Sam welcomed Bailey's hug. Closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his
body.
"You've come to far to let him keep you from living your life now Sam."
Bailey reminded her.
"I know, Bail. I'll start getting out more." She promised him.
Bailey was enjoying holding her. She felt perfect in his arms. But he didn't allow
himself to indulge his romactic dreams about her. He was letting her know they were
still friends and he still cared.
"There has to be something going on around here this weekend. Let me take you and
Chloe out for the day tomorrow." Bailey eased his hold on Sam and looked into her
face. She seemed a little more at ease.
"There is a fund raising festival up in Nelsonville this weekend." Sam remembered
reading about it in the local paper.
"Sounds like just what you need. Get out in the freash air, meet people have a little fun."
Bailey smiled.
"Are you sure Bail it doesn't sound like the kind of thing you'd enjoy?"
"Are you kidding? I use to take Franie and Ariana to all kinds of festivals when they
were little."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam was the last one to leave the house the next morning. Chloe was all excited about
going to the festival. She was bouncing around outside, eager for them to leave.
Bailey was waiting for her as she locked the door. He was wearing jeans and a red polo
shirt with hiking boots. She'd never seen him look so handsome. He was smiling at
her.
"Come on Sam, we're burning daylight." He teased her, holding out his hand to her.
She looked beautiful to him as always, but she already seemed happier. Sam was dressed
in tan slacks and a soft green sweater. With walking shoes, for the long day ahead.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Sam laughed at him.
"Hurry up Mom I don't want to miss anything." Chloe yelled from her place in the back seat
of Bailey's SUV.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
" Mom look they have rides!" Chloe nearly yelled as she ran back towards Bailey and
Sam in the parking area of the festival.
"I hope you realize what you are in for now." Sam leaned over and told him.
"You pick out the ones you want to ride and we will get tickets for them."
Bailey told Chloe, put don't get to far ahead of us I want to be able to see you."
"I know, this is great."
Bailey rode two rides with Chloe, then Sam rode one with her. The next ride she
choose had a line that was short. Chloe climbed into a car with another little girl.
Which left Bailey and Sam standing together.
"Come on Sam, I remember this one join me?" Bailey turned to lift his hand out
to her while the attendant held the door for them.
Sam hesitated for a second then took his offered hand and climbed in to the car with him.
It was one of those rides where you sat against your date. Sam as leaning against Bailey's
wide chest her hands holding on to the hand hold infront of her.
The ride started moving it lifted off into the air and then dipped down again while at
the same time going in both small circles and one big circle. Sam grabbed for a better hold
on Bailey's arm braced on the hand rail at the outside of her hands.
Bailey laughed, he was enjoying the ride. But she seemed a little scared, so he wrapped a
strong arm around her waist so she didn't move as much with each drop of the car.
"I hope Chloe is okay this one is kind of bumpy." Sam said loud enough for Bailey to
hear her over the noise of the ride.
"I'm sure she's having a ball. Hang on here comes another drop." Bailey tighten his
hand on the rail and laughed.
Sam leaned closer into his chest, he was a solid presence behind her. Her hand gripping
his arm her finger tips digging into the mucle of his forearm. Sam had notice that
morning how well muscled Bailey was. She had rarely if ever seen him in short sleeve
shirts when they worked together. He was all muscle and she'd never realized before.
She was usually very good at picking up on details, she couldn't imagine how she had
missed this one. Her friend, former boss and mentor was buff.
The ride slowed and came to a stop they had to wait for the attendant to open the car
from the outside.
"Bailey can I ask you a question?"
"You just did, sure go ahead." He was still chuckling from the enjoyment of the ride.
"It's kind of personal." Sam warned him.
"Nothing is to personal Sam, what do you want to know?" His arm around her lossened
as the attendant drew closer to them.
"It's kind of stupid of me to have to ask you this. But I've been noticing since you
arrived." She faultered.
"Yes?"
"Have you been on a physical fitness kick recently? I don't remember there being
this much of you." Sam rushed the statement.
Bailey laughed again, "Yes and no, I've been doing less running and more weight
training but I'm pretty much the same as I ever was."
The attendant opened their car then and Sam climbed out, followed by Bailey.
He was puzzled by her question. Had she really never noticed him physically when
they worked together?
" It probabally seems like a silly question."
"No," He shrugged.
" I kind of knew you were big and strong and everything just not so well muscled."
Sam blushed at her words.
Bailey was about to respond to her statement when Chloe came running up to them.
She launched herself at Bailey and he caught her and lifted her up so that her head was
level with his.
"Did you like that ride sweetheart?"
"Yeah it was fun, did you like it mom?"
"Yes, but I think I'll sit out the next one." Sam smiled at her daughter. She'd notice the
flex of Bailey's bicep when he lifted Chloe. His arm was huge.
"How about we go look at the crafts now and we'll come back to the rides later?"
Bailey suggested.
"Okay, can I have a candy apple?" Chloe agreed.
"I think we can find you one. Is that alright Sam?" Bailey wanted to clear all food items
with her first.
"You can have one treat Chloe. Before you said you wanted cotton candy."
"Oh yeah, then I still want cotton candy." She nodded. She knew her mother was
breaking the rule about junk food so she didn't press for both treats.
Bailey set Chloe back on her feet and took her hand.
"I'm a little hungry myself, but I want a hot sausauge sandwich."
Sam stayed close to Bailey's other side as they walked through the crowd of people.
She was enjoying the day, she was sure it was mostly because of Bailey's presence.
body.
