A/N: A little continuation through the summer from last chapter which includes a trip to the county fair with the whole clan and a big party for Katie's 18th birthday planned by Melinda and Jim. Enjoy! xx Mariah
When Jim came home, the house was unusually quiet for everyone being at the house.
As he came through the front door, he could see Mackenzie and Katie sitting on the couch with a movie playing on the TV that was mostly for Mackenzie's enjoyment while Katie was beside her typing away on her computer. Aaron was most-likely upstairs playing video games with someone who lived down the street, most likely Lucas or Carter.
As he came into the kitchen, setting his briefcase on the counter along with his lunchbox and water bottle, he saw Melinda. His wife was precariously bent over, wiping off the dining table with a cloth as she sprayed cleaner on it.
He took a moment to take in the sight before his eyes, the curve of his wife's ass perfectly shown off in her jeans as she leaned forward her arms wiped back and forth over the table. "Need some help?" He asked, coming up behind her.
She slowly stood and turned, her pregnant belly snug up against him as she did. "Hey, when did you get here?" She asked.
"Just now," he whispered.
Their lips met and as brief as it was, he licked his lips and leaned down for another, holding onto her face as he pulled her close.
As they broke apart, she smiled brighter and blinked a few times. "That was… unexpected. Did you have a weird day at work?" Her hand traced up and down his as she looked up at him.
"No, it was fine. Just a few usual bloody cases is all," he shrugged, taking the rag from her and going around to wipe the other half of the table off for her. "I actually heard the county fair started this week. We should take the kids after dinner, don't you think?"
"That's a good idea," she said, pulling out a chair to sit down. "Just not for too long. I don't want to get any blisters on my feet."
"I'll give you a foot massage and draw you a bath when we come home," he said, tossing the rag down when he was finished, kneeling beside her.
Their lips met again and she cupped his cheek as they pulled back. "Ok. We can go," she whispered.
"What's the plan for dinner?" It was his turn to trace his fingers up her forearm as he waited for her to reply.
"Lasagna is already in the oven," she told him, closing her eyes as she leaned back into the chair.
"You should go sit in a better chair, Mel," he suggested, nudging her a little.
"I'm fine, Jim." She sighed, opening one eye. "Stop worrying about everything. I'm just tired and pregnant. Those two things work hand in hand."
"Yeah, I know." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
"It doesn't help that I'm not in my 20s anymore, or even my 30s. I'm-" She huffed, shaking her head.
"Old?" Aaron popped into the kitchen as he grabbed a snack off the counter.
"Aaron," his tone was warning his son not to start one of his mother's mood again, which he was the best at doing. "You're not helping."
"I'm gone," the fourteen-year-old said, running out of the room.
"He's right, Jim." She sighed. "I'm forty-three and I'm old. Did you know I was seven months pregnant with Katie before I was even in maternity clothes? I'm barely four months and look at me!"
"You look beautiful," he reminded her.
"Well, I'm old and I'm tired and I'm fat, Jim. You're not helping me out with your constant compliments either," she muttered.
This was going to be a long five months to get his wife through the rest of her pregnancy.
"It's okay, honey." He reassured her.
"No, it's not, Jim." She sighed. "I'm only going to older, more tired, and fatter. And when I'm at my fattest, oldest, and most tired I finally have the baby." She whined, shaking her head. "I love that we are having more children. I do, but God, I thought we were done with the swollen ankles and midnight feedings."
"I know this one is going to be harder than the rest, but that's why you have me. I'm here to pick up the slack and love on you, remember?"
"That's how I got pregnant in the first place," she smiled, shaking her head at him.
"Good thing you can't pregnant while you're pregnant then, huh," he said, chuckling as he leaned in to press his lips to hers.
The ring of the doorbell cut their kiss short and they both heard Katie bolt up from the couch. "I've got it! Don't worry about it." Their daughter called out to them.
"What's that about?" He asked, perking his head up.
