Freaky Hearts

by Amanda M. Lee

“I did not,” Naida protested. “I loved Dawson and Joey.”

  “Joey and Pacey were better,” Nixie argued.

  “What’s a Pacey?” Max asked, his confusion deepening.

  “Ignore them,” I said, my nerves fraying as I glanced at Kade and found him staring straight ahead. The morning had been going so well. “Do you need something, Max?”

  “I was hoping to talk with you,” Max replied, shifting from one foot to the other.

  “I think that’s my cue to get to work,” Kade offered, flashing me a forced smile.

  “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet,” I argued, grabbing his wrist. “You need the fuel. I … I thought we were going to have breakfast with each other.” I knew I sounded whiny, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I envisioned this breakfast – the first one after, well, after everything – for weeks. I didn’t want to give up on the dream without a fight.

  “I’ll get something at one of the food stands,” Kade said, gently resting his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. Catch up with Max. I have a lot to do. This is probably for the best.”

  “I … .”

  Luke recognized the look on my face and grabbed Kade’s elbow before he could slide away from the table. “This is important to her. Don’t walk away.”

  My cheeks burned as Kade shifted his eyes to me. “It’s not important,” I lied. “I … go. It’s fine.”

  Kade sighed and planted himself in the spot he’d relinquished only seconds before. “I think breakfast is a good idea. I was looking forward to it myself before … getting off track.”

  “And that’s on me.” Max’s tone was conciliatory. “Please don’t ruin your morning on my account. I … need only a few moments of Poet’s time, if that’s all right.”

  “I’m not her keeper,” Kade muttered. “She can talk to whoever she wants … even if it’s you.”

  I couldn’t help feeling caught between a rock and a much harder rock. Those rocks took up the bulk of space in both Max and Kade’s heads, by the way. Like father like son? Now so wasn’t the time to bring that up.

  “I won’t take much of your time, Poet,” Max prodded. “I simply need a few minutes to discuss recent events.”

  “Um … .” I searched Kade’s face for hints this would be seen as some sort of betrayal.

  Kade grabbed my hand and gave it a good squeeze, flashing a genuine smile as he met my gaze. “It’s okay. Remember what we talked about? This would be an instance of you acting strangely because you don’t want to upset me. You have a job to do. I understand that.”

  “But … .”

  “I’ll wait here,” Kade said. “I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

  “Oh, you can’t make that promise,” Luke laughed. “I’m going to make you discuss the Battle of Balls Deep once she’s gone. You’ll want to punch me before it’s all said and done.”

  Kade scowled, his annoyance obvious. “How many of those do you have?”

  “Those what?”

  “Euphemisms for sex.”

  “Oh, well, I’ve never counted,” Luke replied. “I’m nowhere near the end of my supply, though.”

  “That’s just … lovely,” Kade muttered as he shook his head. “Go ahead, Poet. I’ll make sure no one eats your breakfast. It’s fine.”

  I opted against dragging out the situation further and instead followed Max to an open spot between the dining area and my trailer. I purposely picked a spot where I could watch Kade – just in case he made a break for it – and still speak without risking anyone overhearing.

  “I see you and Kade have made up,” Max noted, his eyes twinkling. “I believe I told you that would happen, if I remember correctly.”

  “It’s more that we couldn’t fight any longer and decided to give it another go,” I corrected. “I promised honesty, and he’s intent on letting bygones be bygones … and all of that other stuff that goes along with it. It’s still kind of new.”

  “And that makes it exciting,” Max said. “I’m happy for the two of you.”

  He said the words, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he meant them. “Are you sure? I’m guessing you’d be happier if he forgave you first. You’d probably be happy if he did it in tandem, too. Like, ‘I forgive you, Max. Oh, wait, can I call you Dad? I also forgive you, Poet.’ Probably in that order, huh?”

