The Ride of Her Life (29 page)

“That special track section is the same height as the ones in the car shed. We can easily move cars onto it, wheel it in place, and slide them off. Watch.”

Sean and two other workers pushed the section holding one of the two-seated red cars into the vacant slot. The newly arrived cars sported leather seats with yellow curlicue designs on the side panels and a safety bar inside for the rider to hold on to.

Once the car-bearing track was in place, Forest and Lars helped Sean roll the car from the temporary track onto the regular one. Forest held it in place while Sean pulled the wheeled section away. Finally, he tugged the original track section from beneath the walkway and secured the latches on each end.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Nick beamed.

“If it runs,” Mr. Nash said from behind them.

“It’ll run.” Nick stood. “Okay, let’s get those sandbags loaded into the car. Percy, be prepared to push the car around to the chain lift when I say so.”

Nick waited until the guys put the sandbags in the cars, then checked the placement of the bags. He patted the top one and turned to Levi. “Are you ready to make this work?”

Levi nodded.

“Okay, when I count to three, help me move this lever forward. One, two, three.”

Levi’s face scrunched with effort as he pushed, but Nick still had to help. The motor began to crank the chain on the lift hill with a steady chinking sound. He watched it for several minutes. So far, so good.

Nick waved to Percy, and the young man wheeled the sandbag-filled car around the loading station’s track until it reached the foot of the lift hill. The lift chain grabbed the chain dog beneath the car and began to carry the car up the first forty-two-foot climb.

No one spoke. The crowd seemed to hold its breath.

Nick squeezed Lilly’s hand.

Please, God, let this work.

28

The car climbed the first hill, clacking as it passed over each anti-rollback board, ticking off the footage to the summit with clocklike precision. Lilly reminded herself to breathe, but when the car reached the summit, rolled around the first curve, and made its descent, her breath caught. She pressed her hand to her mouth.

The crowd cheered.

Lilly glanced at Nick. He kept his eyes on the car as it rose and dipped and clunked around each corner. By the time it made it back to the loading station, its speed had slowed considerably. Percy applied the brakes, and the car came to a rest.

Nick’s crew clapped one another on the back, and several men shook Nick’s hand. Leaning to his right, he bent to speak into Lilly’s ear in order to be heard above the celebration. “If we weren’t in front of a couple hundred people, I’d kiss you senseless.”

“And if you did, I’d send you on a roller coaster ride to the moon.”

He chuckled. “Percy, let’s get some of these sandbags out. Time for me to go for a ride.”

Lilly grabbed his arm. Fear jolted through her. “You’re going to ride now? But it’s only had one test run.”

“And now it will have two—only this time I’ll be the passenger.”

“But—”

He covered her hand. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Trust you?
Lilly stared as Nick climbed into the backseat of the roller coaster car. Her heart pounded like a drum against her rib cage. Trusting Nick wasn’t the issue. Trusting a contraption that could catapult him halfway across the Midway before he could blink concerned her.

Percy pushed the car around the track to the base of the lift hill again. Nick waved to her and the crowd, but Lilly couldn’t look as the car began to climb. Still, the urge to see forced her to open her eyes. Each time the car passed one of the forest-green anti-rollback boards, she wanted to cheer. The car cleared the first curve, then plunged into the first dive and flew up the other side. Lilly sucked in her breath. The car continued on its path, twisting around the curves of the figure-eight layout and through the undulating dips and rises.

Prior to reaching the next curve, the car came to an abrupt halt. Nick grabbed the safety bar in front of him and braced his arms. If he hadn’t, Lilly was certain he’d have been thrown from the car.

Sean moaned.

“Look, Mama!” Levi tugged on her skirt.

With slow, deliberate movements, Nick climbed into the front seat. He tossed one of the sandbags into the back, then stood, holding on to the safety bar for balance.

Lilly turned to Sean. “What’s he doing?”

“If there’s somethin’ wrong with the car, he’ll have to push it all the way back. If the car slowed because of the track, he’ll have to push it to get it going again. Either way, I bet the lad will be tired when he gets back.”

