16. Dean

16

DEAN

D ean miscalculated his attempt to make the corn maze more fun by hinting that there might be monsters in it. Aaron alternated between clinging to him in terror and swinging a downed corn stalk as a sword to protect them, whipping Dean's knees several times by accident. He fell over twice, and skinned one knee, which precipitated a lot of tears and a promise of a Band-Aid.

It was also easier to get lost in the tall crop than Dean had guessed, and his bear's sense of smell was not useful when it implied a general direction that led to a dead end.

"LOST, Daddy?" Aaron wanted to know, his eyes big and his voice wavering.

It was getting towards evening, and the shadows cast by the corn rustled in the light wind.

"Gotta be brave, little man," Dean told him. "Want to ride on my shoulders and keep an eye out for monsters?"

"Up!" Aaron agreed.

Unfortunately, the boy's sense of direction was as bad as his bear's, and this only led to another series of dead ends. They passed a few gaggles of giggling kids, some of them old enough to look like they were looking for private places to make out or smoke cigarettes. Dean scowled at them in what he hoped was a fatherly way and tried not to think about Deirdre and Juan making out in this very maze.

It got busier the closer that they got to the entrance of the maze, and they finally burst out into the fair again. Lights were coming on around the booths. Though the sun was still just above the horizon, there were long shadows now.

"DOWN!" Aaron commanded.

Dean easily picked him up from his shoulders and set him down on the ground again. "Do you want a caramel apple?" He ought to at least do a good job of sugaring Aaron up before sending him home with Deirdre.

"PINK!" Aaron declared, when someone walked past with a stick of cotton candy. That would certainly do the job of raising his blood sugar. Dean stood in line to buy some, while Aaron stood nearby with one hand in his mouth, watching a carnie trying to talk people into playing an overpriced bottle game.

Dean didn't try to talk him out of the pink choice, though a little girl who was probably twice Aaron's age whispered loudly, "PINK IS FOR GIRLS," when he ordered.

Aaron was too busy staring around at all the sights and excitement to care about gender appropriations.

"Dean James! I was just speaking with your wife."

"Minister Dave." Dean wasn't sure how to correct him. Deirdre wasn't technically his ex-wife yet.

"You two simply must bring that darling boy to a service. Margie does such a beautiful job with the Sunday school! All the little lambs!" Minister Dave stooped to wave at Aaron, who switched sides so that he could keep Dean between himself and the man.

"I'm sure she does," Dean said, trying to stay noncommittal but respectful. Minister Dave was one of his best customers at the hardware store, and people who shopped locally rather than driving to save money at a box store on the highway were few and far between.

Minister Dave stood. "Our services are at 8 and 11. We're keeping the early service strictly traditional, but the eleven o'clock has electric guitar accompaniment. Margie's son, you know. We're a progressive church keeping up with the times. It's a constant challenge keeping the old timers happy and making sure that we're reaching out to the youth, too."

"I'm sure that's a very difficult balance to achieve," Dean said as he paid for the sticky cloud of technicolor sugar. "Where's Aaron?"

Dean realized that Aaron had left his side and had about three seconds of abject panic searching for him and wondering if he'd gone back into the maze and gotten lost before he heard the little boy's shrill voice.

"THAT MAN IS KISSING MOMMY!"

Aaron was standing in front of the bales of hay by the opening to the corn maze, pointing imperiously behind the scarecrow and pumpkin display.

Dean was not the only one summoned by Aaron's loud observation. Of all the moments to have his first complete, clear sentence, Dean was not sure that any other could have been worse, and he recognized two of Green Valley's rival pastors, a schoolteacher from the primary school, and gray-haired Marta, the single greatest gossip of the little town.

Aaron looked around and caught Dean's eyes, pointing more vigorously. "IT'S MOMMY! HI MOMMY! "

Cheeks scarlet, Deirdre emerged from the private space, trying to shush Aaron ineffectively. Behind her, looking even more guilty, was Juan. Deirdre definitely looked kissed, her hair tousled and her lips red, and Juan was just as disheveled.

It took all of Dean's willpower not to stride forward and punch him in his flustered face. Understanding that Juan was Deirdre's mate was not the same as knowing that they'd been making out, and none of Dean's logic could dampen his possessive reaction. He clenched fists at his side and realized that the growl he heard was his own when Aaron looked up at him in confusion. Dean reached down and swung Aaron up into his arms. He wouldn't pick a fight if he was carrying his son.

Probably.

He couldn't even blame any of his anger on his bear.

His bear was ridiculously nonchalant about the whole thing.

The attention of the crowd had swung from Deirdre and Juan to him, waiting to see his reaction. Dean forced himself to smile and guessed it wasn't entirely effective. "Yes, it's mommy," he said carefully to Aaron. "Let's go see her and tell her about the corn maze."

He wasn't going to storm off and leave Deirdre with more food for the gossips. He might not be her husband for much longer, but he was still her friend, and he would protect her if he could.

"Juan," he said with a nod, as if they were chums passing in a sports bar.

"MOMMY, WE WERE LOST!" Aaron seemed to have forgotten about the kissing, though Dean was sure that no one else around them had. He proceeded to describe the ordeal in inaccurate and incomprehensible details, involving MONSTERS THIS TALL! He showed her his skinned knee and got a kiss for it.

Deirdre's grateful look was worth the discomfort of the moment, and the little crowd, deciding they weren't going to suck more drama from the spectacle than they already had, reluctantly dispersed, probably to spread the sordid news as fast as possible.

Juan offered his hand while Deirdre nodded along to Aaron's rambling tale. "Thank you," he said.

"Your shirt is still unbuttoned, Don Juan," Dean could not keep himself from saying, but he shook Juan's hand anyway.

Juan gave a choked laugh and gave Dean's hand a grateful squeeze before he buttoned his shirt back up.

"Well, if you were still wondering how to convince Green Valley that our divorce was in earnest, that probably did it," he said wryly to Deirdre.

"Oh, Dean," she said warmly, still pink-cheeked as she smoothed her hair back and fixed the collar of her shirt. "You're such a good sport."

"Yeah," Dean said, trying not to sound sour. "That's me. A great sport."

There was certainly no hiding or denying the fact that his marriage was truly finished now. It wasn't as if he had expected a last-minute respite, some kind of miraculous turnaround that repaired his relationship with Deirdre and had Juan slinking away in disgrace, but maybe some part of him had secretly hoped for it.

But he couldn't deny the happiness in Deirdre's face. Even with the gossips of Green Valley witnessing their embarrassment, she and Juan absolutely glowed. They were absolutely alight with their love for each other, like some kind of cliche. Fated mates .

How could he not give them that?

Dean was more sure than ever that they'd made the right choice, but it didn't make it any easier.