  “Your lie was much more forgivable than my lie,” Max corrected. “You kept a secret for me. You only knew Kade several weeks before the truth came out. Had he not forgiven you, the fault would’ve landed on him. In my case, the fault lies squarely on my shoulders.”

  “I don’t want to get involved in this. It puts me in an awkward position. You’ll have to talk to him eventually. You know that, right?”

  “Yes, but I want to give him a chance to cool down further,” Max replied. “His anger is abating, but clearly not diminished. The fact that he’s made up with you can only help me.”

  “That’s what I live for.”

  No one needs the sarcasm,” Max chided. “Kade will relax now that he’s back with you. Once I’m certain he’s more relaxed – and we’re out from under the scrutiny of Brigham City’s finest – I’ll approach him for a long chat.”

  “I want things to work out between the two of you, but I won’t risk my relationship with Kade again,” I warned. “I love you, Max. I always will. I owe you for everything you’ve done for me, and it’s a debt I’ll probably never be able to repay. You’re on your own with this one, though.”

  “I’m well aware of the situation,” Max said. “I will not put you in an untenable position. I promise you that.”

  “Okay.”

  “As for the other – the part about never being able to pay me back – you’ve done that in spades, young lady,” Max said. “I may have taken you from the streets, but you’ve turned into my most valuable asset as far as Mystic Caravan is concerned. You don’t owe me a thing.”

  “I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that front.”

  “I guess that’s fair.” Max pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and smiled. “You seem happy.”

  “I’m happier,” I clarified. “I’m still worried about what’s going on around here. Something extremely funky is in the air … or maybe the really salty water … and we haven’t been able to figure out what’s hunting this area.”

  “Funkier than Luke making a game out of thinking up every sexual euphemism known to man?”

  “Yes.”

  “I happen to agree. That’s why I stopped by,” Max said. “I placed a few calls. The only paranormal story that seems to be based on any truth around these parts is one regarding a former grifter who turned himself into a proselytizer.”

  “Brother Brehem?”

  Max’s eyebrows rose. “How did you know?”

  “I’ve heard the story twice now,” I replied. “Melissa found it in a book. Then I asked one of the women picketing in the parking lot, and she confirmed it. She didn’t seem to believe the story, but I got the distinct impression that it was possibly true.”

  “I believe it is true,” Max said. “Whether that’s what is hunting you now is up for debate.”

  “I hardly think it’s hunting me,” I scoffed. “I haven’t had a problem since that initial night.”

  “You also haven’t been alone,” Max pointed out. “Kade has been with you every night since then. We have only two nights left in town. If this creature – or ghost, if that’s what it happens to be – is going to make a move, it will happen tonight or tomorrow.”

  I tilted my head to the side and rubbed my cheek as I considered the statement. “Do you think that will happen?”

  “I think we’re out of our depth because we have no idea what we’re dealing with,” Max replied. “I’m also worried about the police. They had at least eight representatives here in an undercover capacity last night. I watched them closely as they spied on us.”

  “I know. I saw them. I even talked to Detective Ashburn.”

  “And?�
�

  “And he flirted with me – although it was in a weird way that I can’t quite explain.”

  “Ah, that’s what forced Kade’s hand,” Max said, amused. “He saw another man sniffing around his woman and acted. That was smart on your part, allowing him to see that.”

  “First, I’m not anybody’s woman,” I argued. “I’m my own woman.”

  “Of course! I didn’t mean to offend you.” Max held his hands up in a placating manner, but didn’t manage to blank his amused expression before I was forced to deal with the embarrassment it elicited from deep inside

  “Second, I wasn’t playing a game,” I added. “I wasn’t interested in Detective Ashburn. I wasn’t trying to make Kade jealous.”

  “Well, then it’s doubly fortuitous that everything worked out in this manner, isn’t it?”

  I ignored his mirth and heaved a sigh. “We’ll keep our eyes open tonight and tomorrow. We leave Monday morning. We have another venue next week. Once we’re gone, Brigham City is on its own.”