"Probably a boy at the door," she said. "She told me someone was coming over before dinner and then she was going to leave for a bit."
"Leave to do what?" He asked, and Melinda shrugged. "C'mon, she tells you everything."
His wife opened her eyes. "And what about it?" She asked.
"I'm just gonna go check and see who it is," he said as the front door closed.
"It's that Tyler kid. She really likes him," she shrugged. "Leave them be, Jim."
"Now, I'm definitely going. He had his tongue down her throat the last time I saw them together, Melinda," he muttered.
"You just had yours down mine five seconds ago," she reminded him as she slowly stood up and he returned to her side, his hand resting on her back as he helped her up. "I'm not saying I like seeing her all grown up either, but she's eighteen in three days Jim. She can do whatever the hell she wants, in reason, and she's smart enough to know what's right for herself."
"We're married," he argued. "That's different."
"Are you expecting Katie to wait to kiss someone until marriage, Jim Clancy, really?" SHe asked.
"Maybe," he muttered.
"And what about Aaron? Does he have to wait too?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"That's not the same thing," he shook his head. "I don't have to worry about him as much. He'd be the one instigating the kisses. Katie isn't. SHe doesn't know-"
"That was not the right answer and you know it. Katie is more than capable of taking care of herself, we taught that. Now follow me, I'm taking the lead on this," she rolled her eyes and walked slowly toward the foyer as Katie and Tyler tried to make a break for it upstairs. "Hey, you two. What's the plan for tonight?"
"Oh, we're just going up to my room for a little while. Why?" Katie replied, ushering Tyler ahead of her as she stopped midway up the stairs to look down at her.
"You know he's not staying the night, right?" Jim said, crossing his arms.
She elbowed him in the side lightly and he stopped talking. "Keep the door open," she said.
"You got it, mom," Katie said, nodding slightly as she started up the stairs again.
Melinda glanced over at him. "Now was that hard?"
"Yeah. My daughter brought a boy up into her room wearing a tank top." He whispered. "Do you know how easy those are to get off?"
"Try not to think about it. Think about how good my lasagna is and how it's going to be done in ten minutes," she reminded him as pulled him toward the living room where they plopped down next to Mackenzie. Melinda leaned in and wrapped her arm around her eight-year-old and kissed the top of her blonde head. "What are we watching?"
"Yeah, that only helps so much." He said, leaning into her.
"We are watching that new vampire show. Katie said it was pretty good," Mackenzie said. "So we started watching it."
"Well, you know I'm all for vampire shows too." She said, winking at her.
Katie and Tyler quickly made it up to her room. She kept the door ajar to abide by the wishes of her parents, and to help let them know if anyone was coming up the stairs.
"So, I know we were gonna watch a movie but there's only so much left of the summer," Katie said as she walked toward where Tyler was lying on the bed.
"What do you have in mind?" His eyebrows perked up and she smiled at the dark-haired boy lying on her bed as she laid beside him.
"Definitely not watching a movie," she whispered and saved him the embarrassment of sitting there befuddled by grabbing the front of his shirt and pressing her lips on his in a feverish kiss.
He leaned back onto the bed as she moved comfortably on top of him, and his hands touched her slowly and slid down to the small of her back. He moved back on top of her and brushed her hair off her shoulders as he dropped several soft kisses along her clavicle.
"Shouldn't we shut the door?" He said, glancing over his shoulder. "Your dad would kill us if he walked in right now."
"He won't. My mom is occupying him," she said, leaning up to kiss Tyler again, and he sighed happily against her mouth. "Plus don't you want me on top of you again?"
"Feel free to do that any time you want," he grinned, kissing her back eagerly, moving to nip at her neck and move over her shoulders. "You've got a lifelong pass."
"Maybe I should," she giggled, smiling.
"Joke's on you, I want to be pinned by you." He laughed.
She stretched out above him, running her hands over the front of his shirt as her mouth found his again. She urged him to sit up with her, slipping the button up off his shoulders and throwing it somewhere on the floor, but left his undershirt.
