Page 32 of Denim & Diamonds

“You can keep it at your place. It will give me a reason to come back and visit. Oak needs a friend in the bathtub.” I winked.

He laughed. “Oak would violate it, and you’d never see it in the same condition.”

Wish Brock would take some lessons from his dog.I sighed.

Brock was probably the manliest man I knew, but something about his vibe today gave off boyish charm. It had to be that damn backward hat.

My excitement grew as we pulled up to the fair. Spotting a Ferris wheel always gave me chills. There was something so magical about it.

Brock found a spot for his truck, and we walked together to the entrance.

The moment we stepped through, the smell of fried dough and popcorn became all-consuming. My stomach growled as nostalgia came over me. While the carnivals I’d been to as a kid weren’t quite as large as this, I was immediately taken back to my childhood.

But unlike my childhood, the most popular attraction here? Brock Hawkins. Everywhere I looked, women stared at us. Brock and I continued to be watched as we waited in line at the ticket booth.

I cleared my throat. “What’s the deal with all the people staring at us?”

He looked around. “Who?”

“Well, women, mostly.” I surveyed the area. “You really don’t notice it?”

He shrugged. “Can’t say I do.”

“You’re pretty oblivious, then. The women here seem very interested in you. Any idea why?” Iknewwhy. But I still wanted to see what he said, whether he’d admit what a catch he was.

Brock shrugged. “I guess they have nothing better to do.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “Do you not realize what a hot commodity you are?”

“If you mean because I have money, I guess that’s sad.”

“It’s not just that, Brock. You’re the whole damn package. A good-looking man with a good head on his shoulders—and yes, one who makes a good living—isnot easy to find. These women are salivating.”Heck, so am I.

“Well, I guess they’re also probably drawing some conclusions right now, aren’t they? Seeing as though I’m with you. I bet that’s also why they’re staring. They’re wondering what the deal is with us.”

Join the club.I chuckled. “Well, I’m happy to play the role of most-hated woman in town until I leave.”

When we finally got to the front of the line, Brock asked for two-hundred tickets.

My eyes widened. “Two hundred? What the heck are we going to do with that many?”

Brock grinned. “We’re gonna have some fun, Red.”

There was that boyish charm again—the magic of the hat. I was here for it.

Brock reached for my hand, and I got goose bumps as I practically skipped alongside him. His touch warmed my entire body. Finishing this stint at Sierra would be much easier if I weren’t so damn attracted to this man in every way.

Over the next couple of hours, Brock and I played countless games, ate our way through the fair, and rode the Ferris wheel. And yes, we used every single last one of those tickets. Brock won me a giant stuffed cow, which we walked back to his truck so we didn’t have to carry it around. Pretty sure I was going to have Brock take it home to Oak and tell him to have fun with it. How the hell could I climb the ladder with that thing anyway?

Eventually the afternoon sun gave way to a golden evening, and a chill took over the air. Without me having to ask, Brock took off his flannel, wrapping it around my arms and enveloping me in his intoxicating smell.Wearing his shirt was becoming one of my favorite rituals.

“I feel like it wouldn’t be a day with you if I didn’t end up wearing one of your flannels.”

“That’s because you never wear a damn jacket.”

“There’s not even a little part of you thatlikesme wearing your shirt?”

His jaw ticced. “I can’t say I mind the way it smells when you give it back.” He sighed. “Don’t mind it at all.”