From the Devil's Cradle Ch. 03

"Caleb smiled, if you could do what you wanted today what would it be?"

"Oh you'd think I'm silly."

"No I would not, tell me. What would Jessica Mendez like to do today."

"Well there is the hooky carnival around."

"I saw in the paper, over in Hutto?"

"That's the one."

"Well, are you dressed for it?"

"Not really, I'd need shorts and another top and shoes."

"Tell you what, you go change, I can pick you up or you can meet me at my place, and we will go to the hooky fair."

Jessica smiled till her cheeks hurt.

"I mean if you want."

"I want. I will meet you at your place say forty-five minutes."

"Sounds good."

"I mean you promised to fix me dinner so we should end up back at your place," Jessica said giving a sly smile.

A hearty laugh from Caleb, "I most certainly did, and we can decide what's for dinner and pick it up on the way home and I can fix it."

Caleb and Jessica had a wonderful time at the fair. Both were acting like lovesick teenagers, Jessica had actually got Caleb to indulge in fair food, his first. He'd never had cotton candy and decided it was his new vice. Never really eating sweets he found he liked it a lot. Caleb's pitching arm was still good and won her a three-foot teddy bear, she said she would call him Sparky, that made Caleb laugh to tears. Both were so stuffed, they agreed to fix dinner another night. Caleb was almost sure; Jessica was wanting to spend the night and Jessica was sure she was going to.

Pulling up in his drive he sat with the truck running looking at the house. Jessica noticed how his eyes seemed to be searching for something as she talked about what to do their next date.

"Caleb what's wrong?"