This was uncharted territory, her unabashed exploration of his bare skin. As her fingertips gently trailed along his chest as she pressed up against him. After several sweet, slow kisses, he opened his eyes as he felt her move off of him.
The vision of her lying beside him, bathed in the soft glow of the lamp on her bedside table with her mussed hair and swollen lips was beyond anything Tyler's active imagination could ever conjure.
"We should slow down before we go too far and get caught," she whispered.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He nodded and sighed.
"You don't want to?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Why would I?" He smirked, licking his lips as he ran his hands over her and pulled her closer to him by grabbing her ass. "You're like the perfect girl."
"Mmm as much as I like the sound of that," she giggled, pulling back to look at him. "No one is perfect."
"I'd definitely say you are," his eyes flicking over her as he as she settled next to him, noticing her nipples were hard beneath the thin cotton of her top.
They brushed against his chest as she curled around him, and he stifled a groan.
"You can touch me, Tyler, if you want," she whispered in his ear then and he was following her lead as she lays on the bed beneath him now.
The absence of pressure worked to their benefit and it felt better now, less hurried when he tried to touch her. He slipped the straps of her tank top off her shoulders and explored her with featherlight caresses, his eyes drifting from her flushed skin to her face.
As his thumb brushed over her nipple as he cupped her breast, she tried to engrave it in her memory.
Tyler was the first guy to ever see her like this, and she moaned so softly that she wasn't sure if it had even come from herself.
Her outstretched hand settled over the front of his jeans, feeling him hard against her. She didn't know what to do, not really, but when he moaned as she slowly rubbed her hand against him, she knew she was doing something right.
By the time Katie and Tyler surface downstairs, dinner was long over and Jim and Melinda were just finishing up the dishes when they came down.
Melinda noticed her daughter changed out of the leggings and tank top she'd worn earlier to a cute and purple lace romper. "Should we invite Tyler to come? You know Katie always loves the fair," she suggested softly. "Plus they've resurfaced."
"They're rather close to each other," he muttered. "And don't know. I barely know the kid," he sighed, glancing over at them.
"Then get to know him, he might be around for a while. You never know," she said, eyeing him as she dried the last plate. "At least Tyler is more polite than Henry was."
"You really think she likes the kid that much?" He leaned against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. "I didn't get that vibe when I talked with her. At least not anything too strong, you know?"
"I know Katie likes him, but I don't know if she wants to start anything before leaving for the city, you know?" She shrugged, explaining the most she knew. "But you need to try to be less protective up front and just think about it in your head. You can always talk to me. I know it's hard for you to see her all grown up, Jim, but she is and we can't stop it."
"I know. I know. I know," he sighed, glancing over at the creak of the stairs to see Katie grab her sneakers and pull them on. "C'mon, let's go question them before they sneak off."
They quickly made it into the foyer as Katie stood, glancing at them and then going to stand by Tyler.
"Hey, what's your guys' plan for tonight?" She asked, wrapping her arm around his side.
"We were thinking about going to the fair for a bit," Katie said, grabbing hold of the teen's hand which was by his side..
"I'll have her home at a decent hour. I promise," Tyler said, glancing at Katie and then at her parents.
"Oh, don't worry about that. We're actually thinking about going there tonight too," he explained, shaking Tyler's hand. "We're gonna take your brother and sister."
"How fun! You'll have to text me when you guys get there," Katie said, smiling at them. "That's a fun coincidence."
"Of course. You guys have fun and enjoy your time alone," she said, opening the door for them. "We'll see you there in a bit."
Once the door was closed, Jim chuckled. "Should we have mentioned Delia and Ned were tagging along?"
"Oh, I forgot." She snickered, turning toward the living room. "Mack, Aaron, go get ready. We're gonna head out for the fair in twenty minutes."
"Really?" Aaron asked.
"Now?" Mack asked eagerly. "Like right now?"
