He narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you one of those girls that’s always preaching about saving the environment and won’t eat meat?”

“No,” I scoffed. “I’ll have you know that I can devour a cheeseburger in three seconds flat.”

He laughed. “Good.” He came back and picked up his trash, discarding it. “Coming?” He called over his shoulder.

I hurried after him.

“Nice boots.” He pointed to my flowery Doc Martens styled shoes.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“What do you want to do? There’s pretty much everything.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’s the carnival setup over there,” he nodded his head, “or the track…although it’s probably too late for that. Or we could take a look at the different booths—we might find something interesting there.”

I found Maddox’s rambling endearing.

“I don’t know, this isn’t exactly my scene,” I shrugged.

He chuckled, grinning crookedly. He peered down at me and I realized now how much taller he was than me. His white t-shirt stretched taut across his muscular chest, making his tanned skin seem even darker. My eyes ventured further down and I saw that he wore black jeans with a studded belt and boots.

“Are you checking me out, Emma?”

“What? No! Of course not!” I flailed.

He chuckled, rubbing his jaw to hide his widening smile. “You definitely were. It’s okay. You can look, but no touching below the belt…yet.”

I gaped at him. He did not just say that.

He laughed, continuing to play with me. “I like to know girls a little better before I unleash the beast. It might scare them.”

I didn’t know what to say and I kind of felt like running away.

He reached out, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, drawing me against his muscular body. “If you’re going to go on a date with me, you better get used to my sense of humor.”

“I’m not sure I want to,” I mumbled.

“Oh come on, I’m delightful.”

I wasn’t sure delightful was the word I’d use to describe Maddox. Then again, I’d only met him thirty minutes ago.

“You say delightful, I say crude.”

“Oh, you wound me.” He grasped his heart with his free hand.

“I doubt your ego is bruised.” I couldn’t help smiling at him. There was something about him that was infectious and easy to like.

“Don’t doubt my affection for you, Emma. I promise you it’s more than bruised. It’s downright shattered.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter.

“You know what, forget this madness,” he waved his arm to encompass all the roaming people. His other was still slung around my shoulder, a heavy and warm reminder of his presence. “You wanna just talk for a while?”

“Talk?”

“Yeah, you know, where you move your mouth like this,” he mimed with his hand, “and words come out.”

“Uh…isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, but I think it’s imperative that we get to know each other better before our date so that we can avoid the obligatory awkward first date and get to the fun stuff.”

“The fun stuff?” I repeated. “This isn’t the below the belt stuff is it?”

“Of course not, Emma. What kind of man do you take me for? I’m offended.”

“Hey, you were the one that brought that up before,” I defended.

He steered me away from the crowd and towards the now empty bleachers. A crew was packing up the stage equipment and loading it onto a truck with the Willow Creek logo—a willow tree with a tire swing.

“Anyway,” he continued, leading me up to the very top of the bleachers and sitting down, “I figure if we know each other a little better tonight, then the hard part is out of the way for our date.”

I was still shocked that I’d actually agreed to go on a date with him, but he had a point.

He stretched his legs out on the bleachers in front of him. “So, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“There’s not much to tell,” I shrugged, playing with a strand of my wavy blonde hair.

“You really suck at this whole getting to know each other thing.” He grinned.

“You’re right,” I frowned. I guessed I’d spent too much time avoiding people that now I didn’t really know what to do. I took a deep breath and tried to think of something to tell him that wouldn’t be too personal or exposing. “I play piano. Does that suffice?”

“It does,” he grinned. “I happen to play the drums.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised. “You’re not just telling me that so that I’ll think you’re cool, are you?”

He laughed, ducking his head so that the brim of the baseball cap hid his face. “Not at all. Scoot over.”

I slid away from him and he leaned over, plucking drumsticks from his back pocket and hit them against the bleachers—creating a beat. “Believe me now?” He quirked a brow.

“I believe you.”

He continued to drum, spinning one of the sticks around his fingers in a fancy trick. “I can keep going if you don’t believe me,” he grinned boyishly.

“I said I believed you,” I laughed.

He smiled, and the drumming ceased. “Ah, that’s what I wanted.”

“What?” I asked confused.

“To hear your laugh. It’s beautiful, just like you.”

“You’re full of all kinds of cheesy lines,” I laughed.

“Cheesy?” He faked that he was offended. Removing the baseball cap he said, “Most girls eat that stuff up.”

“I’m not most girls,” I stated. I wasn’t like most people my age and I was fine with that. I was happy to be a free spirit like my mom.

“I’m beginning to see that.” He smiled, closing the space between us so that our legs touched.

I hadn’t even wanted to come to the stupid fair, and I’d been pissed at Sadie for abandoning me, but sitting here with Maddox made me glad I had come. Even if he was a bit cocky, I liked him for some reason.

Looking out at the dark sky, I frowned. “I better call for a taxi,” I mumbled. Since apparently Sadie had left I had no choice. She was getting a mouthful later.

“Taxi?” Maddox’s eyebrows furrowed together and he looked at me with a perplexed expression. “Why would you call for a taxi?”

“Uh…” Now it was my turn to look at him weird. “Because I need to go home. It’s getting late.”

“I can take you home,” he offered.

“No, that’s not necessary.” I waved away his concern.

“Don’t be silly,” he stood up. “I’m heading that way anyway. We’ll go together.”

“I don’t know,” I frowned.

I might like Maddox, but I didn’t know him. Getting in a car alone with him could be dangerous.

“Come on,” he coaxed, “I’ll find my brother and we’ll head out. What do you think?”

Brother? So we wouldn’t be alone. I guessed that made it better. “Yeah, sure.”

“Great,” he grinned. “Here, let me help you,” he held a hand out to me.

“Uh…”

“It’s just my hand and these steps can be shaky, plus it’s getting dark. Just let me help you,” he pleaded.

He was right and I was being stupid. He just…he made me nervous.

I placed my hand in his and he helped me off the bleachers. There’d still been enough light when we climbed up them that I hadn’t had a problem, but now I was glad for the security his hand provided.

When we were on solid ground again he released my hand. For some reason I missed the feel of it.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, texting his brother I assumed. A few seconds later his phone vibrated with a response.

“He says he’s at the entrance.”

“Cool,” I said for lack of anything else to say.

“So, you said you were seventeen?” When I nodded, he added, “Does that mean this is your last summer before you’re a senior?”

“It is,” I nodded.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do after school?”

“No,” I admitted, wincing. “Are you in college or working?” I asked, tilting my head back to look up at him.

“...I guess you could say I’m working.”

“You guess?” I questioned, confused.

“It’s complicated,” he shrugged.

I wondered exactly what he meant by complicated, but I didn’t think he was likely to answer if I asked.