10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I stop in the middle of University Hospital's lobby, peel the visitor's sticker off my sweater, and button up my coat. I then step outside. The late-afternoon air is delightfully crisp, the sun is bright, and the trees are showing off peak autumn colors. This is going to be a perfect evening to attend Lakewood's Fall Festival, which is held at the fairgrounds each year.

I pull my phone from my purse and check the time. My day in the outpatient OBGYN clinic concluded sooner than expected because the doctor had to rush off to care for one of her patients who arrived to the emergency department in early labor. So I have some time before I'm scheduled to meet Savannah at the Fall Festival after she gets off work. I'm about to text Sav that I'll meet her at the Coffee Loft instead, but then I notice that my wallet isn't in my purse. I must have left it in the clinic's break room when I used my credit card to order lunch.

I dash back inside and scurry through the hallways to reach the OBGYN clinic. To my relief, the clinic hasn't yet closed; the receptionists are calling the rest of the doctor's scheduled patients to let them know that today's appointments need to be changed. I give the receptionists a wave before walking fast to the break room. To my relief, my wallet is on the counter where I left it. I stuff it into my bag and retrace my steps out of the clinic and toward the lobby. As I go, I begin composing my text to Savannah, but as I round a corner, I stumble to a stop.

Joel is out in the pediatric play area with a patient.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a view of the enclosed outdoor oasis, I can see Joel standing at one end of the mini basketball court. He's talking to a little girl who can't be more than five. She's dressed in a hospital gown, a big coat, and bright pink sweatpants. Her hair is in pigtails. She has a little nasogastric tube taped to the side of her chubby cheek, and she's holding a small basketball while beaming at Joel with the biggest smile her tiny face can muster. Meanwhile, a man and a woman who must be the girl's parents are watching from nearby and taking photos.

Joel says something to the little girl. She nods with earnestness, and then her brow furrows with concentration as she flings the little basketball up to the child-height hoop. The ball falls through the net for a basket. The girl laughs and claps. Her parents cheer. Joel smiles as he gets down on one knee and hands the girl the ball again. She promptly drops the basketball and throws her arms around Joel's neck and gives him a hug.

I am not crying. I am not crying.

Okay, so I'm crying.

Joel gently slips the little girl's arms from his neck, stands, takes her by the hand, and walks her over to her parents. I'm almost breathless as I watch. This is Joel Lambert. This is the most famous athlete in the region. This is a man who's getting inundated with offers to play sports at the professional level and coach elite college teams. This is a man who's brilliant, thoughtful, humble, and wise.

The man I'm beginning to fall in love with.

I nearly gasp aloud. Yes, in spite of my efforts to fight it, I am starting to fall in love with Joel Lambert.

My heart begins pounding as the epiphany soaks in. I'm falling in love with Joel. In love . It's the most incredible, petrifying, confusing, glorious feeling I've ever experienced. I . . .

I can't fall in love, though. Joel doesn't want a relationship, and I don't have time for romance no matter how I may yearn for it.

I look again through the windows. Just then, Joel happens to glance in my direction. He does a double take when he notices me, and he breaks into a smile. More fire sparks in my core. I can't help it. Though it has only been twenty-four hours since we were at the Coffee Loft together, I've missed him and longed to be with him again.

Because I'm falling in love with him.

" Wait there ," Joel mouths to me.

Joel goes back to speaking to the girl's parents, and he shakes their hands. The parents take more pictures. Joel then walks with the family through the doors that lead into the hallway of the pediatric wing, and they disappear from view. For a microsecond, I consider running out of the hospital and not looking back. I could pretend that I didn't see Joel ask me to wait. In fact, I should run out of here. I'm on the verge of falling completely in love with him, and putting distance between us would be the prudent thing to do.

Yet I don't go anywhere.

Before I'm ready, I spot Joel exiting the pediatric wing. Through the glass walls, I see him go to the end of the corridor and take a right. A heartbeat later, he reappears into view as he enters the lobby. Soon, other people begin noticing him, yet Joel doesn't seem affected in the slightest. His eyes stay on mine as he comes my way.

"Hi, Danielle." Joel reaches my side.

I gape at him. How in the world am I supposed to chat with the man I've just realized I'm starting to fall in love with?

"Hi," I eke out.

"Were you shadowing a doc today?"

I nod stiffly. "Yes, in the OBGYN clinic."

"How did it go?"

"It was fantastic." I'm speaking in robotic-sounding sentences. I feel like every word coming out of my mouth is embedded with I'm falling in love with you, and I'm petrified that Joel will somehow figure this out. "The attending had to leave early, though, because a patient of hers went into labor."

