from this sugar high which was already going to be a doozie.
“Let’s get to that zipper ride.” Madison shoved a handful of the fluffy blue treat into her mouth. A second later, her smile was blue; lips, teeth, everything.
“You’re blue!” Grant pointed before shoving some in and smiling a second later. “Am I blue like Madison?”
I tried to fight the “I’m crazy about you, Madison” grin as her gaze found mine. “Yeah, you guys are twins.”
Madison flashed a huge, cheesy smile, showing off her glowing mouth. “We’re twinning! Jax, eat some; we can be triplets!”
I laughed as we headed towards the ride. “No, thank you to that.”
She rolled her eyes. “You think you’re too good for us? You’re acting like a priss.”
Grant chuckled.
“Madison, you take that back.”
“Nope. Every party has a pooper, and it’s you.” She pressed those lips together as she shook her head. If Grant hadn’t been around, I would’ve swatted that ass, but restraint was in order.
“Are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend?” Grant threw more blue fluff into his mouth.
I gulped air while Madison shoved her hand in her baggy pockets. Silence. I couldn’t make a single word leave my mouth. Nada, zip, not happening.
Her eyes were darting around while her hand dug deeper into that pocket. Suddenly, I wanted to put my hands in those pockets and feel my way—okay, focus on getting through this eternity of silence. Grant’s stare was burning my corneas.
Madison cleared her throat. “Well, Jax is a boy, and he’s my friend.”
We both stared at Grant, hoping the pathetic, half-assed answer would suffice.
He narrowed his eyes. “Well, do you swap spit?”
Okay, not quite as easy as I hoped this shit show of a question would be.
She bent down to his level. “Grant, I don’t live here. I came to visit for Jim and Daisy’s wedding on Saturday. I actually live in New York and have to go back there Sunday.”
His wheels were spinning. “I hate Sunday and New York.”
Amen. I feel ya, kid.
“You should stay here. New York isn’t cool like Montana. Why would you want to go there?”
“It’s where I’ve lived most of my life and where my sister is. There are tall buildings, and I take taxis or walk wherever I want to go.”
A gasp shot out of Grant. “You don’t have a car?”
She laughed. “Nope, I don’t have one.”
His head shook hard. “There you go, come to Montana. Everybody gets a car here. Then you could eat food with me all the time.” He pointed to me. “Jax can tell you I make really good toast.”
Whatever it took. “The boy is right. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced his culinary skills.”
She tilted her head and looked back at Grant. “Why don’t we just go and have as much fun as we can today, okay?”
He sighed and nodded his head. Madison started walking as Grant pulled my arm until we were face to face.
He whispered. “You need to keep her here.”
“I wish it was that easy. Her home is in New York.” I glanced, and she was a good five feet in front of us.
“Well, build her a home here. We’ll make her a she-shed”
“She doesn’t want to stay. Her work and life aren’t here.”
“Well, we can make her stay. Yeah, you can put lots of locks on the door, so she can’t leave.”
“I’m afraid that’s kidnapping and illegal.”
He raised his little brows. “Only if you get caught.”
Okay, that’d always been my line, but sounded a little uncool—but still a little badass—coming from the little guy. Not sure what my adulting self was supposed to do.
“Let’s go to the zipper.” Adulting Jax was becoming a master at avoidance.
“You and me are going to make a plan to keep her here.”
I didn’t want to nod and encourage him, but I was open to whatever the hell kid could come up with.
Once at the front of the Zipper line, the ride operator opened the door, and two girls started to exit, but not before one puked, hitting the seat of the ride. Gasps emitted from everyone in eyeshot when the guy grabbed a red Solo cup, filled it from a huge bucket of water, and threw it on the vomit. After repeating his actions a few times, he motioned for us to get in.
“Uh, not happening.” I motioned to him. “Get us the next car.”
