Chapter 9
SPENCER
My head lolls to the side against the driver's seat headrest. I blow out an exhausted breath as April gives me a knowing look.
“What? Your beast of a car could totally fit in that spot back there.”
I look at her like she's crazy. “No way, I can’t risk scratches, and this isn’t a beast. This is the latest model of the best SUV on the market because I have precious goods to drive around.”
We’ve been circling the parking lot of Pioneer Park for only a few minutes, and April wants to comment on my driving at every chance.
“Fine. Looks like we just have to get in line after that birthday party group that just arrived in a big van.” She tips her head forward slightly to the car up ahead.
Ugh, more people, just thrilling. I steer the wheel to an upcoming spot that is far too small for my liking. I don’t even need to look at April while I park to know she has an accomplished smirk on her face.
“Yay, we’re here.” Hadley is already reaching for her seatbelt.
“Just easy when getting out. Let April help you,” I call out over my shoulder.
The next minute, we're working our way out of the car, meticulously holding doors and squeezing through tight spaces before we commence our short walk to the ticket counter—or the gates of hell as I like to call it.
Pioneer Park isn’t quite a major theme park, but it’s a step up from the typical park-district petting zoo. There is a little train you can ride on, a classic merry-go-round, a mini old-fashioned town, animals, and people dressed as pioneers.
Standing in line for the entry tickets, I hear tiny voices chattering, and before I can investigate, April is nudging my arm. I swipe my sunglasses off my face to get a view.
“Aren’t you going to wave hello to your little fans?” April gives me a scolding look.
Looking over my shoulder, I see a few boys maybe a year or two older than Hadley staring at me with amazement.
Giving April a serious look, I tell her point blank, “No.”
“Grumpy,” she mumbles.
“I’m not grumpy. I’m trying to have a weekend with Hadley.” We step forward as the line moves.
“And they are kids. Isn’t gratitude one of Hadley’s theme words at school this week?” She is completely making that up, but it’s effective.
Hissing out my breath, I turn back to the boys and offer a short yet effective wave. The boys instantly grin with excitement before their parents usher them along in the line.
A slow clapping sound hits my ears, and I turn to see April clearly congratulating my efforts. She’s exasperating, but at least her efforts to annoy me are amusing sometimes.
“Daddy, I want to go straight to the log cabin,” Hadley says, pulling my arm.
“You’re the boss.”
After getting our tickets, we enter the fictitious prairie town, a sort of tribute to the area from years far back.
Hadley is already walking in the direction of where we need to go, and I can’t help but notice someone else in our group moving with gusto.
“Someone is excited about the log cabin. When was the last time you were here?”
April glances to her side as we walk. “Years ago, but something tells me it hasn’t changed. I wanted to go a while back for fun, but Je—, I mean, someone thought it was childish, so didn’t want to play along. Besides, can’t you smell the wood burning? I love it.”
Taking a sniff of the air, I do smell the fire.
“I wonder if I can make a candle like last time,” Hadley mentions before interlinking her arm with April’s.
Watching them skip a few steps ahead of me, I don’t like it.
Hadley is taking to April, and maybe I wanted Hadley and me to be a team on our tolerance level of April.
But now I’m truly two against one, and I can’t help but feel an odd spark inside me that maybe all along I wanted April and Hadley to instantly click.
I do my best to ignore my mind meandering into unknown territory, but I seem to zone out slightly as Hadley and April approach the log cabin with excitement. A woman who looks maybe twenty is dressed up and is stirring a caldron over a fire.
“Something about 1800s-inspired fires just hit the spot.” April takes in a deep inhale, stretching her arms into the sky as she stands next to me and watches Hadley disappear inside the cabin.
“Oh yeah, calms me completely,” I say, sarcastic, as I scan the scene to see that everyone seems to be in their own world.
Hadley waves through an open window, and I return the gesture.
“You know she is completely checking you out,” April points out.