Joel zips up his jacket. "Does that mean you're done for the day?"

"Yes. I'm done here, anyway." I start walking with him toward the exit. "I'm taking the bus out to the Fall Festival to meet Savannah."

Joel shoots me a curious side-glance. "The Fall Festival?"

I stop in my tracks, causing Joel to do the same. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of it. It's one of the best events of the year."

Joel chuckles at my horrified expression. "Actually, now that you mention it, it does ring a bell. I think that's where my parents took my sisters and me when we were young. These days, I guess I'm so absorbed with sports and school that I don't know what else is going on."

"That I understand." I sigh as we step out the door. "There's a lot I miss out on, too. The Fall Festival, however, is something I make sure never to miss. The hayrides, the caramel corn, the pumpkin patch . . . it's so idyllic that I squeeze it into my schedule even if it means staying up extra late afterward to catch up on studying."

Joel smiles again. "It sounds awesome."

I blink in the sunshine and observe him. If I'm not mistaken, he's being serious. Joel genuinely thinks the festival sounds like a good time. Never would I have thought that macho Joel Lambert would enjoy getting lost in a corn maze. Then again, every day I'm learning there's far more to him than I once believed.

"How about I drive you over to the fairgrounds so you don't have to ride the bus? It's a long way from here." Joel pulls a pair of sunglasses from his jacket pocket and slips them on.

For a second, I can't respond. I already know, of course, that when Joel dons his reading glasses, he's off-the-charts sexy. Now I'm discovering that Joel in sunglasses is a vision of pure hunky-ness. Mercifully, I finally manage to snap out of my daze enough to reply with:

"Thanks for asking, but I'm sure you have schoolwork or basketball to―"

"We had practice this morning, and my schoolwork can wait, just like yours." He grins. "I would be honored to drive you out there, Ms. Gillespie."

I smile in return. "Then I appreciate the offer, Mr. Lambert. Thank you."

Joel is still grinning as he tips his head toward the parking garage. "This way."

We fall into silence as we walk to his car. Once again, though, the silence isn't weird or strained. I continue to marvel that this famous college athlete makes me feel comfortable being myself . . . and also feverishly, dangerously exhilarated.

It's all the more reason why my heart is going to shatter when we go our separate ways.

Joel's vehicle chirps as he unlocks it, and he opens my door. I blush incriminatingly as I slip past him to get inside. He closes my door, goes around the front of the vehicle, and gets into the driver's seat. He navigates out of the garage and flips on the radio. Classical music begins playing.

"Whoops. Sorry. I'll change the station." Joel reaches for the radio again.

"Please don't change it. I love classical music." I look his way. "It's particularly soothing whenever I'm worried about a test or overwhelmed with everything I need to do."

"I know what you mean."

We share a look that launches fireworks within me, and then Joel goes back to watching the road. I also stare out the windshield, deciding that it's best not to move much or say more; I'm afraid that anything I do may give away that I'm falling in love with him . So instead, the stirring sounds of Tchaikovsky accompany our journey out to the old-fashioned fairgrounds. By the time Joel pulls into the gravel parking lot, the sun is beginning to touch the horizon, giving off stunning hues of orange and pink. Joel parks, and I unbuckle my seatbelt. I'm about to thank him for the ride when my phone pings. I check the new text. It's from Savannah:

I'm going to be late! I have to stay at the Coffee Loft to cover for Nathaniel until someone else arrives to take over. (Nat twisted an ankle playing pickleball, and he's over in the Lakewood emergency department getting x-rays.) I'll get to the festival as soon as I can. Again, I'm so, so sorry!

"What's wrong?" I hear Joel ask.

I whip up my head. "How did you know something is wrong?"

"The light in your eyes dimmed."

"What?"

Joel smiles once more. "You may not realize this, Danielle, but you have a light in your eyes that changes with your mood. It gets bright when you're excited about something, like when you're teaching or talking about going to med school. It burns hotter when you're determined to make a shot from the baseline. And it dims when something is bothering you."

I stare back at him. Joel notices things about me like that?

I realize he's waiting for me to reply.

"Fortunately, this text isn't regarding anything too serious," I tell him. "Savannah got stuck at work, so she won't be here for a while. That's all."

Joel tugs his keys from the ignition. He takes off his sunglasses and looks me right in the eyes. "Until then, may I accompany you at the festival?"

The fire in my core soars to never-before-experienced temperatures. What should I do? Is Joel merely being gentlemanly because he knows I'm disappointed and alone? Or is there something more to that captivating gaze of his? I have no idea. What I do know, though, is that it could be hazardous for my heart to spend more time with him—especially in a storybook place like this.

