“All right.” Caden nodded. “Well, as friends, let’s enjoy some of this fair before it gets too dark.”
Maggie studied him, but at least this time she dropped her hands to her sides. Who didn’t love the fair? “What do you have in mind?”
“I spied a Fireball when I put the display cases in your car,” he started, and her hazel eyes lit up with excitement. “You don’t think you’ll get scared?”
“Please,” Maggie scoffed.
“Let’s make a wager?”
“I can’t go to Savannah,” she warned.
“You scream first, I get to take you to dinner,” Caden offered. A crowd of kids ran between them. Caden shook his fist at them, and when Maggie laughed, he shook his head. “Why is Southwood turning me into the cranky old man with his trousers up to his waist?”
“Quite the description you have there.”
“Wait until you meet my grandfather.”
“Who said I’m...”
Before they went back and forth with the questions, Caden reached for Maggie’s hand and led her back to where he’d found the roller coaster. They stopped off at an orange booth, and he bought them several tickets. “I plan on hearing you scream.”
Maggie bit the inner corner on the right side of her bottom lip, and he realized what he’d said. “Again,” he held his hands up in surrender, something he realized he was doing a lot around her. “If I’m not the crotchety old man, I am the pervert. I better quit while I’m ahead.”
“No, keep at it. I like listening to you put your foot in your mouth.”
Caden grumbled and took hold of Maggie’s hand again. He was torn between running with her like the teenagers were doing toward the empty line once the spinning machine stopped or walking slowly to enjoy the tender moment between them.
Once they reached the front of the serpentine line, the conductor cut them off with a thin metal chain. “Ride’s full.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to stand here and talk,” Maggie said with a hum.
“We could dance,” Caden said stepping closer. A fast tune blared from the Himalaya ride beside them. Maggie took a step backward and apologized to the couple behind them. Neither of them had noticed the packed line that had gathered. Seemed like everyone at the fair wanted to experience the Fireball. Maggie stepped forward into him.
“Be careful,” he teased, “we were almost dancing there.”
“You’re funny,” Maggie said. She folded her arms in front of her.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Caden asked and glanced around the area. “I forgot to ask if there was a boyfriend lurking around who might want to rip my head off for standing this close to you.”
“If that’s your way of asking me if I am seeing anyone, the answer is no. I’m single. Single as ever,” she added with a heavy sigh.
“I can help you with that problem,” he offered.
Maggie responded with an eye roll. “It’s not a problem.”
Nodding, Caden recalled her blog. “Haute Tips episode one states a socialite doesn’t need some Prince Charming to save her.”
Eyes stretched, Maggie beamed. “You watched?”
“I binged before coming to Southwood,” he admitted. “Kit raved over you.”
“Did she really?”
“I promise you, we were called into an emergency meeting last week, and there on the overhead screen was your face from your last video blog.”
“Vlog,” Maggie corrected him.
He shook his head no. “That’s not a word.”
“You sound like my dad,” Maggie laughed.
“I see nothing wrong with that,” said a deep voice behind Caden.
He turned around and found a family of redheads—Maggie’s family. His eyes glazed over her beautiful mother and grinned, knowing Maggie was blessed with good genes.
“Daddy,” gasped Maggie. A hint of red covered the splatter of freckles across her nose. “What are you guys doing here?”
“The fair is a public place, Magnolia,” said the older man before turning his attention to Caden and sizing him up. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around town before. I’m Mitch Swayne,” he said, extending his hand to Caden.
“Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Caden Archibald.”
They shook hands. Caden didn’t blame Maggie’s father for the firm grip. It was what fathers did. Mr. Swayne stood at the same height as Caden but was certainly a lot wider—clearly a former football player in his heyday. The size was intimidating enough, but then came another fellow, with red hair and bigger than the both of them.
“Richard Swayne,” he said, pushing his hand in the way. “Maggie’s brother.”
“And this is my mother, Paula Swayne.”
“Mrs. Swayne, Mr. Swayne,” said Caden, “Richard, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Paula Swayne, redheaded like her daughter, nodded her head in acknowledgment. “Mr. Archibald, welcome to Southwood. I’m glad you have my daughter as a tour guide to our quaint town—she knows everything.”
As the introductions were being made, Maggie placed herself between Caden and her family—a perfect position for Caden to watch her roll her eyes at the undertone from her mother.
“This is my first visit to Southwood,” Caden answered politely.
“Does my daughter have something to do with it?”
“Mama!” Maggie turned her back on her mother and looked up at Caden. “I am so sorry for this.”
It wasn’t uncommon for a mother to worry about a man’s intention with her daughter. Nor was it uncommon for women to introduce their single daughters to him. The Archibald name held clout.
“What my mother meant,” Richard Swayne said with a clearing of his throat, “is, it’s nice to meet you.”
Usually a good judge of character, Caden liked Maggie’s brother. “Thanks, man.”
“Well, what brings you here?” Mrs. Swayne asked in a less pointed tone. Like her daughter, she had bright hazel eyes. Hers just scrutinized Caden.
Both siblings groaned and shook their heads back and forth.