"Well, duh!" Jim said, pointing to the stairs. "Go ready, okay?" As both kids ran past them and up the stairs, Melinda and Jim turned towards each other. "So, that gives us twenty minutes to kiss right here until we gross them out when they come back."
"Mm, I like you're thinking." She whispered, pulling his lips to hers.
He moved closer, his other arm wrapping around her waist. He immediately felt her hands slide around his waist and up his back, beneath his shirt. The delicious rake of her fingers sent full body shivers rippling through him.
Their lips slip apart a fraction with a quiet click, then gently reconnect. They kiss with softly parted lips, exploring sweet and eager, gradually becoming more sensitive, more disoriented, and more confident.
The feel of his wife's hand on his leg left him lightheaded from the sudden surge of blood to his erection, he groaned, feeling her nip at his neck as she leaned against the wall. He held onto her tighter and began to pant lightly, glancing at her.
"The kids," he reminded her.
"Mmm," she sighed. "I know."
"You forgot, for a second." He laughed, feeling the flickered light little licks of her lips, the chill air of his short, delighted gasps, and reveled in the way she touched him the tight coil of arousal burning deep and low in his belly.
"For more than a second," she muttered. "You do things to me, Jim."
"Mm, I could say the same for you." He said, trying his best to think of anything that would help distract him from wanting to have sex with his wife right now.
"Well, you know, we could sneak off for a bit later?" She said, smiling at him.
"Oh, right, Delia is coming. Good idea, honey," he said, his hand coming to rest on her four-month pregnant belly. "You know, I don't know why we were surprised by this one."
"Me either," she laughed, leaning up to kiss him.
"Oh, god," Katie choked as the ferris wheel lurched, and her stomach with it. The Pepto-Bismol pink carriage in which they were seated tipped and rocked precariously, and she braced a sweaty palm against the siding. "We're going to die."
Tyler barked out a laugh, draping a steadying arm around her shoulders. "You've been sayin' that since we got on this and we're not dead yet."
She shot him a look. "The night is still young, Tyler."
His blue eyes rolled skyward, but his smirk didn't waver. Squeezing her upper arm, he reminded her, "Isn't this is supposed to be fun?" He asked. "Whee! Remember, fun!"
"Mm… no." She squinted, pursing her lips. "No, not ringing any bells." She let out a yelp as the ferris wheel ground to a sudden halt, pitching their carriage into a violent swinging motion again. "God, I hate heights. Why did I let you take me on here? I haven't even let my little sister convince me."
She peered nervously over the edge of the carriage to the weed-choked pavement fifty or so feet below them. "Do you know how many people die on these things? They're bloody death traps!" She sighed.
Tyler reached out to take her chin in the crook of his finger, drawing her face up to look at him. He brushed his lips over hers once, smiled, then repeated it a second time — lingering and tender, as though he might infuse some measure of calm into her through his kiss. "Did you honestly think I'd invite you on this ride if I thought any harm would come to us?"
Katie's gaze softened, though she maintained the stubborn set of her chin. "No," she admitted. "But given your level of risk perception, I'm not sure that's saying much."
"Are you saying I'm reckless, then?" he asked, his eyes glinting with a subtle undercurrent of mischief.
It was a dare; one Katie had no idea whether or not to accept. She narrowed her eyes, smiling at him inquisitively.
Tyler tipped his chin up at her, his own smile deepening until dimples cut into his cheeks. It was cheating. And it worked because she liked him so much.
She almost liked him as much as she wished she could love Ned. She just didn't know how she felt about him anymore. Everything could get so confusing with Ned sometimes, but that wasn't enough to erase him from her heart.
And Tyler could never know how close she held Ned to her heart. That could never end well. It would only end in someone punching the other, and she didn't want that to happen. She risked another glance at Tyler. He was cute and strong, and everything any girl would want in a boyfriend.
"I... suppose one might say that about you, yes..." she agreed quietly, dropping her lashes as she leaned into him. "Why? What's on your mind?"
