Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,42

Liam bought me every snack we passed. I was on a sugar high, but that didn’t stop me from eating the pink cotton candy he held out to me.

The sun was falling behind the mountains and the bright lights of the fair were lighting up the sky.

We were sitting at a small picnic table, taking a break as I stuffed the cotton candy in my mouth, and I was watching this little boy try over and over to win a giant stuffed teddy bear.

He was cute. Probably about seven. His light brown hair was pushed to the side out of his face, and his little face was scrunched in concentration as he threw the football again and missed.

I was pretty positive the game was rigged. The small tire that hung from the rope had the smallest damn opening in the center, and no matter how close he got, the dang ball didn’t even consider going through it.

I tore off another piece of cotton candy and watched him. His poor mama had probably already spent twenty dollars on missed throws. I didn’t even notice that Liam had got up from our table, not until he was standing beside the boy with a twenty in his hand.

The person behind the stand took his money and put three footballs down in front of him. Liam didn’t talk to the little boy and the little boy didn’t talk to him, but he was watching him. He watched every step Liam made as he grabbed the football in his hands and lined up his body for the throw.

The first ball hit the center of the tire, but ricocheted off the rubber and landed at the feet of the fair employee. The little boy moved a bit closer to get a better view.

Liam threw it again, this time the ball went directly through the hole. A bunch of little sirens went off and lights within the booth started flashing. The employee smiled and grabbed a teddy bear as big as Liam off a hook. Liam took the bear and set it down at his feet. He still had a ball left.

The boy was staring at his bear, and I couldn’t believe that Liam didn’t notice him. He could have given him the dang bear and saved his mama the money, but he didn’t. He tossed the football in his hands and stared at the tire.

I tore off another piece of cotton candy and stuffed it in my mouth.

Liam looked down at the boy then, and they seemed to study each other while Liam continued to toss the ball. Up and down. Up and down. He nodded his head, motioning in his direction, and the boy took a step closer to him as Liam crouched down.

“What is he doing?” I asked out loud, and I almost forgot that Sophie and Jase were still at the table until one of them answered.

“It looks like he’s giving him a lesson.”

I looked over at Jase, and he too was watching his friend.

I couldn’t tell what Liam was saying, but the boy kept nodding his head like he understood him. Liam stood and handed the boy the ball. He motioned to his legs, showing the boy how to widen his stance and he followed Liam’s every move.

The boy lined up to throw the ball, but Liam stopped him again. He cocked his arm back as if he was getting ready to throw then showed him how to do the same.

This time when the boy threw the ball it almost went in. When it hit the ground, you could see the devastation on his face, but Liam wasn’t having any of it. He helped line him back up and grabbed another football for him to throw.

They threw five more balls before one finally went in.

The boy lit up as the booth did the same, and he high-fived Liam with the biggest grin on his face as the employee handed him a matching teddy bear as Liam’s. His mom was grinning at them both, and if I couldn’t see the pure relief in her eyes, I might have been worried about the way she grabbed Liam’s arm and pulled him in a hug.

Liam tousled the boy’s hair before grabbing the giant teddy bear and making his way over to us. He had the biggest grin on his face as he made his way toward us, but he tried to hide it.

He held the teddy bear under his arm, but as soon as he