Chapter 17

Barrett

I never thoughta trip to the hardware store could be so much fun. But seeing Genevieve’s eyes light up and being able to get her exactly what she wants warms me up inside. We went up and down the aisles talking about projects and ideas she has for the future. Our future. I wasn’t joking when I said I was going to take her by the courthouse, but I have a feeling my own sisters would skin me alive if they couldn’t be there, too.
I paid for everything, even though she tried to offer to share some of the costs. I shook my head and she finally let me without too much of an incident. We had what we ordered scheduled to deliver to the house and before long it was all going to come together. I was going to give her the house of her dreams because it was going to be my dream, too. Being with her and making a family in our home is what I’ve been waiting on.
Time always flies by when we’re together, so before I knew it, the sun was setting and we were on the way to the fair.
“My sister texted me. She’s by the front entrance waiting on us,” Genevieve says as we park the truck and I get out to help her down.
“You ready to eat some fried foods and see the county’s biggest pig?” I ask, taking her hand in mine as we walk towards the gates.
“God, I love fair food. Everything is so bad for you.” There’s a dreamy sigh in her voice.
“Just get those arms ready to hold some stuffed animals. I plan on winning you all of them.”
“Don’t tease me,” she says, laughing with excitement. “I want at least a dozen.”
“Your wish is my command.”
We meet Gabi and Neal at the front and then go in together. I put down a stack of cash and get a pile of tickets in return. I plan on my lady having the most fun ever tonight and getting to do whatever she wants.
She bounces on her toes as I take her hand and we head for the funnel cakes.
“Step right up!” a man shouts after we’ve gotten our fried dough, and Genevieve points with a powder-covered finger.
“Oh, I want that one!” There’s a gigantic fluffy unicorn hanging beside the game, and I nod.
“I’m on it, lady.”
We walk over, and the guy explains how it works. You take an oversized hammer and slam it down on a lever. If you hit it with enough force and ring the bell, you win the prize.
“Easy enough,” I say, and the guy nods in agreement.
“A big man like you? No problem,” he says and hands me a hammer.
It’s not heavy at all, but Genevieve, Gabi, and Neal back up as I get into position.
I wink at Genevieve before I heft the hammer up over my head and bring it down hard on the lever. To my surprise, the thing hardly moves. I look back to the group, who look just as puzzled as I do.
“What the…?”
“You’ve got two more chances, young man,” the carnival attendant says. “Put your back into it. It’s not that hard.”
This time I grip the hammer harder and bring it over my head, using all my might to bring it straight down.
“What the hell?” I say in shock as once again the weight moves only about a foot off the ground, displaying the word wimpy across the top.
By this time a few more people start to gather around and are watching me.
“You got it, baby!” Genevieve shouts around a mouthful of funnel cake.
I look at Neal and Gabi, who are fighting a smile. Neal shrugs at me, like he has no clue.
“Last try, last try!” the carnival worker calls out, and I begin to eye him suspiciously. This game can’t be fair.
I take a breath before I grip the hammer and bring it up and down one more time, this one as hard as I possibly can. The bottom nearly splits in two, but still the weight hardly moves.
“This is rigged,” I say, holding out the hammer as the carnival worker comes over. “This can’t be right.”
“Sorry, sir. Perhaps you’d like your lady to win you a prize?” He takes the hammer from me and holds it out to Genevieve.
“If I can’t do it, how is she supposed to?” As the words come out of my mouth, Genevieve races over and shoves her funnel cake into my hands and takes the hammer.
“I’ve always wanted to do this one.”
She grips it tight, and I barely have time to get out of the way before she swings the hammer up and slams it back down. This time when the hammer connects, the puck shoots all the way up to the top, the bell rings, and a siren goes off shouting, “winner!”
“Holy shit, Ginny, you did it!” Gabi shouts as Genevieve jumps up and down and the guy comes over to give her the unicorn.
“Oh my god, I never win anything!” she yells happily as she jumps in my arms. “This is the best ever. I want to do another one!”
And that’s the way most of the night goes for us. We get some fried food, and I try to win her a stuffed animal, but she ends up swooping in and being the one to do it. After a couple of hours, my arms are full of stuff she’s won, but the smile on her face could light up the whole city. I have to go out and put them all in my truck because they were getting too heavy to carry.
