Chapter 52
Dot spotted Harper and Mary before they saw her. Mary was wearing a short, hot pink and white gingham dress with skinny shoulder straps, white wedge sneakers, and a light pink crossbody bag.
“You look like brunette Barbie,” Harper had said when Mary came downstairs. “In a good way.”
Mary tossed back her hair, put her hand under her chin, and flashed a smile. “Thanks!”
Harper wore jean cutoffs, a white button-down with its sleeves rolled up, and the red cowgirl boots her parents had sent for her birthday in May.
“Those are hot!” Mary had said when Harper opened the gift.
“Yeah, these don’t seem like me.” She wondered if her parents had been drunk when they bought them. But she’d put the boots on and checked herself out in the full-length entryway mirror.
“Which is exactly why I’m going to make you wear them one day. Gotta get you out of your comfort zone, Harp!” The fair was just the place.
“Hey, girls!” Dot called to them, feeling drab in her royal-blue FTW T-shirt, white shorts, and dusty sneakers. She wished she’d brought a change of clothes. “You look great. I should have upped my game.”
“Come here. Let me fix it,” Mary said. She pulled Dot’s T-shirt out of her waistband and knotted it, exposing some of Dot’s stomach.
“That’s a little much, don’t you think?” Dot asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“She never thinks it’s too much,” Harper said.
“Look, this might be the only fair we ever go to, and I aim to make it a memorable night.” Mary fussed with Dot’s hair and then added some lip gloss. “There, that’s better. It’s giving more Sexy Dem than political volunteer.”
There was no mirror for Dot to check herself out in. “I guess I’ll have to trust you.”
“When has that ever steered you wrong?” Harper asked.
“I have no idea what you mean.” Mary looked at them innocently. “Come on. I want to find the guys and see if any of them can win us a prize.”
“WHAC-A-MOLE IS MY specialty,” Dot said, challenging them all to a round.
“I like the confidence,” Danny said. “But I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I don’t lose.”
“It’s on!” Jake said, handing over cash to buy a game.
“Go! Go! Go!” Each of the girls and guys banged their mallets frantically down on the moles. No one held back.
“Wow, competitive group,” the carney said. “And the winner is . . . this young lady right here.”
Harper looked shocked. “Me?”
“You! Pick your prize.”
“Oh, wow. Ummm . . . I’ll get that little panda. For Pippi.”
“I’m not sure that’s a dog toy,” Tommy said.
“Yeah, he just wants you to give it to him. He still sleeps with his stuffed animals,” Jake said, and Tommy play-tackled him.
“Let’s try another game,” Danny said. “Dot, you choose.”
“Okay,” she said, looking around. “How about that one?” She pointed to a football game where you had to throw a spiral into a small hole. “You three compete.”
“Great call. Boys, you up for it?” Danny handed over the money and he, Tommy, and Jake grabbed a football each.
“Okay, play nice!” The carney started the clock.
The guys talked smack to each other as they tried to show they still had it.
“Come on, Danny, didn’t you used to be on scholarship for this?” Jake jeered.
“Jake, you’re embarrassing yourself!” his twin said.
“Shut up, Tommy, you throw like a girl . . . No offense, ladies!”
“None taken!” Mary shouted, cheering him on.
In the end, Danny won by a point. The carney asked them if they wanted to go one more time to try to win a bigger prize. Challenge accepted.
Danny blew them away this time, and Dot was impressed. She felt like she was in high school and dating the quarterback.
“Which one of these beauties do you want?” the carney asked.
“I’ll take that one,” Danny said, pointing to a black and white stuffed cow with big blue eyes. He gallantly passed it to Dot.
“My hero!” she said, hugging the cow and acting like it was best gift she’d ever received. She shot up on her tiptoes and kissed him. It was a little surprising to publicly display their affection, but they’d gradually become much more open about their feelings for each other.
Mary and Jake looked at each other in a way that said, “This is getting interesting.”
“Let’s eat!” Tommy said, pointing toward the food court. Jake led the way.
Tommy bought them a bunch of things to try. Deep-fried mashed potatoes on a stick, enormous barbecued turkey legs, glazed donut ham sandwiches, cheese curd tacos, and flash-fried lemon bites. The guys washed it down with Solo cups of Spotted Cow beer, and the girls had margaritas.
“I’m throwing in the towel,” Dot said. “I’ve going to need a juice cleanse from this fair.”
“Don’t give up on us now. The night is still young,” Danny said. Their chemistry was so obvious it practically radiated, impossible for anyone to miss.
“Hey, I want to go on the Ferris wheel,” Mary said.
“Ferris wheels are for girls, Mary,” Jake said.
“Perfect. Send the three of us up and you can wait for us on land.”
“Deal.” Jake stood in line for their tickets, and then they climbed on, sitting three across.
Dot held her stuffed cow on her lap in between Harper and Mary. The ride operator checked they were securely in; Danny snapped a picture and sent it to Dot for her Instagram. She posted it right away. “Three Gotham girlies making the world go ’round in Wisconsin!”
The operator turned up the country music and away they went to “American Kids” by Kenny Chesney, climbing high over the midway. The sun had gone down and the lights of the fairgrounds came on in the most magical way. The wind gusted up and blew their hair around.
“I ate so much crap,” Harper said, putting her head in her hands. “I don’t feel well.”