By his posturing alone, she thought she had a fairly good idea of what sort of recklessness her date had in mind. She fully anticipated a hot and heavy makeout session, wherein his greedy hands would slip beneath her romper to fondle and tease her over the lace of her bra until she was forced to smack him breathlessly away and remind him that they were in public.
She woefully underestimated him. Tyler's eyes went soft and hazy as he leaned down. True to form, his tongue darted out to wet his lips just shy of brushing hers, and she drew in a deep, quavering breath to brace herself. He stopped short at the sound — hovering, smiling — letting their warm breath mingle and their noses touch.
"How long do you think one of these rotations takes?" he asked in a low murmur, gently taking the edge of her top lip between his. "If you were to wager a guess?"
He tasted like the chocolate chip ice cream they'd share in line for the ride, and she slid her tongue forward to capture the lingering sweetness, barely registering the question.
"Forty-five seconds, maybe?" he pressed hoarsely, extricating himself from the kiss only to ease off to one side, dragging his mouth along her jaw. "Maybe a minute."
"Depends," she answered, breath hitching as his teeth closed over her earlobe. "On whether it… stops t—to… load and unload passengers…"
"Mmm, that would give us a bit more time." He whispered.
She felt her pulse quicken, a dull burn kindling low in her belly. Her eyes rolled half shut as his mouth found the curve of her neck, she breathed out, "Time for what?" She asked.
"Well, after you so nicely helped me out earlier," he whispered in her ear, reminding her of the time spent in her bedroom. "I thought it would be fun if I helped you in return."
"Oh, I don't know… we are in public," she reminded him.
"No one can see what my hands are doing," he whispered.
As the ferris wheel lurched into motion again — the last of the passengers finally loaded — his broad hand slid from her neck down the curve of her spine, then up and over the round of her thigh. When his fingertips slipped beneath the hem of her romper and began to skim up the inside of her leg, she immediately clamped her knees shut, eyes flying wide.
"I don't know," she shook her head slightly. "There are people everywhere!"
"They can't see us up here," he assured her. "I was watching the whole time we were on the ground. Trust me."
She breathed out an incredulous laugh, bit her lip, then shook her head. "You're mad, Tyler."
"Mmm, maybe," he agreed softly, eyes aglow. "Just a little."
He drew his hand back to rest on her kneecap, replacing the fabric of her skirt modestly as their carriage completed its first circuit and re-entered the visual field of those few last-minute stragglers waiting on the ground. Nuzzling into the curve of her neck, he pressed his lips to her skin until they had bottomed out and begun to rise again into the next rotation of the wheel.
Only once they had lifted to a height he'd deemed to be safely out of view did his thumb begin to work in small, rhythmic circles along the inside of her knee. There was no question after that.
She took the dare and slid closer on the fiberglass bench, letting her thighs fall open for him. A wordless answer to his suggestion earlier.
He smirked and his breath hitched as he looked up at her face, his eyes darkening to match the navy hue of the night sky.
Already a quarter of the way through the ferris wheel's rotation, she thought he would be quick like in all the movies, his mouth, and hands urgent, but his fingers traced lazy waveforms along her inner thigh, weaving a languid trail inward; all the while, his gentle, supple lips moved against hers, gliding and sucking unhurriedly until she was well and thoroughly melted against him.
He made a soft sound in his throat when her tongue slid forward to touch his, and she responded in kind, tilting her head and opening her mouth as an invitation. Tyler didn't hesitate to take his turn and they finished an entire circle doing just that — just kissing, tasting, breathing one another in — before he dared to try anything more.
Somewhere near the top of the ferris wheel on the third rotation, blunt, broad fingers parted her, probing inside of her experimentally. He found her unready after the adrenaline, the fear — the unexpected intimacy sprung on her too quickly — he carefully drew the very tip of his index finger higher, tracing feather-light circles so faint they almost tickled.