Gabi and Neal have to leave early after they go on a ride and Gabi throws up everywhere. I tried to warn her about eating three cheesecakes on a stick in a row, but nobody wanted to listen to reason.
“Are you having fun?” I ask as we walk through the petting zoo and she looks at the fluffy chicks.
“So much fun. Are you disappointed that I won all the prizes?” She doesn’t even have the decency to look contrite. She’s grinning like a villain. I shake my head.
“No, my masculinity took a bit of a hit, but seeing you light up every time you won was worth it.”
“Don’t worry,” she whispers, coming in close. “I’ll still let you be on top.”
“You little tease,” I growl, and she giggles, just as someone says my name.
“Barrett?”
I turn around to see my sisters Steph and Lynn walking towards us.
“Hey!” I say, wrapping an arm around Genevieve and pulling her with me. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We tried to call you, it went to voicemail. I told Steph I thought that was your monster truck in the parking lot.”
I lean down and hug each of them before I turn to introduce them. “I’m glad you guys are here. This is my Genevieve. Lady, these are my sisters, Lynn and Steph.” They all say hello and then I turn to Steph.
“What are you doing in town without even telling me? Where’s the rest of your family?” I ask, looking behind her.
“I had to come back for some personal stuff,” she says, looking at me then looking away quickly. “The kids are at home with John. I’m just here for one more night and Lynn thought we should come to the fair and have some fried stuff.”
“Oh god, try the fried Snickers—they’re like heaven in your mouth,” Genevieve offers, and she and Steph begin to talk about all the fair food they love.
“Personal stuff?” I ask Lynn as Steph and Genevieve go to the stand near us to get some food.
Lynn sighs and shakes her head. “The restraining order she had on Mark expired,” she says, looking around and then back to me. “She said she got a letter in the mail last week that shook her up and she had a feeling it might be him.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?” I ask through gritted teeth. The hair on the back of my neck stands up and I clench my fists.
“Do you see the way you’re reacting right now?” Lynn says, and it does nothing to make me feel better. “I think she just wanted to have this done and out of the way. She said it would be a quick trip to the judge’s office and that’s it. She’s planning to leave tomorrow.”
“Did she tell John her real reason for coming here?” I know the answer before I even ask. Lynn shakes her head and I roll my eyes. Of course she didn’t.
“Listen, I’ve told her she needs to talk to him about it. At least so that he knows what’s going on. But I think she just wants to put it in her past.”
“Too bad it won’t stay there,” I say as Steph and Genevieve come walking towards us.
“Just don’t say anything to her,” Lynn warns, giving me that mothering stare of hers.
“I love her,” Steph whispers as she walks over beside me and nods to Genevieve.
“Me too,” I whisper back, and she looks at me with a mixture of shock and excitement.
Genevieve spends the rest of the night bragging about all the work I’ve done on her house while taking Steph to all the best food stands. Hearing her pride in my work makes my chest swell, and I can hear the love in her voice.
We’re both falling hard and fast, but I’m not about to stop it. It feels right, and time doesn’t mean anything when it comes to love. Life is short and I’m going to spend it doing what makes me happy. And that has everything to do with the beauty in my arms.
“You guys should just come see the place,” Genevieve says, and my sisters beam.
“You mean now? Tonight?” Lynn asks excitedly.
“Whatever the lady wants,” I say, nodding to Genevieve.
“Yes, please!” Steph says, and Genevieve practically drags us from the fair.
I walk my sisters to their car and see they parked beside us. I help load Genevieve in the truck and make sure my sisters are following me.
“I really like them,” she says as she glances behind us. “Gabi will love them, too. I hate she got sick; she could have come over and hung out.”
“I tried to warn her,” I say, and she laughs.
“You can’t tell her anything.”
“What are we going to do with all these?” I ask, pointing to the pile of stuffed animals between us.
“I’ll take them to work. They’re doing a toy drive, and I don’t need them,” she says picking up the unicorn. “Well, maybe we can save one.”
She laughs as I roll my eyes and drive us home.