He shrugged, and we waited for the next one. Madison and Grant flew in ahead of me. I glanced up, wondering if any vomit chunks could get us while we hurled through the air.
Once inside, I tested their restraints. “Grant, it goes upside down. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Oh yeah, I can’t wait!”
In a split second, we were off. Grant was screaming with laughter as Madison was trying to record with her phone. After our first upside down spin, the phone flew out of her hand and started bouncing off the walls around us. Upside down again while the phone shot about, which made screaming and laughter the only thing I could hear.
The cell phone became a weapon as it shot around at what felt like two hundred miles an hour. I heard an ouch from Grant, then it got me in the jaw, as I was failing big time at getting a hold of it. After a few more spins and screams, I finally got the phone. When the longest ride in the history of the fair finally ended, we hopped out.
“Everybody okay?”
“That was funny!” Grant jumped up and down.
I looked over at Madison, who was holding her lower lip. “Just a little bump, I think.”
I stepped closer and pulled her hand away. “Looks a little swollen.”
I turned to Grant. “Hey Buddy, can you run over to that food truck and ask for a cup of ice for Madison’s lip? Don’t go any further than that.” I handed him a few bucks from my pocket.
He skipped away, and I turned back to Madison with one eye on Grant. “Does it hurt?”
“Not really.”
I stepped closer, and something flashed in her eyes. I kissed her lip lightly, then took it gently in my mouth and sucked. Her breathing became rapid as she froze. After a minute, I stepped back. “Better?”
She shot me a wide-eyed nod. I liked the way I made her pupils dilate, a reminder that it wasn’t only me feeling this heat that I didn’t know what to do with. Lie; I knew exactly what to do with it, the only thing to do with it. Sure enough, those rosy cheeks reappeared as if reading my filthy mind.
After a few minutes of ice on the lip, we headed towards the tilt-a-world, which sounded as fun as a kick in the groin. We passed the “Springfield Public Library” booth, and I thought we were in the clear, but Daisy started waving and jumping.
“Jax, Madison, Grant, come over here!”
“Daisy, I didn’t know you had a booth here.” Madison leaned over and hugged her.
“Well, I volunteer at the library on Wednesdays and Fridays, so of course, I wanted to be here. But the person who’s supposed to wear our mascot costume didn’t show. Kind of a bummer.” She walked around the counter and hugged Jax. “Grant, we have snow cones. Do you want one?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice! But I have to go to the bathroom.”
I took his hand. “Come on, I’ll take you.” We walked away, and when I glanced back, Madison looked over at me. Her iddy biddy smile rattled something in my chest. I wanted her in every way, and I had no fucking clue what to do with that.
* * *
After a long line at the bathroom, we returned to the library booth. I loaded up Grant with a grape snow cone and looked around. No Madison in sight, but Jim rolled in and was chatting with Daisy.
“Where did Madison go?”
Daisy put her hands on her hips. “Well, the guy who is supposed to wear the mascot costume didn’t show up.” Daisy started giggling, pointing at something behind me.
I turned around and saw it. I should’ve known immediately by the dance moves that it was her. A cross between the running man on crack and a drunk Daisy doing the Macarena; I could not pull my eyes away.
Madison was dressed in a tiger mascot costume from head to toe, just like the kind at a football game. My Madison . The tiger wore a basketball uniform, with “Springfield Library” on the back of the jersey, had a long, bushy tail, and a huge tiger head covered her head and rested on her shoulders.
Grant’s mouth dropped open. “Is that Madison?”
I nodded, at a loss for words. I watched her jump in front of an elderly couple, enthusiastically shaking her tail at them before turning back around and throwing candy at them from the little bucket she carried. The man covered his eye, clearly hit by a flying tootsie roll, provoking his wife to scowl at the tiger before leading him away. Just five minutes as an entertainer, and she may well have blinded a dude.
Grant rushed over. “Madison, you’re awesome!”
I walked over and shook my head. “You’re really doing this?”