Humming breathlessly into their kiss, Katie's skin flushed, warm and tingling from cheeks to belly to the tender flesh blooming beneath his delicate fingertips.
After a few seconds of exquisite torture, she pressed her mouth harder against his in a request for more, and he immediately took his cue, increasing the pressure. Arching into the sudden swell of pleasure, Tyler broke their kiss with a gasp in the same moment that his fingers slid away, hurrying to tilt her legs the right way to hide what was happening as he realized they were coming back down.
Bleary-eyed and disoriented, Katie blinked up at with an outraged protest on her lips, then glanced with dawning realization over his shoulder at the people in line. Cheeks flaming, she buried her face in his chest. "Shit," she hissed into his t-shirt. "Shit, did someone see us?"
His chest rumbled with a laugh. "No. I'm paying attention to the crowd." He replied. "You just enjoy yourself, hmm?"
With a glance down at the prominent bulge pressing against the front of his jeans, she looked up at him with a sudden flood of guilt. "Well, what about you?" she asked, trailing her fingertips absently up and down the centerline of his chest.
He smiled, brushing a curl back behind her ear. "One of us has to keep our head, here, sweetheart. You can return the favor some other time. You already did earlier, remember?"
She nodded eagerly. "Of course. Right, of course."
Peering over his shoulder, she watched with mounting anticipation as the heads of the people in the crowd fell out of sight. Acutely aware of the ticking clock now, she eagerly let him part her legs. He dipped the saliva-moistened fingers down to find her special spot again, rolling and circling faster now as he coaxed the tightly knit bud into full bloom.
Her mouth fell open against his shoulder, breathing hard; still, vaguely cognizant of the passengers in the carriages ten feet above and below her, she mustered the self-restraint to bite back any blatantly damning noises.
A point that Tyler seemed to take as a personal challenge, regardless of the very public setting.
He'd just managed to finagle a sharp, shuddering "ah, fuck!" out of her in the last few seconds before they had to scramble apart again, righting her legs and trying to look inconspicuous as they looked away from one another, panting and pink-cheeked.
Struggling to pump oxygen into lungs that felt caught in a vise, Katie closed her eyes and counted to five before deciding it had been quite long enough. Exploding into action quickly enough to rock the carriage, she climbed into Tyler's lap, her mouth sealing to his with a feral noise deep in her throat. An echoing groan rumbled against her tongue as his palms splayed out across her ass, fingers gripping into the soft flesh so hard she knew she'd have bruises in the morning.
Desperate to feel him, she ground her hips down against the delicious friction of his jeans, earning a choked "oh God" from him.
"Shh!" she laughed breathlessly, smashing her fingers over his lips, her hips never pausing in their punishing assault.
"Katie, we should slow down—" He rasped, beads of sweat gathering on his brow. "One of us has to—"
The carriage was already beginning its descent; they had mere seconds before they were within view of people again. He kissed her hard and lifted her off of his lap, whimpering at the loss of contact, and he released her wrists to soothe his thumbs down her cheeks.
"Tyler," she whispered, her voice wavering, fingers gripping into the fabric of his t-shirt. "I need—"
"I know," he assured her, with a kiss to the temple this time. "I'll see to it when we go back up."
The moment they lifted safely out of sight again, he made good on that promise. With his left hand, he quickly pushed aside the strap of her romper, then peeled back the delicate black lace cup of her bra to bare her to him. His grunt of hunger was smothered against her smooth, pale skin as he licked a scorching circle around her breast.
She arched into him with a gasp when he finally closed his mouth — lips, teeth, tongue — over the flushed peak of her nipple; suckling, nibbling, tugging, until she begged him hoarsely, "Tyler, please..."
He reached down and pushed her legs apart aside, curving two long fingers inside of her. She was more than ready this time, slick and pulsing, warm and slippery wet. Fully anticipating her inability to keep quiet, he brought his lips to kiss her just in time to muffle her shrieking gasp.
