else.” Like, Penny Fitch at the high school.

“Are you sure of that?” Carol approached, touched her arm. “Why don't you

ask him if it's more than that?”

Ask him? Like, with words? Did Kate even really want to know? They'd had

a rough enough time just getting back to square one as friends, hadn't they? And,

yeah, maybe there was some flirting, but that was harmless, right?

Did she really want to risk complicating a friendship by having to wallow through some painful “Do you like like me?” conversation like a blushing,

blubbering school girl?

Carol touched her arm again. “Kate, what is your heart telling you?”

What was this, a Disney movie? She smiled, gave her friend an arm squeeze

back. “It's telling me I need to get to work.”

Chapter Sixteen

Kate followed Carol up the concrete stairs. Even though the vinyl letters on the

back door of the old gym announced Golden Grove Community Center, too

many memories still made it high school to her. The same metal railings, same

worn slatted maple floors. It was the smell that got her most, that scent of dust

and wax and history. She swallowed.

She'd wondered on the walk here whether there would be some kind of big

moment when she stepped inside the gym. Some heart-stabbing revelation,

dropping her to her knees in a flood of anguished memories. This was the heart

of it all, right? The Scholarship Fair, the betrayal.

She scanned the corners of the room, along the walls, half-expecting there to

still be bits of broken glass hidden along the edges.

But, nothing. It was just a normal room full of milling people.

Carol, carrying a small box, led her across the floor. People milled all around

her, some carrying more boxes, toting children. None she recognized. Yet, anyway.

The carnival was opening its doors in about fifteen minutes. The plan was to

stick close to Carol, help at the art booth, not wander. Maybe say hi to Peter at

the balloon dart booth, of course. Had to be neighborly.

Speaking of which…

Peter waved from the hallway. Hmm. Could a wave be sexy? She decided it

could.

“Ladies, lovely as always,” Peter said, blue eyes simmering.

Whoa, was Carol blushing? The schmoozer. Wait, was she blushing?

“Should be a big crowd tonight.” Carol grinned, shoving the box at her.

“Kate, can you take these paints to that table, please? I have to check in with Marcie.”

“Here, I can take that.” Peter reached for the box and led the way to the face-

painting booth.

“Thanks,” Kate said once they were at the streamer-decorated table.

He gave her a friendly thunk on the shoulder. “I'll be across the way. If you

need me.”

He ambled through the growing crowd, half a dozen people stopping him to

say hi on the way.

Carol returned. “Okay, we set here?”

“Oh. Sorry.” Kate began to sifting through the box. It was packed with brushes, sponges, and small jars of various colors. “I've never done this before,”

she told Carol, who was busy sorting bills in a metal cash drawer.

“Oh, nothing to it. I did it last year. Here.” She pushed a laminated card across the table. “Here are the designs they can choose from.”

Kate slid the paper towards her. Butterflies, teddy bears, flowers, hearts.

Seemed simple enough.

The gym was becoming noisier as more people filtered in. She swallowed, smiled at a family wandering past. A little girl tugged at her mom's hand, pointing at Kate's table.