Where else would any fun-loving American teenage girl be on a Friday night? Probably at the mall or the movies. But me? I’m poised over a dunk tank.
“Nobody’s knocked you down yet, boss. How awesome is that?”
Ruthie tosses a baseball in the air and catches it. “Plus we’re getting some extra dough working a few additional hours before the show.”
“Yeah, a brilliant idea.”
“Dude, I need all the money I can get. I’m graduating next month, you know.”
I swing my legs and look on with dread as I see Luke Sullivan getting out of his 4Runner in the parking lot. Of course he would be here early. “And why is it I’m up here instead of you?” I ask my friend.
“Because I have to be all ready for my unicycling debut tonight.”
“Your what?” I watch as Luke stops to talk to the roller-coaster operator, making his way closer to us.
Ruthie clutches the ball to her chest. “I just wasn’t feeling personally fulfilled with our basic clown work. I needed more. I wanted to feel challenged, alive, and—”
“In the spotlight?”
“I happen to have a gift to share with the world.” She stuffs a piece of stray hair back into her wild updo. Gone is the neon blue, replaced with an eye-blinking shade of violet.
“So you’re going to ride your unicycle around for a few minutes?”
“Ride it around?” Ruthie harrumphs. “What I do is called art. I will be performing a unicycle ballet I choreographed myself. I call it ‘Love Is Squishy.’”
I’m spared the chance to comment as Luke appears. “Hello, ladies.”
His casual tone sends Ruthie to chatting. But when he glances at me, I see something lurking beneath that’s about as friendly as a derailed coaster.
“Ruthie, will you give me a minute with Bella?” His steel eyes find mine. “I need to talk to her about some homework.”
Homework? Not unless the assignment is wringing my neck.
“Sure thing.” Ruthie sets the ball down. “I have some important performance preparations to tend to anyway.” She takes off in the direction of the nearest funnel cake trailer.
“Dunk tank?” Luke steps closer until he’s standing right in front of me. “Anything for the job, huh, Bella?”
“That’s your motto—hanging out with Ashley. It’s all about the job, right?” I swing my legs, shrug, and study my nails.
Luke reaches through the fence between us and captures a foot. “Want to tell me why you blew off her attempts to talk to Cherry Wednesday night?”
“I don’t believe I like your surly tone. So no.” I jerk my foot back. “I don’t think I do.”
“The Tribune is still my paper, and I’m still your editor.”
“You know, I was going to get that tattooed on my butt, but you say it so many times, I’ve decided to go with something more original.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. “It’s one thing to disrespect me. But it’s another to get in the way of one of my staff members’ work.”
“Disrespect you?” I toss my head back and laugh. “If anyone’s been disrespected here, buddy, it’s me. That girl kisses you, you protest your innocence, but yet you’re with her all the time—as friends. Then you rip the carnival feature from me—something I was totally wrapped up in—only to hand over part of it to your new girlfriend!”
He lifts his head. “I’m letting her do an interview with Cherry.
Not a full-blown series on the Fritz Family Carnival.” Luke’s voice dips. “And Wednesday night you blocked every attempt Ashley made to speak to Cherry.”
“It was the girl’s birthday. It wasn’t the time or the place to ask her twenty questions about her lonely life as a trapeze performer or how she felt about losing yet another person in her life.”
“You know what I think?” He leans onto the chain link fence cage around me, his tan fingers curling around the wire. “I think you’re so eaten up with jealousy, you can’t even see straight.”
“I think you’re beating a dead horse. A bloated, maggoty, dead horse. We are clearly so over. So if you want to date—”
“Journalist Barbie.” He throws my words back at me with a slow grin.
“If you want to date the stinking queen of England, I don’t care.
Just don’t expect me to do her any favors. Ashley Timmons can figure out her own way to talk to Cherry.”
“Number one, while the queen’s orthopedic shoes are a huge turn-on, she travels too much to truly be there for me.” He picks up a ball and tosses it in one hand. “And number two, I am telling you that you better figure out a way to cool it with Ashley.”
