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He veered left and right, working his way steadily through the
crowd, studying people’s faces. He paused while an overweight
couple waddled past him, eating corn dogs, their faces red and
blotchy. He hated fat people, thought they were weak and had no
discipline, people who complained about their blood pressure and
diabetes and heart problems and whined about the cost of
medicine, but couldn’t summon the strength to put the fork down.
Erin was always thin but her breasts were big and now she was
here with another man who fondled them at night and the
thought made him burn inside. He hated her. But he wanted her,
too. Loved her. It was hard to keep it straight in his head. He’d
been drinking too much and it was just so damn hot. Why had she
moved to a place as hellish as this?
He wandered among the carnival rides and noticed the Ferris
wheel up ahead. He moved closer, bumping into a man in a tank
top, ignoring his muttered outrage. He checked the seats on the
ride, his gaze flashing on every face. Erin wasn’t there, or in the
line, either.
He moved on, walking in the heat among the fat people, looking
for skinny Erin and the man who touched her breasts at night.
With every step, he thought about the Glock.
The swings, spinning clockwise, were a big hit with the kids.
They’d ridden them twice in the morning, and after the Ferris
wheel Kristen and Josh begged to ride them once more. There
were only a few tickets left and Alex agreed, explaining that after
this last ride they would have to go home. He wanted to have time
to shower and eat and maybe relax before he had to drive to
Raleigh.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop thinking about Katie’s
earlier suggestive remark. She seemed to sense the direction of his
thoughts, because he’d caught her staring at him a number of
times, a provocative smile playing at the corner of her lips.