“I am part of a sports agency, Mrs. Swayne,” Caden began. “I have a couple of clients rehabbing here.”
A smile beamed across the beautiful woman’s face, and Caden knew this reason for being in town was believable. “With Erin?”
“Yes, ma’am. I have full confidence in her taking care of my clients,” he went on. “And while I was in town, I figured I’d say hello to an old friend of mine.” Caden pressed his hand against Maggie’s shoulders. A sense of pride washed through him when she stood closer, squaring her shoulders at her mother. So what if it was an act of defiance toward her? Maggie’s parents were called away by another couple, leaving them alone with her brother, who lingered nearby but seemed occupied glancing around the fair.
“And we’re about to get on the ride, folks,” said Maggie.
The screams from the riders began to die down just as it came to a halt. Maggie took a deep breath and glanced upward. To be honest, he didn’t care for the upside-down rides, but if dinner with Maggie tonight was on the line, he’d bite his tongue off before letting out a scream.
“Are you about to get on that?” Richard asked.
“We made a bet,” Maggie said. “First person to scream is the loser.”
Amused, Richard crossed his arms over his chest. “What does the loser have to do?”
“Have dinner with me,” said Caden.
Richard chuckled. “Who is the loser here?”
“Funny,” Maggie snarled before she smiled.
“Next,” the carnie called out as he unhitched the chain.
Caden let Maggie step forward before following, but not before Richard held him back by the shoulder.
“If you want her to scream first,” Richard whispered, “get her on the carousel.”<
br />
“Thanks, man.” Caden held his hand out to shake.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
Caden liked the idea of that. Since keeping his distance from his brothers, Caden preferred to surround himself with likeminded people. If he stayed in Southwood, he imagined having a beer or two with Richard.
“You coming or what?”
Giving Richard a head nod, Caden headed toward the small seat. He graciously thanked the conductor for tightening the belt around their waists and securing the heavy metal bar around their shoulders and legs. To his right Maggie sat cool as a cucumber with her eyes closed, as if she was ready to take a nap.
“Nervous?” he asked her.
Maggie peeked one eye open and grinned. Thankfully the harness held his heart in place, otherwise it might have popped out of his chest. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
“Caden,” Maggie said before rolling her eyes.
“Sorry, if I’m about to die I just needed to speak the truth.”
“You’ll feel better once you scream.”
The other riders loaded. The echo of the last harness clipped through the air up to the front where Caden and Maggie sat. Vibrations of screams rocked the seats. Within seconds of the conductor stepping back, the ride took off, pressing Caden’s head against the back of the seat. Gravity prevented him from seeing Maggie’s face and anticipating her scream. Nothing came. In the brief moment they hung upside down, her hair covered her face. The next thing Caden knew, they were upright and right back where they started.
“That was fantastic,” Maggie breathed. “Do you give up or do you want to try another one?”
The small-scale fair had a Ferris wheel, this ride and a few more fast-spinning roller coasters. Caden wiggled his brows. One of them surely was going to get her to scream. He wanted that dinner with her tonight. So together they went from ride to ride. Each one thrilled them both, but not to the point of screaming. With the sun setting, Caden decided to take a chance on what Richard had told him an hour prior. He gave her his suggestion.
“You want to do what?” Maggie visibly swallowed hard and leaned forward as if she hadn’t heard what Caden suggested.
“The merry-go-round,” Caden said with a shrug. “You’re okay with them, right?”
The line for the ride wasn’t long. Mostly it was made up of parents, with a few kids running around in circles waiting their turns. Some young couples stood with their hands locked, probably waiting to get on the two-seater ride.
“I’m not a fan.” She sniffed the air. Somewhere in the park was a batch of freshly popped kettle corn.
Caden touched her arm to pull her from the line. “Hey, now,” he said gently. He wasn’t a monster. The greenish hue spread across Maggie’s face and down to her neck. “We don’t have to go through with this.”
Maggie narrowed her eyes, obviously trying to get a read on him. She probably wondered how he figured it out. “I’m going to kill Richard,” she said, taking a step out of the line.
“Wait a minute,” Caden chuckled and stood in her way. “Before you commit a crime, are you conceding to our bet?”
The last time they shared dinner together, they’d ended up in bed. He wasn’t thinking that was a bad thing or that he wouldn’t mind repeating the past. This time he planned on sticking around with her, though.
Scoffing, Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. For extra emphasis, as if to put on a front, she rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. “What’s it going to take? Me screaming here?”
An elderly woman walking with her equally elderly partner smiled at the two of them. She elbowed the man in the ribs and nodded in their direction. A parent in line turned around and shook her head.
Caden clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward toward Maggie’s ear. She tucked a stray red strand behind her lobe. “Trust me, the next time you scream. Except under more pleasant circumstances.”
* * *
Forget dinner—Maggie was ready for dessert. She sighed heavily and stepped out of the line. As she bumped Caden’s shoulder, she mumbled a few parting words. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”
“To make things clear,” Caden began. He caught up to Maggie in three long strides. “You’re conceding to our wager?”