“Or?”
He lopes away, his dark jeans slung low over his hips. “Or I’ll cool it for you.”
I catch the wicked gleam in his eye and go on alert. “Oh no you don’t. You wouldn’t!”
And with lightning speed, a smiling Luke Sullivan pivots and throws a fastball right toward the bull’s-eye.
I stand shivering outside the trailers, cursing Luke Sullivan and thanking God for the millionth time I didn’t wear a white shirt today.
Well, maybe my luck just changed. I spy one of Alfredo’s old roommates weaving through the trailers, talking to Luigi, one of the ticket takers. It’s time to reclaim my flashlight—if it’s not too late already.
“Hey, you’re Johnny, right?” I call out.
The small man just grunts, but he stops.
“You were really great last night—balancing like you did on that horse. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
His cheeks turn as pink as a cherry limeade.
“I got roped into dunk-tank duty and really came unprepared. I wondered if I could maybe borrow your hair dryer?” I twist my long hair into a rope and water drips onto the ground.
“I guess my roomie has one you can use.” He steps toward his trailer when a voice stops us both.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
I turn around and find Stewart eyeing my wet form.
No! It’s a great idea. I have got to get back into that trailer.
Stewart runs a hand over his prickly goatee. “If you have to be in anyone’s sleeping quarters, I’d prefer it be a member of manage-ment’s.” He crooks a skinny finger. “Follow me. You can dry off in my trailer.”
How in the world am I going to get that flashlight back? “Um . . . okay. But I think I’ll run and get Ruthie to keep me company.”
“She’s rehearsing. Can’t bother her now.”
Fine. Assuming Red’s not in there, this will give me a chance to search the Fritzes’ trailer. Praying for protection from sheer creepiness, I follow Stewart to his home on wheels, looking behind me for Ruthie the entire way. But no help comes.
“After you, my lady.” He opens the door with one hand and sweeps his other before him like some sort of gallant duke.
I step inside, my nostrils flaring at the smell of stale smoke and burnt microwave popcorn.
“It’s not much, but it’s home.” He brushes past me, taking me through the office space into the living quarters. “Would you like something to drink? A Coke? Water? A beer?”
“I’m seventeen.”
Stewart’s laugh reminds me of a hyena. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“You know, I think my hair’s dry enough. And I’ll just borrow a towel from one of the ladies.”
“No way.” He smiles, and I try not to shudder again. “Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
I wind my purse strap around my hands. In case I need to launch a good swing toward Stewart’s head.
“Thanks,” I say as he sets a towel and blow dryer on the tiny counter of the bathroom. He moves out, so I can step in. I pick up the beige towel and blot my neck and arms, trying to ignore his lurky presence.
“You have beautiful hair.” He stands right there, an arm braced in the doorway. “You know, Bella, circus life can be a lot of fun. I could—”
“Hey, Stewart, you must be really busy.” Being a full-time perv and all. “Don’t let me keep you. I know how important you are around here.”
He moves forward until he’s blocking the door, crowding out any space left in the bathroom. I reach for a hand mirror. I am the stepdaughter of Captain Iron Jack, wrestling phenomenon, and I know how to use this thing for more than checking my lipstick.
“I know you’ve got that boyfriend, Bella. But word is you two are having problems.” Stewart leans back against the wall, with mere inches between us. “So any time you want to stay after the show and get a few free rides on the Ferris wheel, you let me know. There are all kinds of privileges of dating a carnival manager.”
Knock! Knock!
I sag with relief when the door flings open.
“Stewart?” A voice calls.
“Sounds like someone needs you.” And it sure isn’t me.
I pop my head out to see Luke standing in the office. His eyes flit to me, then to Red Fritz’s son.
“There’s a problem with one of the horses. The trainer said he needs you immediately.”
Stewart’s lazy gaze travels back to me. “I’m sorry. I guess we’ll have to pick up our conversation later. But you get all nice and pretty in here, and I’ll see you after the show.” He slides out of the bathroom, his chest puffing as he passes Luke. “Don’t you have work to do?”
