Page 2 of Colton’s Inferno

“I’ve eaten more tonight than I did all week.” Ted patted his stomach. “If I keep coming back, I’m going to look like a funnel cake.”

Her grandfather laughed. Lucy smiled politely. Why did her mind go blank whenever she had to make small talk?

“Speaking of food,” said Ted. “Can you judge the pie baking contest, Rusty?” He pointed to the far side of the fairgrounds. “I’d do it myself, but I already judged the barbecue cook-off and I’m stuffed.”

“I’d be happy to,” said Rusty.

“They need you now,” Ted added.

“Then, I better get to it.” Her grandfather took a step away from Ted. She followed.

“Lucy,” said Ted. “Can you hold back a minute? There’s something I’d like to ask you?”

“Have fun, you two.” Her grandfather waggled his eyebrows up and down. Whistling to himself, he walked away.

Way to be subtle, Grandpa Rusty.

“Sure,” she said, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “What can I do for you?”

“This fair has been a huge success.”

She traced an arc in the dirt with the toe of her boot. “I’m pleased with the turnout. Especially since this is the first year.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I worry about you.”

Despite the crisp night air, her face flamed hot. “Worry about me? Why would you do that?”

“It’s just that you and Rusty are out here on your own. Your parents moved. All your uncles left, too. Your brother, God rest his soul, isn’t with us at all.”

“Your point?” she asked, her words ringing out like a warning shot.

Ted held up his hands in surrender. “I just worry that two people can’t run a ranch this size. It’s a lot of time, plus it’s expensive.”

“We’ve been getting along good so far,” she said, although that wasn’t exactly true. In recent years, the price of beef had dropped sharply. Profits had dwindled as costs had risen. It was why she brought in the carnival. Without the influx of cash, the Five Steers would be out of business by the end of the year.

Beyond the finances, Ted was right. Grandpa Rusty had a hard time getting out of bed some mornings. In the winter, his knees and shoulders ached. Lucy worked from sunup to sundown, and still it wasn’t enough.

He’d gone quiet, and she wondered if he somehow knew what she’d been thinking.

“I know what this land means to you,” he said, starting again. “Which is why I’d like to buy the ranch.”

“It’s not for sale,” she said, her throat tight.

“My grandmother—the woman who raised me—loved animals. I’d like to honor her memory by turning this place into an animal rehabilitation facility.”

Truth was that several people had asked to buy the Five Steers over the years. The ranch covered thousands of acres, touching the Canadian border in some places. She worried that the land wouldn’t be used for good. In fact, one of the people who’d made an offer was associated with the local fentanyl trade. Hell, he was the one who supplied her brother. But Ted Barrett had a plan—one that would make the world a better place. Lucy would be interested. Except… “We aren’t selling. The money we’ll make from hosting this fair will keep us open for another year.”

Ted kept talking, telling her all about his grandmother and an old horse she had when she was child. It might have been a sweet story. But honestly, Lucy wasn’t listening anymore. Her gaze had been drawn to the ring toss. A handsome man, with short brown hair and a Red Grove Fire Department shirt, was getting ready to toss a ring.

Just looking at him made Lucy wonder if Grandpa Rusty was right. Maybe she should consider dating after all.

Aiden Colton held on to the wooden ring. A grid, filled with empty two-liter bottles, was laid out four feet away. An awning covered the whole thing, and stuffed animals hung from the crossbeams. A sign read:

Five Tries, $10

One ring: Candy

Two rings: Pinwheel