Her lips smeared over his carefully as she gasped and he began to slide in and out of her, probing a bit deeper, curling a bit higher with each stroke.
She had never felt anything like this before in her entire life, (especially not when she tried to do this alone), and she never wanted it to end. Every nerve ending inside her was on fire, seizing to stop until she was brought to her peak.
When his fingertips found just the right spot, her hips jerked, and she gasped open-mouthed against his hand. His thumb began to work her then, massaging in tandem with the fingers inside of her, his tongue on her breast, until she was certain she would fly apart at the seams.
She saw white, then black — cried out against his palm — forgetting where they were, forgetting anyone could hear, forgetting her parents and little brother and sister were coming to this damn thing, but the white-hot pleasure burning beneath his fingers, his mouth, raising her closer and closer to the brink until she was crashing over it so fast she had to hold onto him tightly to keep herself from slumping into the metal.
Tyler tore away from her, frantically trying to cover her back up, stormy eyes flashing with an apology. "I'm sorry," he breathed, lips pressed to her brow as he tugged her straps back into place.
There was a determined set to his jaw as he cradled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head while she panted against him. As she nodded against his chest, pressing a kiss to the sweaty hollow between his clavicles, the ferris wheel suddenly lurched to a halt before they were lifted out of sight again.
They both looked around, frowning, and he leaned back to peer over the side. A muscle in his neck twitched as he looked back over at her. "Christ. They're letting people off." He sighed. "I'm sorry."
She closed her eyes for a moment to gather herself and take a deep, steadying breath. "Mm, I'm pretty you got there me there." She whispered.
Once she opened her eyes again, she held her hand out to Tyler's.
"Are you?" He asked and hesitantly he took it, looking for all the world as though he'd failed her somehow.
Shaking her head, she drew him back to her and captured his lips in a soft, lingering kiss. "I am and it's alright," she murmured when they parted for air, resting her forehead against his.
"That's good," he said as the attendant pulled their door open and they made their way out. "Where should we go next?"
"We should probably find my parents," she said, fishing out her phone out as she grabbed the bear from the attendant who held it for her when she got on. "They are here and looking for us."
"Hopefully they didn't see us making out," he said.
She searched for the immediate crowd and didn't see anyone from her family. "We should be good, but don't ever scare me like that again. My dad would totally kill us if he saw how hard we were making out up there, Tyler." She hissed, giggling.
"Good thing he couldn't see what else I was doing to you up there," he whispered into her ear.
"Mmm, you're right." She snickered and bit her lip. "So right."
The sights and sounds were overwhelming while screams of joy and terror filled the air around the Clancy family as they entered the country fair with Deli and Ned along with them.
Everywhere Melinda looked, there was something new, bright and colorful to see. She felt giddiness bubble throughout her body, eager to get her hands on something fried and go on every ride. She loved going to the fair, especially in the summer. The ones that sometimes would come through in the fall just weren't as good.
She especially enjoyed watching her kids have the times of their lives, riding rides and eating all the fried food they could con Jim into buying them.
A sideways glance had her eyeing the strong forearms that were displayed proudly thanks to the folded sleeves of her husband's flannel shirt. His pale skin was flushed from the heat and she wound her arm around his.
Jim quirked an eyebrow at her, nodding his head at a food booth. "Should we give this one a try?"
She smiled when she saw it was the funnel cake one. He knew how much she loved that stuff, especially when she was pregnant.
"Mm, yes." She said, smiling as she leaned up to kiss him. "Kiddos? You want a funnel cake?"
"That powdery heaven? Yes!" Aaron cheered.
Melinda stood by her friend and Ned as Jim went up with Mack and Aaron to the booth to get food.
"Where's Katie?" Delia asked.
"Off somewhere with her date, Tyler. They've been going strong for a couple of weeks, but I don't think there's anything official between the two." She said, fishing out her phone. "I should tell her we're here though. She'll probably come along."
"She's still going out with that Tyler Fell? Ugh, what does she see in him?" Ned muttered.