When Stewart shuts the door behind him, my shoulders all but fall to the floor in relief.
“What in the heck do you think you’re doing?” Luke demands. “Never be alone with that guy. Are you crazy?”
“He wasn’t going to hurt me. Besides, I wanted to peek around in here.”
“Oh, I’m sure he has plenty to show you.” Luke shoves his fingers through his hair. “When I couldn’t find you and someone told me they saw you going in here with Stewart—” He shakes his head. “You have no idea.”
“I’m not even speaking to you, so you can just leave now.”
“Not without you.”
Had he not dunked me in the tank an hour ago, I might’ve found that hot. “Look, I have things to do here.”
“Like what?”
“I have hair to fix and drawers to open.” I wave my hand. “So unless you’re going to help, get out.”
Luke looks back over his shoulder toward the door. “What are we looking for?”
I make quick work of drying my hair, then join Luke in the office, where he sits at a computer.
“See anything?” I open a file drawer and thumb through each one, checking the window for anybody walking by.
“No suspicious e-mails that I can find. Though Red seems to have an online girlfriend.”
“I’m sure the top hat is a huge turn-on.” I move on to the few folders and files on the desk. Bills. Check stubs. “Wait. What is this?”
I flip through a giant-sized checkbook.
“It’s Red’s pay system. Looks like he still writes his checks by hand.”
Curious to see how much Betty was paid, I flip back a month.
“That’s strange. Betty had been with the circus longer, but Alfredo made quite a bit more.”
Luke stands near and peers over my shoulder. “Looks like Alfredo made more than everyone.” His hand snakes around me as he runs a finger down the book.
Between Luke’s light cologne and the fear of getting caught, my heart beats loudly enough to scare the circus animals. I flip through the pay book backward. “Look—in November Alfredo got paid less than Betty and most of the others. But by December, his check got a major bump.”
Luke’s voice rumbles near my ear. “Maybe he took on more work.”
“What, made more rabbits disappear?” I turn my head and draw in a breath at the closeness of Luke’s face. If I just leaned the slightest bit, our lips would be touching. Omigosh, focus! “Um . . . but December would be about the time Alfredo started seeing Betty.”
Luke lifts a brow, seemingly unaffected by being a breath away from me. Of course, he wouldn’t be. He’s got Ashley Timmons now.
“Could be just a coincidence.” Luke’s voice at my ear sends chill bumps down my neck.
“But it might not be.”
“You think he was paid off for seeing her?”
I slowly nod. “That was my thought.”
He pulls an errant piece of hair away from my cheek. “Any other thoughts in there?”
Just that I’m an idiot to let myself feel this for you. That you draw me in like a sale at Bergdorf ’s, and I can’t stand the thought of you and Ashley. “Nope. That’s it.”
“You know what I think about?” His voice is as soft as cotton candy.
“That it’s a shame girls don’t want to talk about the SATs and chess on a date?”
“I think about that night on the Ferris wheel.”
“Really?” Ohhh, he’s playing dirty. “I don’t.”
He sighs and smiles, pulling my twirling finger from my hair. “I believe you do. And I think you want a relationship, Bella. But just like that big ol’ Ferris wheel—it scares you. And first chance you get, you jump off. It’s too easy to believe I cheated on you.”
“We really should get out of here.”
“Not every guy is out to break your heart.”
“They all have.” I suck in my bottom lip, knowing I just fell for his bait. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“I’m sorry about your dad. I’m sure it hurts to be left out of his life.”
“My dad has nothing to do with this.”
“Then there’s Hunter.” Luke takes the payroll book out of my hands. “Total idiot.”
“And where do you fit in, Luke Sullivan?” I turn all the way around and look up into his face.
“Right here.” He angles his head as his arms go around me. His head lowers, and my eyes flutter closed.
The door flings open, slamming the outside of the trailer. “Hey!”
Luke and I jump apart as a pair of hostile eyes take in the scene.
“The time for secrets is over. Tell me why you’re here. Now.”