Nick stuck one foot out of the car and pushed off of the high sideboards along the track. The car began to move again. Did Nick do these things every day? What if he slipped and fell? He had to be over twenty feet in the air.

As if he were running beside a sled, Nick continued to urge the car along. It picked up speed after rolling down the last hill but limped its way into the loading shed.

After the car stopped, he stepped onto the boarded walkway. He looked at Forest and Lars. “We’ll need to smooth out the track before the number three curve. Can you two get on that right away?” He walked over to Lilly. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

“Standing here watching you almost kill yourself? No, that wasn’t bad at all.” She could scarcely speak over the lump in her throat. She grabbed her son’s hand. “Come on, Levi.” She strode from the platform. The crowds around the fence had begun to disperse, and except for Marguerite, Trip, Mark, Emily, and Carter, she recognized few remaining faces. “We need to get back before this crowd all decides the show’s over and wants to eat.”

“Lilly, wait,” Nick called.

She stopped on the loading station’s last step but didn’t turn. Tears burned her eyes. How dare he take those kinds of chances? What if Levi had seen him fall?

Nick touched her arm. “I’m sorry I scared you. I think it looks worse than it is.”

“Was it fun, Mr. Nick?” Levi tried to spin around to see the roller coaster again.

“Yes, Levi, it was.” Nick tousled his hair. “I know what I’m doing, and I was perfectly safe the whole time.”

“You couldn’t have been.” Her voice came out pinched. “You were nearly thrown out of that thing.”

“Lilly, it’s my job.” He tilted her head to see her face. “Are you crying?”

She pulled free and cleared her throat. “As I said, I have work to do and so do you. I need to be on my way.”

“I promise you I was not in any real danger.” Nick fell in step beside her. They reached the turnstile, and he caught her hand. “Let’s celebrate tonight. I already told the crew I was letting them leave early as a reward for all of their hard work in getting the coaster going, so you don’t need to make them dinner. We’ll have dinner at Louie’s French Restaurant, then go to the new vaudeville show.”

“Vaudeville, Nick? I don’t know.” Besides, she wasn’t ready to stop being furious yet.

“I checked. The poster says the show is family friendly.” He gave her a lilting smile and tipped his head toward the roller coaster. “Besides, don’t you think I deserve a little celebration?”

Levi jumped up and down. “Please, Mama. Let’s go cell-break with Mr. Nick.”

“Yeah, Lilly, cell-break with me.”

The infectious sparkle in his eyes touched her, and her resolve to be angry at him for risking his life ebbed. Maybe she’d overreacted. He’d been doing this for a long time, and he didn’t seem to be careless in any other way. Besides, like he said, it was his job.

He locked his hopeful gaze on her. Those cobalt eyes should be considered lethal weapons.

She sighed. “I suppose you do deserve to celebrate. Your coaster is rather impressive—except for the almost killing yourself part.”

“Remember, I told you I wasn’t in any danger.”

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a cheeky grin. “But you will be if I see you doing anything dangerous like that again.”

Customer after customer entered Thorton’s Lunch Counter. Lilly wiped a hand across her brow. If crowds continued like this all summer, they’d need more help. As it was, she’d not had a moment to breathe all afternoon.

She opened the oven door, and the sweet scent of cherry pie tickled her taste buds. Before all the pie was gone, she’d save a piece for Nick for the evening. She imagined he’d be too busy to come get one for himself.

Eugenia rushed into the kitchen. “He’s here!”

“Who?”

“Mark Westing.” Eugenia patted her frizzy hair into place. “What do I do?”

“Take his order. And remember we only have two entrée choices on the menu today. Pulled pork sandwiches and those new hot dogs on rolls.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Eugenia smoothed her surprisingly clean apron. “Do I look okay?”

Lilly wiped the smudge of mustard from the girl’s cheek. “You look lovely.”

Gathering her skirt in her hand, Eugenia hurried out. Unable to resist watching the scene unfold, Lilly finished removing the pies and followed Eugenia into the dining room a few seconds later.

