Chapter 8

Nile It had been days since it happened, but I couldn’t stop thinking about our kiss. Despite all the times we had put on our “happy couple” show, that had been the first time I had felt Violet truly soften in my presence. She did her duty in front of the pack, but any affection she showed me felt stiff and unyielding. I had hoped that after living with me, she would allow me to explain why I had to leave her six years ago, but that hadn’t happened yet. Violet had done a good job of avoiding being alone with me, and it wasn’t exactly a conversation I wanted to have in front of others. I knew more work needed to be done—both with the packs and with Violet—to show everyone that this marriage had been a good decision. On the tail of the success of our last public appearance, I decided it was time for us to show our faces together once again. Luckily, Pinedale was hosting a town fair tonight. It would be the perfect opportunity to put on a show for the packs while getting some time with Violet. I entered the town square with both Violet’s and Penny’s hands in mine. Immediately, Penny’s eyes widened as she saw the vendors selling popcorn, cotton candy, and corndogs. “Daddy! Daddy! Can I have some?” she asked, pointing at the spun-sugar clouds. “Of course,” I said, leading us over to the nearest food stand. “Two cotton candies, please.” The man behind the stand spun the pink sugar onto thin cardboard sticks. He handed one to Penelope, accepted my cash, and gave me the other. I pinched a piece off the top and offered it to Violet. “Sugar for my sugar?” I said, winking at her. “Thank you,” she replied, allowing me to place the piece in her mouth. “Mm, so good.” “Do you want some more?” I asked, offering her the rest. She nodded and accepted the rest, tearing off small pieces to eat. Penelope, meanwhile, had begun biting chunks off. Her lips, cheeks, and chin were soon covered in a sticky mess. Undeterred by the state of her hands and face, she grabbed Violet and me, dragging us toward a bouncy castle that had been set up nearby. “Shoes off,” I reminded her as she ran toward the vinyl structure. Violet and I sat on a bench to watch as she played, and Violet nestled in close to me. I raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. She leaned in close, nudging my neck with her nose as she whispered in my ear. “Plenty of witnesses for our pretense,” she said quietly. Of course. I should have known better than to think she had suddenly decided to be near me willingly. “Your turn,” she said, pinching off a piece of the spun sugar and offering it to me. I stared into her eyes as she placed it on my tongue. One of her fingers brushed my bottom lip, and I had the sudden urge to lick it. Somehow, I managed to refrain, concentrating on the sweetness of the candy instead. Luckily, Penny had finished with the bounce house and came running up to us. “You ready to do something else, kiddo?” Violet asked. “How about the Ferris wheel?” Penny and I agreed that the ride sounded fun, so we got in line. While Penny chatted to us about the things she wanted to try next, I wrapped an arm around Violet’s waist. “Good evening, Nile,” the ticket holder said when we got to the front of the line. It was a member of Jasper’s pack. I was pleased to see that the Dark Moon wolves were becoming more involved in the community since their move into town. “Hi there,” I replied. “These lovely ladies and I would like a ride, please.”