Muffled laughter came through her mask. “Hell, yeah! I’ve been a lot of things in my life, but never a dancing tiger!”
The YMCA blared from the speakers above us, and of course, the tiger ahead of me started the dance, with Grant joining in. After a moment, she had about a dozen kiddos following her lead. It was the traditional dance, but she added a little ass shake after the “A.” I was feeling it.
I grabbed a snow cone, leaned against Daisy’s booth, and let the dirty fantasy of me and the tiger take over. Different? Most definitely; at least not like any sex fantasy I’d ever had. It went on for nearly ten minutes until Daisy shuffled over to me.
“Jax, the costume guy showed up. Tell Madison she can take the costume off in the same camper she put it on in. We don’t want any of the kids to see who’s inside the outfit.” She pointed just beyond the food trucks. “Can you help her unzip, though? It goes all the way down the back. She won’t be able to get it herself.”
“No prob, I’ve got this.” My ears were dancing at her words. Can I help her unzip? Oh, yeah, baby. “Can you keep an eye on Grant for a bit? After she changes, I may grab some drinks for everyone. The lines look long, though, it might take a bit.” See what I did there?
“Sure, take your time.” She nodded as I took off to grab my tiger by the tail.
I followed her to the camper beyond the food trucks. She pulled the door open, and we went inside. I immediately slid the lock over. It was one of those campers with a table, couch, and little kitchen.
She pulled off her tiger head and dropped it onto the table. “Whew, it’s hot in here.”
I pulled her close. “Yes, it is.”
Her grin was almost sinful. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Daisy told me to get you out of that costume, and I never shirk my duties.”
I kissed her gently.
“I think you should always listen to Daisy.” She kissed me back. “She could easily turn into a gun-toting maniac, I believe.”
My hands ran up the fur on her backside. “I’ve seen it. Not pretty.”
I buried her lips with mine; I could not get enough of this woman. Her hands slid up the back of my shirt, sending shock waves down south.
I broke the kiss and spun her around, lowering her zipper. She put her hands on the table as I helped her lift her legs out of the costume and threw it on the floor. She tried to turn to me, but I didn’t let her. I ran my hands up her outer thighs, pushing myself against her from behind, leaving no doubt as to what she was doing to me.
I reached for her ass and let my fingers do the walking. They traveled around front and slid into those baggy pockets I’d been admiring all day.
She was still, her breaths shallow, when my fingers found her, feeling her desire. She’d be the death of me. She tried to turn to me again, but I held her in place, her hands splayed across the table for support. I continued to touch and feel, my fingers moving to the zipper of her jeans.
Finally, she pushed hard and turned to me, her body crashing into mine. Her mouth, her kisses, were hard and hot. She was a wild animal desperately lifting my shirt, pulling it over my head, and tossing it away. She kissed the bottom of my neck and teasingly nipped at my collarbone, just as I had done to her yesterday. Fuck.
I nearly ripped off her shirt before depositing it onto the floor as I bent and kissed her cleavage down to her bra. I lifted her up to a sitting position on the table, wrapping her legs around my waist. The table wobbled as I reached behind her and unclasped her bra.
She was practically clawing my back as I stood in awe of her beauty. She cursed when I kneaded her bare skin, and just as my kisses led to her breasts, there was a knock at the camper door.
A string of obscenities fell from my mouth.
I stood up, and she fell off the table, her feet hitting the floor with a thud, knees bent like a gymnast failing to stick the landing.
“Madison, I’m so sorry.”
I grabbed her hands and helped her get her balance. She giggled and then screamed when another knock was heard.
“Just a minute!” she screeched. “I’m changing out of a fair costume!”
We were grabbing clothes when I realized I was trying to put on her shirt, and we quickly switched. She threw her bra on without clasping it and pulled on her shirt. We stood face to face.
“Are we good?” I asked as I ran my hands through my hair.