"Maybe because he isn't a jerk to her," she said under her breath.
"Mm, well you should probably keep an eye on them," Ned suggested. "I know Devon because he's my best friend and there's not a girl who can turn him down. I doubt he didn't teach his little brother the same things."
"Ned," she muttered. "Keep your mouth shut about that. I'm trying not to think about it. She's eighteen in three days. She makes her own decisions in that court."
"Mmm, that's why you look so pissed off then?" Ned snickered.
"Shut up, Ned," she sighed and sent off a third text to Katie in her state of worry.
Katie's phone pinged loudly as she and Tyler walked out of the Tunnel of Love hand-in-hand, and she fished it out of her pocket. There were several messages from her mother, worried and pregnancy-mood text messages.
"We should find my family," she whispered. "Plus my mom is freaking out."
"Why?" He asked.
"She's been in a mood, for like four months." She muttered. "And apparently that means she takes it out of me right now."
"Ahh, pregnancy does do things to a woman's brain. I was little when my mom has my sister, but I remember there was a lot of tension." He said shaking his head, laughing a little.
"Mmm yeah, my dad is usually the top guy to my mom, but I think Mackenzie has taken that role because she has been mimicking my mom's symptoms to get attention." She muttered. "It is her first time around the pregnancy train, so I'll give her a break, but it's not mine."
"Giving foot rubs will always win the parents over, don't you know that?" He asked.
"I know that," she rolled her eyes and texted her mom back. "Okay, they are by the basketball booth."
"Ooh, we can try it then." He said, winking at her. "Maybe I'll win you something."
"I think I already won the best prize here," she said, leaning up to kiss his cheek but Tyler turned his head and their lips met.
He nearly missed at first, his lips a tad too far left and his nose bumping against hers, but he persisted. His eyes were closed, but he could hear the crinkling of her smile as she maneuvered her mouth into position, tilting her head so that their lips met firmly and happily at last.
The heat rose in her cheeks as his tongue touched hers, quick and electric and delicious, then firmer, more determined, more curious about the heat that lay within, seeking to chase down that elusive liquid lightning that reached through both of them.
She knew they wouldn't have parted for a few more minutes if it weren't for the loud clearing of someone's throat.
Katie turned to see Ned standing there, hands in his pockets and a somewhat jealous look on his face. It made her smug. She'd actually made him jealous for once.
"Enjoying yourself this evening, you two?" Ned asked.
"Ned," she whispered, pulling away from Tyler quickly. "What are you doing here?"
"It's a public fair and your mom invited my mom, so I tagged along." Ned shrugged, glancing at Tyler. "I was wondering where you were when I didn't see you with the rest of the clan."
"She came with me," Tyler said, wrapping his arm around her waist tightly.
"I see that, but I'd be careful next time you two wanna play tonsil hockey in public," Ned chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "Because I know for a fact your dad would have a brain aneurysm if he saw what I just did."
"Whatever, Ned," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "We'll keep an eye out from now on. Just leave us be, okay?"
Ned's hands shot up in defense. "I didn't mean to offend you, Katie," Ned replied. "I just was sent to look around for you when you didn't answer Melinda's texts. Plus she said I was the one annoying her the most."
She snickered, nodding. "Yeah, well, I agree with my mom. Even if she is a little crazy right now."
"I'd say for good reasons," Ned said warningly and winked at her.
"What's this about, Ned?" Tyler sighed. "First, you were off at the bowling alley, and now this?"
"Just looking out for Katie, Ty. I know your reputation with cheating on the girls you date," Ned said, glancing at him and then at her.
"Okay, I've heard enough of this." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Do you remember what Henry used to spread around about me?"
"That's not the same thing," Ned replied.
"Rumors are rumors, Ned. I'm done with this," she said, grabbing hold of Tyler's hand. "We're going to find my parents."
She pulled Tyler past, Ned, smug to know that she'd made him at least a little jealous.