Granted, he was sitting on a gaudy elephant, holding a toddler, but she didn’t dwell on that.
Sighing, Wynn climbed reluctantly onto the horse, his legs so long they nearly touched the floor. “Put your feet in the stirrups,” she coaxed.
He did, and his knees were up to his ears.
K.O. couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing.
Wynn began to climb off, but she stopped him by leaning over and kissing him. She nearly slid off the saddle in the process and would have if Wynn hadn’t caught her about the waist.
Soon the carousel music started, and the horses moved up and down. K.O. thrust out her legs and laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself. “Are you having fun yet?” she asked Wynn.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said dryly.
“Oh, come on, Wynn, relax. Have some fun.”
Suddenly he leaned forward, as if he were riding for the Pony Express. He let out a cry that sounded like sheer joy.
“That was fun,” Wynn told her, climbing down when the carousel stopped. He put his hands on her waist and she felt the heat of his touch in every part of her body.
“You liked it?”
“Do you want to go again?” he asked.
The line was much longer now. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ve always wanted to do that. I felt like a child all over again,” he said enthusiastically.
“A Free Child?” she asked in a mischievous voice.
“Yes, free. That’s exactly what my book’s about, allowing children freedom to become themselves,” he said seriously.
“Okay.” She was biting her tongue but managed not to say anything more. Surely there were great rewards awaiting her in heaven for such restraint.
“Would you like to stop at the bookstore?” he asked. “I like to sign copies when I’m in the neighborhood.”
“You mean an autographing?” She hoped it wouldn’t be at the same bookstore that had caused all the trouble.
“Not exactly an autographing,” Wynn explained. “The bookseller told me that a signed book is a sold book. When it’s convenient, authors often visit bookstores to sign stock.”
“Sort of a drive-by signing?” she asked, making a joke out of it.
“Yeah.” They started walking and just as she feared, they were headed in the direction of the bookstore.
As they rounded the corner and the store came into sight, her stomach tightened. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she said, implying that nothing would please her more than to linger out in the cold.
“Nonsense. There’s a small café area where you can wait in comfort.”
“Okay,” she finally agreed. Once she’d made it past the shoplifting detector K.O. felt more positive. She was afraid her mug shot had been handed out to the employees and she’d be expelled on sight.
Thankfully she didn’t see the bookseller who’d asked her to leave. That boded well. She saw Wynn chatting with a woman behind the counter. He followed her to the back of the store. Some of the tension eased from K.O.’s shoulder blades. Okay, she seemed to be safe. And she didn’t have to hide behind a coffee cup. Besides, she loved to read and since she was in a bookstore, what harm would it do to buy a book? She was in the mood for something entertaining. A romantic comedy, she decided, studying a row of titles. Without much trouble, she found one that looked perfect and started toward the cashier.
Then it happened.
Wynn was waiting up front, speaking to the very bookseller who’d banished K.O. from the store.
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, K.O. set the book aside and tiptoed toward the exit, shoulders hunched forward, head lowered.
“Katherine,” Wynn called.
With a smile frozen in place, she turned to greet Wynn and the bookseller.
“It’s you!” The woman, who wore a name tag that identified her as Shirley, glared at K.O.
She timidly raised her hand. “Hello again.”
“You two know each other?” Shirley asked Wynn in what appeared to be complete disbelief.
“Yes. This is my friend Katherine.”
The bookseller seemed to have lost her voice. She looked from Wynn to Katherine and then back.
“Good to see you again,” K.O. said. She sincerely hoped Shirley would play along and conveniently forget that unfortunate incident.
“It is you,” Shirley hissed from between clenched teeth.
“What’s this about?” Wynn asked, a puzzled expression on his face. “You’ve met before?”
“Nothing,” K.O. all but shouted.
“As a matter of fact, we have met.” Shirley’s dark eyes narrowed. “Perhaps your friend has forgotten. I, however, have not.”
So it was going to be like that, was it? “We had a difference of opinion,” K.O. told Wynn in a low voice.