“Who?”
“Witch lady.”
“I don’t think she's a witch; did you not get the memo that pioneer times is the theme?”
April snickers and gives me a knowing grin. “Fine. The twenty-year-old who likes to dress up is checking you out while she stirs the pretend soup.”
I glance at the woman by the fire, and she is shooting me some serious flirty eyes before her hands adjust her costume in a not-so-subtle way to boost her cleavage up. Crossing my arms over my chest, a wide grin spreads on my face when I turn to look at April who almost has a soft pout.
“Unlucky for her, I don’t pick up women when I’m in Hadley's presence.”
“Sounds more like her lucky day then.” April tries to avoid her eyes, meeting my own.
“Oh, look at that, the sheriff arrived on a horse, probably to arrest the soup-making pioneer for her scandalous ways.” April is quick to power-walk to the scene to meet Hadley who is curious about the arrival of the character.
I can’t help but smile at the fact that, if I do say, Miss April is a little jealous.
Ending the call on my cell phone, I jog to meet up with April and Hadley up ahead. April hands me back my drink without ever losing focus on the brochure she and Hadley are looking at.
We're walking along the overdone Main Street of Pioneer Village, taking sips from our soft drinks.
April points to the upcoming old-fashioned post office on the right. “There. That’s where I think bonnet-making is at one.” She continues to look at the little brochure to double-check something. “After that, we can do the train.”
“I think then we have pretty much seen everything,” I affirm to our little crowd.
“Don’t be such a spoil,” April throws me some shade.
“That’s one of our words,” Hadley proudly reminds us.
Hadley and April have been going over the pioneer dictionary in the back of the brochure.
“It is. Now go mosey along so you get a good spot for bonnet-making.” She scoots my daughter in the direction of the post office door.
April and I both slow our pace as we watch Hadley join all the other little girls sitting around a table.
“Huh. This word is fitting. 'Dander; a strong emotion or anger.' That’s going to be my word of the day,” April comments as she reads the paper.
Grabbing the brochure from her pink-polished nails, I skim the list. “Funny. I thought you would pick hankering as your word.”
“Hankering?” Her eyes grow wide with intrigue.
“Yeah. In modern times, we call it desire.”
Her mouth parts open and an undescribed sound escapes her mouth. “Trust me, that’s not what I’m feeling today. I’m kind of wishing a plague or something was part of the theme here to wipe me out.”
I click the inside of my cheek. “You're having a blast here. I can see it.”
She studies me for a second before a smile erupts. “Okay, smartass, you may be right just this once.” She playfully hits my arm.
“Was it the merry-go-round or riding the covered wagon that took you over the edge to happiness?”
“Both. I don’t know, it’s kind of nice being a kid again. What about you, grumpy? You don’t seem miserable.”
I debate if I should let a comeback fly off my tongue or be honest, and when I look at April’s deep eyes as she wipes a strand of hair away from her face, I have my answer. “Hadley’s happy, so I’m happy… and thank you.”
“For what?”
“You're making this a nice day for her.”
Her shoulders come up toward her ears, and she seems to brush off my compliment.
“She’s a sweet kid; must have gotten that from her grandparents.”
We both look at Hadley who is busy with crafts.
“She is. Just an unusual situation,” I admit.
April taps my arm with hers. “Nah, many kids have only one parent and turn out amazing. Just look at me. And an unusual situation would be dragging your video partner along after making her stay at your house—oh, wait.” She brings her hand to her mouth in pretend shock. “That’s us.”
The corner of my mouth tugs up from her humor.
I step into her space with my hand finding a spot on her lower back. “Watch it, April, I might have to throw you over my shoulder when we get back to the homestead.” There is far too much swelter in my voice than I would care to admit.
Yet April just chuckles a sensual sound under her breath.
“Careful. I might actually tolerate you today,” she warns.
And hot damn, I hate that I'm enjoying this flirtation between us.