“Come on, Harp. This is a very gentle ride. We’re barely moving,” Mary said. “You’ll be okay.” She gave Dot a sideways glance, rolling her eyes at the latest gastro drama.
“Oh, guys, I’m not so sure. I think I’m going to be sick,” Harper said.
“Well make sure to puke over the side, not on us!” Mary was still joking, but Harper wasn’t.
Then Dot realized. “Wait, Harper. Did you take an allergy pill before we left the house?”
“Yes. I had to with all the animals and dust out here.”
“But then we had those margaritas. And they were strong,” Dot said, reality becoming clear.
“Oh my gosh,” Harper groaned. “You’re right. No wonder I feel sick.”
“Take some deep breaths,” Mary said. “Focus on one thing in front of you. There—in the distance—see the lights at the fair entrance? Just look there, not all around.”
“We’ll get you some water as soon as the ride stops,” Dot promised.
They were still going around and around. Each time they passed ground level, Jake, Tommy, and Danny waved to them. Mary waved back, while Dot held tight to her cow, and Harper held on for dear life.
At one point the ride stopped while they were on top. Dot assumed it was because the operator was letting some people off and bringing others on for their turn. “It’s almost over, Harp.” The poor girl’s face was nearly green.
After a bit, when they hadn’t moved, Mary started wondering if something was wrong.
“We should be moving by now, right?”
“I’m sure we’ll get going any minute,” Dot said. Harper moaned in discomfort.
Suddenly, the wind picked up and a siren blared. Then the lights of the fair all went dark at once.
“What’s happening?” Harper asked, panic rising in her voice.
“Hold on.” Mary fumbled in her pocket to get her phone. She texted Jake.
“What’s going on?”
Three dots danced on Mary’s screen waiting for Jake’s reply.
“Seems like the power might be out. They’re working on it. Just hold tight.”
“What’s the siren mean?” she typed.
“Tornado warning. Doesn’t mean a tornado’s coming—it’s just a warning.” Jake was getting updates from emergency management on his work phone. His texts to her were calm, but her adrenaline was racing.
The wind picked up, lightning flashed, and the thunder roared.
Dot was holding her stuffed cow tight with one hand and held Harper’s hand with the other. They could hear cries for help from others on the ride. They saw people on the ground running for shelter.
“You guys. I’m scared,” Harper said. She was taking big gobs of breath. Her head hurt and she felt like she was falling.
“It’ll be okay,” Dot said, trying to convince herself as much as Harper.
“I love you guys. You mean so much to me.” Now Harper was crying.
“Hey, hey—please, we’re not going out on a Ferris wheel, Harp,” Dot said.
Mary reached over and grabbed Harper’s knee. “Hang on. We’re fine.” But she wasn’t sure she believed that. The wind howled and dirt flew in their eyes. Dot tried to shield them behind the big stuffed cow.
Then as suddenly as the wind started, it stopped. The sirens still wailed and then gradually tapered off. The Crew picked their heads up to look around. The fair was still dark save for some of the emergency lights. The Ferris wheel hadn’t moved to bring them down.
Mary looked down trying to see Jake.
“Oh my gosh—they’re bringing a huge ladder over to us. Holy smokes,” Mary said, envisioning how they’d have to get down from the top of the ride. Dot and Harper craned their necks to see.
A few moments later, they heard Jake’s voice. He was nearly to the top of the ladder.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. Then more seriously, “Are you all okay?” He placed a hand on Mary’s shoulder.
“A little freaked. What happened?”
“A tornado touched down about three miles from here. We got lucky.”
“Why wasn’t there any warning? This is crazy!” Dot said.
“It can happen. But let’s get you unstuck. Do you think you can climb down the ladder to the ground? You just hold on tight, always having one foot and one hand on the rung to steady yourself.”
“I can do it,” Mary said. “But Harper is sick. I don’t know how we’re going to get her down.”
“Let’s try this. You go first, then Dot. I’ll bring Harper down with me.”
“Okay. Ummm . . . what about him?” Dot pointed to her cow, only kind of joking. She wanted it as the prize Danny won for her the night they almost died in a tornado in Wisconsin.
“Give it to me.” Jake took the cow and called to Danny. “Heads up!” He let the cow fall, and Danny leapt to his right and caught it with one hand.
“Show-off,” Jake said, as he unlocked the bar that held the girls’ in place.
“Okay, Mary. You’re up. Just don’t look down. Keep your eyes on me and then look straight ahead. Got it?”
She nodded. Bravely, she turned and made eye contact with Jake and slowly made her way down the ladder. About halfway down, she looked straight ahead and then she was on the ground, wrapped in a hug by Tommy.
Next was Dot. She did the same, looking at Jake until he was out of sight. Danny was ready for her as she reached the ground. He put his arms around her.
“You’re shaking,” he said.
“I’m okay, I’m okay.” She let herself collapse into him and looked up to see Jake below Harper, his hand guiding her, as they slowly made their way down.
“You’ve got this, Harper!” Dot called.
“You’re so brave!” Mary shouted.
Finally, Harper was on solid ground and Tommy put his arm around her to help hold her up.
“I need to lie down,” she said. “I need to go home.”
“You got it. We’ll get you in bed ASAP,” Tommy said.
Dot and Mary made eye contact. They didn’t think Harper was saying she wanted to go to their house in Cedar Falls.
In that moment, they knew that Harper really wanted to go home—to New York.