“Do I have all my clothes on?” Laughter burst from her.
“Yeah, you’re dressed.” I touched her cheek. “They’re on fire again.”
She gave me a peck on the lips. “Well, then stop doing that already.”
We literally shot out of the camper to find a teenager standing just outside. “Do you have the tiger costume?”
“Right inside.” Madison smiled. “Have fun.”
* * *
We walked around for a moment, ended up in the Beer Garden, grabbed two cold ones, and were heading out when Austin and Lillie approached.
“Hey. Madison, this is Lillie.” Austin was in jeans and a Minnesota Vikings sweatshirt. Lillie was a cute lady who went to high school with us. She played hockey and really seemed to get Austin, but as with Liz, it was always casual.
“Hi. Nice to meet you.” Madison extended her hand.
Austin pointed at me. “It’s almost time for the animal scramble. Are you going to let Grant do it?”
“What’s that?” Madison took a long drink of her Miller Lite.
“The kids go into the arena, where the rodeo is, and they let out ducks, chickens, and rabbits. Whatever they catch, they take home.”
Madison gasped, followed by a grin as bright as the sun. “What the what? That is amazing! I’m in!”
“It’s kind of for kids.” Lillie smiled while Madison just shook her head.
“Are there written rules prohibiting adults, well, me, from participating?”
“I just think—” Lillie tried to get in.
“If there are no written rules, I’m doing it.” She shook her head. “Nobody will care, trust me.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, about thirty kids were all lined up for the animal scramble. And Madison, of course.
I stood with Jim, Daisy, Austin, and Lillie, leaning against the fence, watching as Madison waved at us like a lunatic. She was right; nobody tried to stop her. They probably thought she was a confused or a deranged fair-goer. When she walked out there with the kids, it was the first time I’d seen a little of the New York attitude from her. She was eyeing every person she passed, ready to pounce if necessary.
A heavy-set man in Wrangler jeans, a plaid shirt, and a cowboy hat headed in with a microphone in hand.
“Hello, all! Welcome to the Sarpy County Fair Animal Scramble! Here are the rules. Every child can get one animal. Remember, this is all in good fun. And let’s give a round of applause to the local farmers and ranchers who have donated these handsome looking critters!”
The crowd cheered and Daisy jumped up and down like a proud grandma on speed. “Go, Grant and Madison!”
The announcer cleared his throat. “Alright, kids, and, uh, Ma’am.” He shrugged his shoulders. “When you hear the gun, it’s on!”
The gun blasted, and the kids went running like a pack of wild dogs. Madison stuck close to Grant, and they were trying to corner a white bunny who was not having it. Madison was pointing and laughing as she encouraged Grant to grab it. After a moment, he swooped in and got his bunny, which was thumping and wiggling like crazy to get loose. Finally, Madison picked Grant up beneath his armpits while he held the bunny and ran like hell to us. She grabbed the white ball of fluff from Grant and threw it at Jim.
“Don’t let that mother trucker get away!”
They were off again. It was clear they were going for a duck, which was waddling off at high speed. Suddenly Madison dove on her stomach, but the duck was just out of reach. She hopped up and started running, but not before those big old jeans dropped to her knees, exposing that sweet ass in some bright blue panties. Wowza! Apparently, that little pink ribbon did not survive the duck dive.
Madison yanked them up just as the whole place went wild. Cheering, whistles, and “Oh yeahs!” were flying. She tied the ribbon into a bow before taking a dramatic bow to more cheering and clapping. I could see those pink cheeks all the way across the arena. Oofta.
I could tell by her sprint that she was done messing around. She ran like hell and grabbed the damn duck by the neck, spun on her heel, and headed toward us.
“Game over!” She yelled as Grant took the dangling duck from her hand and hugged it. Looked like I was the winner of two freaking animals I didn’t want.
We grabbed two crates, got our two new guys in them, and into the back of my truck with Grant.