Broken Hero

Lucy nods. “Yes, I do. I work with both your uncle and your mom, actually, when I’m not selling cookies.”

“I’ve decided!” Nora declares, in the same way she declares everything. She points at a star-shaped sugar cookie with pink sprinkles.

“Good choice.” Lucy wraps it up a napkin. “How about you, Sophia? What do you feel like?”

“I’ll have the double-chocolate chip, please.”

Lucy hands the girls their cookies and shoots me a teasing glance. “How about your uncle? Do you think he wants anything?”

Nora is chomping away at her cookie, sprinkles flying everywhere, but she looks up at the question. “He wants a cookie!”

I ruffle her hair. “I’m good, thank you. How much for the two?”

“Oh, no, this is on the house.”

“Lucy.”

“No, I insist. I’m not going to charge you.” Her eyes flicker from my nieces to me. “And there’s no point in hitting me with your death stare, Oliver. It doesn’t work on me.”

I raise an eyebrow at her, but she just breaks into laughter. “I mean it!”

“Look! There’s a bouncy castle!” Nora tugs at my hand, but I hold her still.

“Yes, there is.”

Sophia looks up at me with a picture-perfect replica of her mom’s pleading eyes. “Can we go? Please?”

“Wait a moment. When does your shift end, Luce?”

“I should be able to-”

“Let’s goooooo.” Nora grabs my hand with both of hers and tugs with all of her strength. It doesn’t do much.

Lucy laughs. The sound is familiar to me now, but it still makes my chest tighten. “Go on,” she tells me. “Go have fun.”

I frown. “When you finish, let me-”

“There you are! How were the cookies?” Sarah scoops Nora up, John at her heels. “Sorry we took a while.”

John and Lucy shake hands and say their hello’s. She is as courteous and polite as ever, but I can’t help but notice that the teasing glint in her eye isn’t there. It seems to be reserved for me.

John carries an upside-down Nora away towards the bouncy castle, Sophia skipping along beside them, a half-eaten cookie in her hand.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Sorry about them,” Sarah says. “They’re great girls, but this fair is… well. It’s a lot.”

“It’s like cocaine for kids,” I say dryly. “Are you going to take them face painting later?”

“Yes, it’s on the list. Do you hear that? We have an actual list. Do they really have to expand the fair every year? Soon we’ll need a two-day pass.” Sarah pretends to clasp her hand over her mouth. “Whoops. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Lucy grins. “Blasphemy.”

“Have you sold a lot of cookies?”

“Yes, but I’ve only been here for a bit. My aunt is coming back in a few minutes to switch, and then I’ll walk around. I haven’t really seen much of the fair yet.”

“Well, Oliver just arrived, actually. I’m sure he can show you around.”

“I can,” I say. My sister is the sweetest, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let her speak for me with women. “Go be with your family, Sarah.”

She dances away with a small wave, her eyes sparkling, and I have to remind myself that she means well.

Lucy shrugs. “She’s not exactly subtle, is she?”

“My sister doesn’t have a subtle bone in her body.”

Her hand fiddles with the hem of her dress. “Did you decide that fairs were more of your thing?”

“Yes. I felt the sudden urge to play ring toss.”

Her smile turns teasing, and heat blooms in my lower belly. “You do seem like the type to enjoy cotton candy.”

“Immensely.”

“Have you walked around yet? Claremont Elementary has an art exhibition, and it’s pretty spectacular.”

“Spectacularly unimpressive?”

Lucy shakes her head at me. “I’m trying to get to know your town, you know.”

“I think you’re doing a splendid job.”

Her eyes catch something behind me. “Claire is back.”

“Then you’re free. Let me buy you something.”

“I’m still not letting you pay me for those cookies.” She tugs off her apron and gives her aunt a wide smile. “How did it go?”

“I managed, though it took me a while. I entered our names into the raffle on the way back, by the way. Fingers crossed!” Claire pulls Lucy into a hug. “Thank you for handling the table for a while. I see you’ve got a customer?”

“Yes, Oliver stopped by to say hello.”

“And to show you around,” I interject. “If you can spare her, Mrs. Rhodes?”

“Oh, of course I can.”

Lucy grabs her bag from under the table and slings it across her body, the strap cutting right between her cleavage. I force my eyes back to Claire.

“Have a good evening.”