Page 89 of Knot Convenient

“Really?”

He nodded solemnly as we slowly moved through the line. “He hates them.”

“What are you afraid of, then?” I asked.

Marshall shook his head. “Nothing. I am completely fearless.”

“Lies!” I laughed. “Everyone is scared of something.”

“Undercooked pizza? Does that count?”

I rolled my eyes, but my retort was cut off when we reached the front of the line. The worker directed us to step into the little carriage.

My heartbeat accelerated as we sat down in the swinging chair and secured our lap bar. After a moment or two, the wheel moved to let on another couple and then another and another. Before I knew it, we were at the top, and the wind whistled gently over our skin. It was cozy and exhilarating all at once.

“This is amazing! You can see the whole town!” I exclaimed, looking through the open space between the bars in awe.

“Nothing says small town quite like being able to see the whole thing from a Ferris wheel.”

“And a fair run by high schoolers.” I smiled, and Marshall pulled me close again, Goosifer tucked under one arm.

As the wheel went around in a slow rhythm, we fell into easy silence, comfortable in each other’s presence. When we were at the top again, I looked over at Marshall and snuggled into his chest.

“Kiss me while we’re on top of the world?”

He laughed, cupping my cheek. “I’ll kiss you wherever we are.”

It was so perfect, and when we got back down, Marshall eagerly took Milo back from Emmett, and we chatted in front of the Ferris wheel while we waited for Tobias and Noah.

“Do you want a photo with Milo? It’s a beautiful day…blue skies, puffy white clouds…” Marshall asked.

I nodded, touched that he’d thought of that. While I had plenty of photos of Milo, I didn’t have many of us together because it was usually me behind the camera. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I’ll swap you the goose for the baby.”

I thought about it for a moment. “Actually, do you think you could get a photo of all of us together? You’ve got much longer arms than me.”

Marshall’s brows shot up, and he was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly shook it off, breaking into a smile as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, leaving Milo in his baby carrier.

“I can do that,” he assured me, twisting his body so we all fit into the screen, the giant goose included.

It was a beautiful photo.

“Can you send that to me?” I asked as he turned back to face me.

“Of course,” he said, nodding, and did it right then and there. He also just so happened to change his phone’s background to it. I don’t know if he wanted me to see or not, but it gave me the warmest, fullest feeling deep in my chest.

Marshall looked up at the Ferris wheel behind us, then turned back to me, his expression a bit more serious as Emmett went off to get the others.

“You know, Summer, there is something I’m afraid of.”

Grinning, I teased, “Spiders? I knew it was spiders!”

He shook his head. “Nah, spiders are easy. Just squish ’em.”

“I’ll remember that next time a big one is in the house. So, tell me, what is the big, bad, scary Marshall afraid of?”

He gazed intently at me, the kind of look that pierced me straight to my soul. When he spoke, his voice was almost painfully sincere. “I’m scared of losing you.”