Audrey glanced over and stifled a shudder. Ugh, guns. “You want to shoot those poor ducks?”
Piper grinned up at her. “They’re not real ducks. They’re just pretend for the game.”
“How about the ring toss?” Audrey didn’t have the guts to admit how awful her aim was.
Piper made a face. “That’s for babies. I wanna shoot ducks.” Piper pointed a long, skinny arm at the game in questions. “’Cause look, you can win that giant cowboy hat.”
Audrey slanted the girl a look. “I thought you wanted the pink giraffe?”
“No, I want the hat. ’Cause I can wear it to school, and everyone will think it’s cool.”
Audrey resigned herself to her fate and made their way to the game. “I don’t think you can wear a hat that big to school.”
Piper bounced on her feet as they stood in front of the booth. “I can on hat day.”
Oh. Hat day. Well, then, she’d get Piper the damn hat.
The kid behind the booth handed Audrey the fake rifle and gave instructions. Basically shoot the ducks with…whatever this gun shot out.
It wasn’t, like, real bullets, was it?
Audrey raised the gun as the ducks came to life and spun around in circles. She missed the first two shots and felt an actual trickle of sweat slide down her spine. After all, she only had three shots to win the stupid hat, and Piper was watching with growing concern.
“That’s just about the worst shooting I’ve ever seen.”
Audrey’s hand jerked at the sound of the deep voice behind her. Luckily her finger hadn’t been on the trigger, otherwise she would have wasted her last shot. Then she’d have been in deep water with an expectant six-year-old.
She turned and clapped eyes with Cameron, and tried not to react at how he looked in his dark gray sweater and blue jeans.
“You think you can do better?” she taunted.
Cameron wagged his fingers at her. “Give me that thing.”
She passed over the gun and stepped aside. The game was still going, the ducks still spinning in circles like little yellow maniacs.
Beside her, Piper was practically bursting with energy. “You have you to win that prize, Uncle Cameron,” Piper quipped.
“Yeah, watch how it’s done,” he told Piper, but his gaze was on Audrey.
She shivered at his low tone and how the fake gun looked cradled in his big hands—as though the thing belonged there, and he’d done it before. “Those ducks are demonic,” she warned him. “Look, they’re laughing at you.”
Cameron slid her a look as he set the gun in place. “Pretty sure that’s quacking.”
She leaned closer and whispered, “Laughing.”
Cameron chuckled and set his sights on his target. “Sore loser, much?” Then he squeezed the trigger and one of the ducks was knocked over, signaling a bell, indicating he’d won.
When Piper realized what her uncle had done, she jumped up and down and held her hands out for the giant hat. The attendant behind the booth plopped the thing on her head, and it immediately slid down and covered her face.
Cameron picked the hat up and settled it more firmly on Piper’s head. “Looks good on you, kid,” he told her.
Audrey snorted. “It’s ridiculous.”
Cameron grinned as Piper adjusted the hat. “I think you’re jealous that you don’t have one of your own. Want me to win you one?”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “I think you’ve shown off enough for one night.”
“Thanks for my hat, Uncle Cameron,” Piper exclaimed. “Can we go win the giraffe now?”
“I’m all out of cash, squirt. How about another ride?”
But Piper didn’t even hear Cameron’s offer. “I see my friend Anna from school.” Piper looked up at them and pointed off in the distance. “Can I go ride the bumper cars with her?”
“Sure,” Cameron told her, and the three of them made their way from the games back to the rides.
Once there, Piper handed over her hat, because the thing kept slipping over her eyes, and ran off to join her friend. The two girls squealed as they were led into the riding zone and got to pick their cars.
“Don’t you think she’s too small to sit in one of those by herself?” Audrey questioned. “Maybe I should ride with her.”
Cameron leaned toward her. “You’re fussing again,” he said in a low voice.
Audrey blew out a breath as she watched a giant grin light up Piper’s face. “You’re right.”
Cameron leaned his forearms on the railing. “First time at a fair?”
“No, she’s been before,” Audrey answered.
Cameron’s mouth quirked. “I meant you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Funny.” Audrey sobered as she watched Piper. “The first fair she went to was with her grandfather.”
Cameron watched her for a moment. “My father?”
Audrey nodded, knowing she had be careful when broaching the subject of Cameron’s family life. All this time she’d spent with him, and she still didn’t know much about his relationship with his dad or Dianna. She wanted to know more, because she had a feeling that past was what made the man tick.
“Actually, Piper doesn’t remember,” Audrey added. “She was just a baby. Your dad had come to town to visit, and he took Dianna and Piper to some fall fair in Denver.” She risked a glance at him, but he was watching Piper. “It was one of the last times they were together.”
Cameron grunted. “The old man was never much into family time.” He looked at her briefly, but it was long enough to see the tumult in his gaze. “It was more than he ever did with me.”
“Dianna always thought he was trying to absolve his guilt,” Audrey said. “Trying to spend time with her to make up for what he did to you.”
“Good of him,” Cameron muttered.
Audrey ran her finger along the edge of the railing. “If it makes you feel better…” But her voice trailed off, because she and Cameron had seemed to find a temporary reprieve and she didn’t want to spoil it.
“What?” he asked as he looked at her.
Audrey pulled her gaze away from his long lashes. “Dianna and your dad were