"You've come to far to let him keep you from living your life now Sam."
Bailey reminded her.
"I know, Bail. I'll start getting out more." She promised him.
Bailey was enjoying holding her. She felt perfect in his arms. But he didn't allow
himself to indulge his romactic dreams about her. He was letting her know they were
still friends and he still cared.
"There has to be something going on around here this weekend. Let me take you and
Chloe out for the day tomorrow." Bailey eased his hold on Sam and looked into her
face. She seemed a little more at ease.
"There is a fund raising festival up in Nelsonville this weekend." Sam remembered
reading about it in the local paper.
"Sounds like just what you need. Get out in the freash air, meet people have a little fun."
Bailey smiled.
"Are you sure Bail it doesn't sound like the kind of thing you'd enjoy?"
"Are you kidding? I use to take Franie and Ariana to all kinds of festivals when they
were little."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam was the last one to leave the house the next morning. Chloe was all excited about
going to the festival. She was bouncing around outside, eager for them to leave.
Bailey was waiting for her as she locked the door. He was wearing jeans and a red polo
shirt with hiking boots. She'd never seen him look so handsome. He was smiling at
her.
"Come on Sam, we're burning daylight." He teased her, holding out his hand to her.
She looked beautiful to him as always, but she already seemed happier. Sam was dressed
in tan slacks and a soft green sweater. With walking shoes, for the long day ahead.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Sam laughed at him.
"Hurry up Mom I don't want to miss anything." Chloe yelled from her place in the back seat
of Bailey's SUV.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
" Mom look they have rides!" Chloe nearly yelled as she ran back towards Bailey and
Sam in the parking area of the festival.
"I hope you realize what you are in for now." Sam leaned over and told him.
"You pick out the ones you want to ride and we will get tickets for them."
Bailey told Chloe, put don't get to far ahead of us I want to be able to see you."
"I know, this is great."
Bailey rode two rides with Chloe, then Sam rode one with her. The next ride she
choose had a line that was short. Chloe climbed into a car with another little girl.
Which left Bailey and Sam standing together.
"Come on Sam, I remember this one join me?" Bailey turned to lift his hand out
to her while the attendant held the door for them.
Sam hesitated for a second then took his offered hand and climbed in to the car with him.
It was one of those rides where you sat against your date. Sam as leaning against Bailey's
wide chest her hands holding on to the hand hold infront of her.
The ride started moving it lifted off into the air and then dipped down again while at
the same time going in both small circles and one big circle. Sam grabbed for a better hold
on Bailey's arm braced on the hand rail at the outside of her hands.
Bailey laughed, he was enjoying the ride. But she seemed a little scared, so he wrapped a
strong arm around her waist so she didn't move as much with each drop of the car.
"I hope Chloe is okay this one is kind of bumpy." Sam said loud enough for Bailey to
hear her over the noise of the ride.
"I'm sure she's having a ball. Hang on here comes another drop." Bailey tighten his
hand on the rail and laughed.
Sam leaned closer into his chest, he was a solid presence behind her. Her hand gripping
his arm her finger tips digging into the mucle of his forearm. Sam had notice that
morning how well muscled Bailey was. She had rarely if ever seen him in short sleeve
shirts when they worked together. He was all muscle and she'd never realized before.
She was usually very good at picking up on details, she couldn't imagine how she had
missed this one. Her friend, former boss and mentor was buff.
The ride slowed and came to a stop they had to wait for the attendant to open the car
from the outside.
"Bailey can I ask you a question?"
"You just did, sure go ahead." He was still chuckling from the enjoyment of the ride.
"It's kind of personal." Sam warned him.
"Nothing is to personal Sam, what do you want to know?" His arm around her lossened
as the attendant drew closer to them.
"It's kind of stupid of me to have to ask you this. But I've been noticing since you
arrived." She faultered.
"Yes?"
"Have you been on a physical fitness kick recently? I don't remember there being
this much of you." Sam rushed the statement.
Bailey laughed again, "Yes and no, I've been doing less running and more weight
training but I'm pretty much the same as I ever was."
The attendant opened their car then and Sam climbed out, followed by Bailey.
He was puzzled by her question. Had she really never noticed him physically when
they worked together?
" It probabally seems like a silly question."
"No," He shrugged.
" I kind of knew you were big and strong and everything just not so well muscled."
Sam blushed at her words.
Bailey was about to respond to her statement when Chloe came running up to them.
She launched herself at Bailey and he caught her and lifted her up so that her head was
level with his.
"Did you like that ride sweetheart?"
"Yeah it was fun, did you like it mom?"
"Yes, but I think I'll sit out the next one." Sam smiled at her daughter. She'd notice the
flex of Bailey's bicep when he lifted Chloe. His arm was huge.
"How about we go look at the crafts now and we'll come back to the rides later?"
Bailey suggested.
"Okay, can I have a candy apple?" Chloe agreed.
"I think we can find you one. Is that alright Sam?" Bailey wanted to clear all food items
with her first.
"You can have one treat Chloe. Before you said you wanted cotton candy."
"Oh yeah, then I still want cotton candy." She nodded. She knew her mother was
breaking the rule about junk food so she didn't press for both treats.
Bailey set Chloe back on her feet and took her hand.
"I'm a little hungry myself, but I want a hot sausauge sandwich."
Sam stayed close to Bailey's other side as they walked through the crowd of people.
She was enjoying the day, she was sure it was mostly because of Bailey's presence.