Joel's smile fades as my silence drags on. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to impose on something that you and Savannah planned."

"You're not imposing," I hear myself say. "In fact, I . . . I would like to have you accompany me."

Joel's gaze sharpens. He nods once and exits the car. My hands are actually trembling as I put my phone into my purse. Joel comes to my side of the vehicle and opens the door. I get out, my skin tingling as I slide by him.

Joel shuts my door and gives me a playful, slight bow. "So, Lady Gillespie, where do we start?"

I giggle. "Well, Sir Lambert, we need to get tickets."

"Then securing tickets shall be our first conquest of the night."

We walk to the adorable, turn-of-the-century ticket booths that flank the gated entrance into the fairgrounds. Past the gates, the sounds of laughter, excited conversations, and music that's being performed by a bluegrass band are filling the air, and the mouth-watering aromas of cider, corn on the cob, and scones are floating on the breeze.

I'm in autumn heaven.

"Two adults, please. Both students."

I blink back to awareness, and I realize Joel is paying for us.

"Here you are. Welcome to the Fall Festival." The elderly woman inside the booth slides Joel's credit card back to him along with brightly colored tickets. She smiles at us. "You two make a handsome-looking couple, by the way. I hope you have a delightful time."

My eyebrows blast upward. A couple? Joel and I obviously aren't a couple. Should I say something to correct the lady? I don't want Joel to feel awkward. What should I do? I―

"Thanks. I think we will." Joel calmly slips his wallet into the pocket of his jeans and gives the lady a smile in return. He then faces me and gestures to the open gates. "All right, Lady Gillespie, the tickets have been obtained. Shall we proceed?"

I blush and laugh again. "We shall."

As we weave past the crowds to venture through the gates, Joel lightly rests his hand on the small of my back. His touch causes me to catch my breath with delight . . . it feels so natural . . . so protective . . . so right . It's like he's supposed to be at my side like this. I know it's crazy of me to think this way, but when he does lower his arm back to his side, I immediately find myself longing for his touch again.

We venture farther into the fairgrounds, and I'm soon nearly overcome with wonderment by the acres of vintage autumn utopia; it's as though we've been transported over a hundred years back in time. Twinkle lights, pumpkins, hay bales, sunflowers, and other gorgeous fall decorations are everywhere I look. Lamp posts lining old-fashioned pedestrian walkways are shining brightly. The bluegrass band is performing on a stage. Tractors are pulling huge wagons that are filled with people who are off to enjoy a hayride and the festival's famous corn maze. Two large red barns have their doors thrown open wide and are glowing with the warmth of light from within; the barn at our left is where food and drinks can be purchased, and the barn to the right is filled with autumn décor, lotions, soaps, artwork, and other charming items to purchase. And of course, taking up the majority of the massive fairgrounds are the amusement park rides.

I realize Joel is watching me with a smile.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"Nothing." Joel keeps smiling nonetheless. "You just look happy right now, and it's . . . well, if I may be honest, it's a bit bewitching."

A current shoots down my back. "I am happy right now, Joel. I'm really happy."

"I am, too." Joel holds my gaze a second longer and then motions to the food barn. "How about an early dinner before trying some rides? Or were you planning on doing dinner with Savannah?"

I snicker. "Joel, allow me to let you in on a little secret: Savannah and I have no problem eating a second dinner or dessert when the occasion calls for it."

"Good to know." Joel tips back his head and laughs as we walk into the food barn. "So what would you like for Dinner One?"

"Does the combination of French fries and apple cider sound weird?"

"Nope. In fact, I'll order that, too."

Joel puts in our food request, adding a hamburger for both of us, and it isn't long before we have our mammoth-sized meals. We head outside and sit at a picnic table that provides a view of the band.

"You mentioned that you used to come here as a child." I pick up my hamburger, barely able to keep it contained in my hands. "So I assume you grew up in the Lakewood region like I did?"

"Yep." Joel wipes his fingers on a napkin. "You and I must have gone to different high schools."

I nod and take the first bite of my gigantic burger. It's scrumptious. I then look at Joel once more and ask:

"What's your favorite autumn memory from childhood?"

Joel seems to think this over as he drinks from his cup. "As a family, we did a lot of great activities, but my favorite was when my dad took me camping for a weekend in late September each year. My mom and sisters never wanted to go―they hated camping―so the weekend became special father-son time."

"That sounds wonderful."

Joel manages to consume about half of his hamburger in one bite while still looking like a gentleman. "What about you? What's your favorite autumn childhood memory?"

"Coming here. My family always came at least once during the week the festival was running. Even my older brother, Dylan, enjoyed it."