Maggie ignored the way her heart sped up when their hands bumped together as their footsteps synchronized on the way to her Jeep. Something about their walk was comforting. In the six months since she’d become a resident again of Southwood, Maggie strutted with a different kind of confidence from her former materialistic lifestyle.
“You know what sounds good?”
Maggie turned around expecting to find one of the Reyes men. Instead, Dario Crowne strolled up to the kissing booth with a rolled-up wad of money. Dario the lothario had broken many hearts in Southwood—that was, until Kimber came home from college and allegedly stole his heart.
“Evening, Maggie, ladies,” Dario said to everyone. He sidled up to Caden and extended his hand. “You seem new in town. Dario Crowne.”
“Caden Archibald.”
“Nice meeting you, Caden. Sorry I can’t chat, but I’m about to pay for all of these ladies to go on their break while Miss Kimber and I settle up on the kissing booth.”
“Not,” Kimber quickly countered.
Trying not to laugh, Maggie grabbed Caden’s hand. “Best of luck to you. We’re going to get something to eat.”
“Good luck,” Kimber called out. “You know you need a reservation for everything tonight.”
Once again they walked at the same pace and their hands bumped together. Maggie waved to the folks she knew, stopped a few times and introduced Caden to everyone. The kickoff to the annual fair shut the town down. Like Kimber said, there’d be barely anything open, and if it was, reservations would definitely be required.
“You know—” Caden began.
“I was thinking—” Maggie said at the same time. The gentle brush of his shoulder against hers, accompanied by a head nod, let her continue. “Sorry, I was just thinking we don’t have to go out to dinner.”
Caden’s feet stopped at the yellow protective cover over the electrical wires for portable concession stands. “So what I hear you saying is you’d rather go back to my hotel for dessert.”
“Not your hotel room.” Maggie burst out laughing.
“Why, Miss Magnolia.” Caden used his deep Southern drawl to accentuate her name. “Aren’t you being a bit forward asking me to your place? You just introduced me to your parents.”
A hand on her hip and the other wagging in Caden’s face, Maggie shook her head. “I did not make introductions, we just happened to run into them.”
“Either way, I met your parents,” he went on, “on our first date.”
“This is not a date,” Maggie said, still laughing. “As a matter of fact, I am thinking about postponing living up to my end of the bargain.”
“Not a chance.”
“Caden, every place open needs a reservation. Celebrations after the fair are a big deal around here.”
Caden shrugged his broad shoulders without care. “Let’s see what happens.”
“Fine, if that’s what you want to do, but we’re also not dressed properly.” She’d changed out of her baking shorts and T-shirt earlier today into a fresher pair this morning. Either way, her attire was not appropriate for fine dining.
“You’re so popular around here,” Caden remarked, “I figured a smile from you would get us in.”
“You’re cute,” Maggie moaned.
Instead of standing there debating her popularity or not, Caden reached down and finally took hold of her hand. In an instant proverbial sparks flew through her fingertips. She kept walking, deciding motion was the best distraction.
Thanks to Southwood being such a small town, there was no need to drive anywhere, so they
strolled out of the fairgrounds onto shaded streets. Plus, it gave Maggie a chance to talk about her hometown and its rich history, filled with both sadness and hope, starting with the founding fathers, who happened to be her ancestors. The Swaynes and the Hairstons were among the few successful Black entrepreneurs just after the Civil War. The tour ended with them at the back of the line at DuVernay’s, a restaurant she particularly enjoyed.
Despite her trying to tell him they needed to see if they could get squeezed in, Caden led Maggie with his hand at the small of her back to the maître d’ stand, where they were promptly seated.
“I don’t understand,” gasped Maggie.
“Helen of Troy’s face launched a thousand ships,” Caden whispered in her ear while he pulled her chair out for her. “Your beauty clearly gets us seats at the happening restaurant in town.”
Tapered candles stood in the center of the white linen–covered tables inside the restaurant. Two wineglasses waited for them, along with a chilled bottle of chardonnay.
“I think we have someone else’s table,” Maggie declared.
Caden shook out his napkin when he took his seat. “Let’s go with it.”
Heart racing, Maggie nibbled her lip. She hated the idea of taking someone else’s table, but damn, it had been a long time since she had a night out and a meal where the plastic covering didn’t need to be torn before sticking it into the microwave. And though she’d secretly developed a taste for the blackberry merlot with the screw top, Maggie missed wine bottles that required a corkscrew.
A young waiter came over and gasped at the sight of them. “Ms. Swayne?”
Maggie flashed a smile and shook her head. “Hi, George,” she responded. “I didn’t realize you worked here.”
“Just for the summer,” he said, “and then I’m on my way to school.”
It took only a few minutes for them to catch up and get a recommendation for tonight’s special. Easily influenced, Maggie looked to Caden for approval. He nodded, and so George put in the order.
“Fan of yours?” Caden asked after George disappeared.
“He is one of Southwood High School’s best and brightest,” she began. “He is starting Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University in the fall on a full academic scholarship.”
Southern Seduction ; Pleasure in His Arms Page 6