  “Let’s hope we make it to cleanup without any bumps in the road.”

  “Speaking of bumps in the road … .” I inclined my chin in the direction of the parking lot, frowning when I caught sight of Detective Ashburn’s familiar figure – along with four other uniformed officers – cutting through the picketers and heading in our direction. “This can’t be good.”

  “Indeed. I’ll head them off. You warn the troops.”

  I scurried back in the direction of the dining area, scanning the assembled faces for worrisome sights before taking my seat next to Kade. He barely acknowledged my return, instead glowering at Luke.

  “You take that back.”

  “I will not take it back,” Luke argued. “If you’re going to be doing the monster mash with Poet regularly, you’re going to need to up your game. I can give you tips. I’m a professional.”

  “You’re gay,” Kade shot back. “She doesn’t even have the same parts that you’re used to.”

  “Yes, but I watch a lot of porn and read a lot of romance novels,” Luke said, unperturbed. “I’m your greatest asset in this area. Trust me.”

  “Whatever.” Kade rolled his eyes until they landed on me. “What did Max want?”

  “To tell me about the ghost legend, which I already knew about,” I answered.

  “Anything else?”

  I shook my head. “We have a problem, though.”

  “And what would that be?”

  I inclined my chin in the direction of Max and Ashburn. “We have visitors.”

  Kade stiffened when he recognized the detective. “If he’s here to ask you out again I’ll have to beat him senseless.”

  “We’ll save that for later,” I admonished. “Keep a close eye on the situation, because if he’s going to order another search we need to come up with some circus animals.”

  “I’ll watch,” Luke said. He was serious as Ashburn cut around Max and trudged toward us. “He does not look happy, does he?”

  “Not in the slightest.” I pasted a bright smile on my face once Ashburn was in hearing distance. “Good morning, detective. Can we interest you in some breakfast?”

  “Eggs and hash browns,” Nixie enthused, gesturing toward the grill.

  “Thank you, but I’m here on official business,” Ashburn said, his voice dark. “I don’t know how to say this so I’ll just come right out with it. We have another missing child.”

  I sucked in a breath, dumbfounded. “Joshua?”

  “Joshua is fine. He’s with his parents. The new missing child is a girl. Her name is Sarah Danes. She’s seven.”

  I briefly pressed my eyes shut as Kade rested his hand on my knee under the table. “Is there a specific reason you’re telling us this? Do you need to search the grounds again?”

  “Yes. I have officers on the way,” Ashburn replied, flashing me an apologetic look. “You should know that Sarah, along with her parents, was a guest here last night.”

  “I don’t know what that means,” Naida said, her eyes full of worry. “Why is that important?”

  “He’s saying this is the last place she was seen,” Kade answered. “If we were mild suspects before, we’re major ones now.”

  “I wish I could say that’s not the case,” Ashburn said, “but we need to search this place from top to bottom before you open today.”

  “Then let’s do it,” Kade said, pushing himself to a standing position. “We have nothing to hide.”

  “For your sake, I hope that’s true,” Ashburn said, his gaze locking with mine. “I really, really hope that’s true, because things won’t end well for you if we find Sarah Danes here.”

  22

  Twenty-Two

  Detective Ashburn seemed annoyed when he left the fairgrounds shortly before noon. Three hours of searching yielded nothing more than dubious looks over Nellie’s shoe collection and constant giggling between Naida and Nixie as they attempted to flirt with the younger officers.

  Kade handled supervisory duties this go around. I had no idea what he discussed with Ashburn as they walked around the fairgrounds, but they seemed standoffish with one another while visiting my tent. Kade remained close to the flaps as I organized and Ashburn asked me a series of questions regarding my whereabouts once the circus closed. When I explained that Kade and I went to bed early – omitting the salacious details, even though there was no doubt what we did with the rest of our night – Ashburn merely pursed his lips and nodded.