Joel's eyes fix on mine more closely. "So this place is really special to you."

"Yes," I respond softly. "Yes, it is."

We watch each other for another moment before going back to our meals. Contented, comfortable silence settles over us. Eventually, we finish our dinners (after I give Joel the rest of my French fries, which he polishes off with ease). He puts our garbage in the nearby recycle bin, returns to the table, and inquires:

"Are you an amusement-park-ride gal?"

I laugh and get to my feet. "Only if the ride isn't scary. A Ferris wheel and a merry-go-round are about my speed."

"Then let's go try them both."

We resume moving through the crowds, and Joel politely greets the people who are excitedly calling his name and taking his photo. As if being here with a celebrity isn't surreal enough, people are calling to me , too, and wishing me luck at the fundraiser. It's more staggering proof that I really have been in the news, and it gives me a whole new level of respect for how graciously Joel handles the constant attention wherever he goes.

We reach the merry-go-round, and before long we're enjoying the ride like two carefree kids. Joel is absolutely dwarfing a purple lion, and I'm grinning from ear to ear while seated upon a multi-colored dragon. Yet again, I realize that here with Joel―here in this moment―everything is astonishingly perfect. Somehow, a hunky sports celebrity and a pre-med book nerd have been able to help each other temporarily cast off the pressures of life and find joy together through simple, old-fashioned fun.

When the ride ends, we make our way to the Ferris wheel. We're guided into one of the baskets and seated side-by-side. The wheel begins moving with its gentle, soothing motion, gradually lifting us toward the star-filled sky and bringing the stunning nighttime scene of the Lakewood region into view.

The Ferris wheel comes to a stop when our basket reaches the top.

The breeze is soft. The evening stars are bright. The sounds of the festival are distant, making the rest of the world seem far away. That magnetic pull I can't fight swiftly fills my body and draws my eyes to Joel's. I find that he's watching me, and the fiery look in his eyes makes my pulse soar. He rests his arm along the back of the bench. My lips burn with anticipation as he dips his head toward mine.

"Oh my gosh, it's Joel Lambert!"

A woman's call reverberates through the sky. Joel and I lean back from each other and peer over the front of our basket. The call came from a gal who's seated in a nearby basket with her friends. They all squeal and proceed to take a bazillion pictures of Joel, causing people in other baskets start craning their necks to get a view of Joel, too.

"Who's Joel with?" one of the girls wails.

"I don't know! Get her picture!" another gal says loudly enough for Argentina to hear.

Someone in a different basket chimes in. "Isn't she the one who has been in the news?"

"Yes! That's his girlfriend!"

"She's, like, a superstar basketball player!"

"She's so pretty!"

"Hurry, the Ferris wheel is starting to move again; get another photo!"

The Ferris wheel resumes its circular motion while the night air continues popping with the flashes of the cameras. Joel slides close to me and shifts his body to shield me from view, and he says in my ear:

"As soon as we get to the platform, follow me and don't look back."

When we get to the bottom of the ride, Joel motions to the operator that we're ready to get off. The operator opens the door of our basket and pulls back the bar that has been acting like a seatbelt. Moving fast, Joel steps out, takes me by the hand, and assists me onto the platform. Sliding his hand around my waist, he leads me past the hoards of people who are waiting in line and gawking at us.

"That's Joel Lambert and Danielle Gillespie!"

"I saw pictures of them on social media! They're, like, totally a couple!"

"How come we've never seen her at his games?"

"It's a secret relationship! How dreamy!"

Joel doesn't slow his pace until we've left the fairgrounds. We pass the ticket booth and head for the parking lot. He unlocks his car and tugs open my door. I get inside, and he shuts my door hard. As Joel jogs around to the driver's side, I finally exhale and begin to mentally replay what just happened. That was crazy. Seriously, how does Joel handle that everywhere he goes?

My mind clears a little more, and then another thought hits me: did Joel and I almost . . . kiss?

Joel opens his door. He lunges into his seat while shutting the door behind him with emphasis. He turns to me, revealing a fierce gleam in his eyes.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm all right." I work to settle my breathing. "Though I am wondering how you deal with that all the time."

"I've gotten used to it. Usually, people are well-intentioned and trying to be supportive." He rests a hand upon my cheek. "It's you I'm worried about, though."

"As I've said before, you don't need to worry about me. I signed up for this, and I'm not turning back now."

Joel slips his hand from my cheek. "Nonetheless, I'll be glad for your sake when this is over. Once the fundraiser is done, your life will get back to normal."

"Yes," I utter quietly. "I suppose it will."

I turn my head and stare out the window as I wonder: is going back to my old life what I want?