“We have papple, cherry, and cheach pie.” Eugenia’s cheeks filled with color. “I mean apple, cherry, and peach pie. Would you like a slice? Not of each of them, of course, but one of them? Nobody would eat all three, but if you want to, that’s fine too.”

Lilly snickered and refilled a customer’s coffee cup at a table near Mark’s. Poor Eugenia. All aflutter simply being in the presence of Marguerite’s handsome little brother.

Mark chuckled. “I’d love a piece of cherry pie, Miss Baker. And if Lilly can spare you, would you care to join me?”

“Me?” Eugenia squeaked. “Here? Now?”

“Yes.” He laughed again. “Be sure to select a piece of pie for yourself as well. My treat.”

Lilly stepped back into the kitchen and pressed her hand to her mouth. Had she heard that correctly? Eugenia was going to be over the moon for a month. If Mark was indeed interested in her, it would explain why he’d been hanging around so much. Lilly shrugged. She’d seen stranger matches, but she wouldn’t have predicted this in a hundred years.

Eugenia flew into the room. “He wants me to eat pie with him!”

“Shhh.” Lilly held up her finger. “You don’t want to give him the impression that you are overeager.”

Clasping her hands to her chest, Eugenia cast a dreamy look at the ceiling. “Oh, but I like him so much. Wouldn’t he make the most wonderful husband?”

“Husband? Eugenia, it’s pie, not a proposal.” Lilly took hold of Eugenia’s shoulders. “Why don’t you focus on the moment? What did he want to eat?”

“Just pie—with me.”

“Any particular kind?” Lilly stepped to the Hoosier cabinet where the two hot pies now rested and pulled out a knife.

“I’ll have peach.”

“No, Eugenia, not you. What does Mark want?”

“Red-cherry pie for his red-cherry lips,” she said dreamily.

Lilly rolled her eyes and cut a slice from the fresh pie. She slid it onto an ironware plate. “Take this out to him. Then I’ll cut you a piece of peach from one of the pies in the pie safe out front. Be careful now. This is still warm.”

After taking the pie, Eugenia nearly ran from the room. Lilly eased out the door behind her.

“Here’s your cherry pie.” Eugenia thrust the plate toward Mark, and the pie slid off, flying onto his crisp, white shirt. He yelped and pulled his shirt away from his chest. The steamy cherry filling oozed down the front, leaving a crimson trail.

“Oh my goodness.” Eugenia’s hand shot to her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”

Mark removed a chunk of crust from his lap and dropped it on the empty plate. His eyebrows cocked, he smiled at her. “Do you suppose you could find me a towel?”

“Yes, of course. Hold on. I’ll get something and clean you right up.”

Before Lilly could intercede, Eugenia snagged a towel from the lunch counter and rushed back to Mark. She extended her hand toward his shirt.

“I can take care of it.” Mark reached for the towel.

“No, it’s the least I can do.” Eugenia began to mop the cherry filling with the towel, but it left yellow mustard streaks in its wake. “Oh my.” She stopped and stared at the mess.

Lilly hurried over with a fresh, damp cloth. “Here you go, Mark. This ought to take off the worst of the damage. Eugenia, why don’t you go in the kitchen and cut Mark another slice of pie?”

“Yes, of course.” With tears in her eyes, the girl scurried away.

“It didn’t burn you, did it?” Lilly watched him gingerly dab at the stain.

“No, it wasn’t that warm. It surprised me more than anything.”

“Let me get you some coffee, and if you bring that shirt back later, I’ll wash it for you. A little lemon juice will work magic on those cherry stains.”

Lilly brought Mark a fresh cup of coffee, and Eugenia arrived with the pie. Using both hands, she set the slice on the table. “I really am sorry.”

Mark grinned at her. “Don’t worry about it. So, where’s your pie?”

“But after—I didn’t think you’d—I didn’t get a slice.” Eugenia balled her apron.

Lilly slipped away and returned with a slice of peach pie. “Here you go, Eugenia. Now sit down and enjoy it.” She winked. “And try to keep the pie on the plate.”