Satisfaction settled over Nick.
Down near the lake the carnival was in full swing. Two black ponies led by a woman with long braids plodded along the path beside the lake, their young riders clutching at the reins.
Things were finally going better, he decided as Candace slowed the stroller, in which Jennie was still sleeping, and brought it to a halt.
Changing Candace’s belief that he was a poor parent hadn’t been as easy as he’d thought it would be. For one thing, Nick found it difficult to talk about himself. For another, while he’d vowed to spend more time with Jennie and to behave more like her father, that meant changing habits of a lifetime. He would do it. He’d already made great strides in spending more time at home. Hell, even Pauline and his sister had noticed. Nick had every intention of honoring the promise he’d made to Jennie the day she’d almost ended up in the lake—except he’d never been the kind of man who wore his heart on his sleeve.
Fortunately, his plan of inviting Candace to see firsthand the family-friendly empire he’d built had been nicely jump-started with Bertha’s zealous endorsement. He could’ve kissed the woman who’d played such an important role in his life.
How could Candace not reconsider her low opinion of him?
A little way down the rolling bank, he caught sight of his sister waving frantically. “There’s Alison,” he told Candace. “Come on, if Jennie wakes up she can play with her cousins.”
They reached the lake, and he introduced Candace to his sister’s husband, Richard, while their two sons crowded around—the four- and six-year-old both talking at once.
“Can we go see Princess Piggy?”
Nick shuddered theatrically.
“Scoot,” their father ordered.
“Can we have money to get some cotton candy?”
Alison rolled her eyes. “I’m sure your dad will give you money…be back in ten minutes.”
“I might go with them,” said Richard. “Just to make sure they don’t get into trouble.”
As the boys and their father disappeared around the bend in the path, Alison turned to Candace and shook her head. “Kids! You’re lucky you don’t have any.”
As Nick glared at his sister, Alison immediately realized her mistake. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Candace, that was tactless, I wasn’t thinking.”
“Who’s Princess Piggy?” asked Candace in what Nick was sure was a brave attempt to distract his sister.
Alison brightened up. “Haven’t you seen the kissing booth? You ought to get Nick to take you—it’s his favorite booth.” Alison grinned.
Candace shot Nick a wary glance. Nick could’ve rung his sister’s neck. “That’s not very nice.”
Alison hooked her arms through his and Candace’s and bore them both along with her. “See? There’s Princess Piggy.”
Inside a fully enclosed booth was a pink pig sporting a strapped-on glitzy rhinestone crown and a passion-pink satin sash. Nick grimaced and his sister giggled.
“Look at Nick’s face,” she whispered to Candace loudly enough for Nick to hear.
He watched as Candace glanced up at him and her gray eyes started to smile. Nick fought to keep his face impassive and not give away the effect she had on him. “The funds we raise today will be donated to charity,” Nick explained. “Princess Piggy’s stall is often one of the most successful.”
“People pay to kiss a pig?” The doubtful look Candace cast the Kiss-the-Princess banner above the stall told Nick what she thought of the idea.
Nick pointed to a row of glass jars with names written on the front in black marker, each containing money. “See those jars? People pay for someone else to kiss the pig. Around midday the contents are tallied up, and the person with the most monetary ‘votes’ in his jar is tracked down and forced to kiss the Princess.” Nick gave the porker a sour look.
“I take it you’ve had to do that in years past?”
“My staff seem to think it’s extremely amusing.”
“The proceeds go to charity and Nick’s a good sport.” Alison pointed at the first jar. “I think I see your name there again this year.”
Nick groaned.
Beside him he heard Candace laugh, which almost made the prospect of kissing Princess palatable today.
“And here I imagined everyone was queuing up to kiss the prettiest woman at the fair.” Amusement lingered in Candace’s voice.
Had she been jealous? Nick found the notion curiously heartening. But Candace bent forward over the railing, preventing him from reading the expression on her face.
“Princess Piggy’s quite cute,” said Candace.