  Kade had cast a lingering look over his shoulder, causing me to blow him a kiss and earning a grin for the effort. He’d promised to stop by as soon as the search was finished, but I hadn’t seen him since.

  I dressed in a powdery blue skirt, opting to jangle for a second night in a row. Despite the heaviness hanging over the circus with news of another missing child, I couldn’t stop from smiling. Things were going well for me … finally … and I couldn’t help but bask in the relief.

  The feeling lasted only a moment, until Kade appeared in the opening and pressed me against one of the canvas walls to kiss me senseless. He didn’t utter a word before slamming his lips against mine and I found myself twined around him when we finally came up for air.

  “That was … interesting.” I had trouble catching my breath as Kade caught my chin in his hand.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since breakfast,” Kade murmured, resting his forehead against mine. “I usually find performance days to be the most exciting, but I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to a few set-up days so we can spend some time together.”

  “I’m looking forward to that, too,” I admitted, running my fingers over his short hair. It was ridiculously soft. “We have to get through this first, though. Do you think the police will be undercover again tonight?”

  “I think they’re going to show up in uniform and be overt,” Kade replied. “Ashburn essentially said that, even though he didn’t use those exact words. He said you picked out the undercover officers anyway, so there was no reason to engage subterfuge.”

  “I did put on a small display last night before you showed up.”

  “What kind of display?”

  “Not the type you’re thinking of.” I tapped his lips. “Do you think we’re in trouble? I mean … did Ashburn say if he was going to cause further problems?”

  Kade shrugged. “I think part of him wants to believe we’re innocent because he has a thing for you. I think the other part of him desperately wants us to be guilty because it will make his job easier.”

  “He doesn’t even know me,” I scoffed. “He doesn’t have a thing for me.”

  “He asked to walk you to your trailer last night.”

  “As a safety precaution.” I had no idea why I was arguing with Kade’s take on events, but Max’s earlier comments about using the situation to my advantage made me feel vaguely guilty.

  “Oh, my little pretty wonder, you’re either naïve or trying to shine me on.” Kade kissed the corne
r of my mouth.

  “I don’t generally consider myself naïve.”

  “Neither do I.” Kade pulled me in for a hug and exhaled heavily, rocking back and forth. “I’m glad we made up.”

  “I am, too.”

  “I need to talk to you about what happened at breakfast.”

  I should’ve seen that coming. “I didn’t mean to force your hand.” I felt awkward and unsure about myself, something that only reinforced my discomfort. “That wasn’t fair. It’s just … I had these grand plans of sharing a meal together. I don’t know why it was so important to me.”

  Kade tilted back my head so he could look into my eyes. “It was a nice idea. I’d like to figure out a way for us to have a private breakfast one of these days, but that can wait until we’re out of this place. I don’t blame you for wanting me to stay. And I prefer you didn’t constantly second guess yourself where I’m concerned.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  “I was ready to make up with you,” Kade offered. “I’m not sure how I feel about making up with Max.”

  “That’s understandable. I’d probably feel the same way in your position. For the record, I warned Max that I wouldn’t get between the two of you. He knows that I’m on your side.”

  “What did he say when he found out we were back together?”

  “He was happy.”

  “Happy?”

  “He said that getting together with me would relax you. He doesn’t want to approach you until he feels you’re in better spirits,” I replied, refusing to lie. “He thinks I’m going to make it my mission to keep you in high spirits.”

  Kade snorted, amused. “Is that true?”

  “Probably.”

  He kissed me again, framing my face with his hands. “Max and I have to work this out ourselves. I’ll probably want to talk about things … share my feelings and all of that relationship stuff I’m supposed to do now that we’re a couple … but I need to make the decision on my own. We’ll talk eventually. I just … I’m not ready.”

  “I think that’s more than fair.”

  “Good. As for the police, we’ll just have to deal. We need to be on top of our games, because the animal situation is something that could easily blow up in our faces. If they start asking questions about that area we’re going to have to figure a way to handle that situation.”