Chapter 27

Cameron

Before the fair began Samanthahad only planned to pass out ice cream samples at the Kincaid Dairy booth on the first and last weekends of the fair. However, the summer heat coupled with word of mouth increased interest in the booth and the frozen treat we prepared. Samantha and I spent every morning of fair week at the American Legion preparing more samples to pass out in the evenings.

On the last night of the fair, Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid enter the exhibit hall, make their rounds to each booth and thank each vendor personally for participating and making this year’s fair a success. Saving us for last, they step behind the booth to join me and Samantha.

Mr. Kincaid claps me on the shoulder. “Cameron, Samantha, we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done this week.”

I shake my head. “No thanks necessary, sir, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Mrs. Kincaid hugs Samantha to her side. “Regardless, we couldn’t have had a booth if it wasn’t for the two of you. Which is why we will be taking over for the rest of the night so you two can enjoy the fair.”

Samantha tries to argue. “Momma, you don’t have to do that. We’ve been here all week, we’ve seen…”

Mrs. Kincaid is having none of it and interrupts Samantha’s argument. “Have you had a funnel cake?”

“No. But—”

“Have you played any games?”

“No, but I don’t think—”

“Have you ridden the Ferris wheel?”

Samantha lets out a defeated sigh. “No ma’am.”

“Until you can answer yes to those questions, you really haven’t been to the fair.” She gives Samantha a gentle push toward me and I wrap my arm around her waist. “Now, we are going to hide out here for the rest of the night while you two go and have some fun.”

Samantha looks up at me, and I smile and shrug. “Might as well not argue, you know they’re going to win.”

“Okay,” Samantha concedes. “But we’ll be back to help pack everything up.”

Her momma smiles in triumph and shoos us off with her hands, “Deal! Now off you go.”

We make our way out of the exhibit hall and head to the fairway. Games line either side and I consider each one until the milk bottle game catches my eye. I lead Samantha over to the booth, give the man my money, and take the three balls, determined to win my girl a stuffed animal. I look over and wink at Samantha as I pick up the first ball. My first attempt is too far to the right, so I pick up the second ball to try again.

Samantha claps her hands cheering me on. “You got this, Cameron.”

I lean over and give her a quick kiss and wink again. “For luck.”

Her cheeks flush and a wide smile takes over her face. I draw my arm back and throw grazing the bottle on the left. Samantha winces with my miss. Now more determined than ever, and I wrap my arm around her waist, pull her to me and kiss her until she melts against me. Spectators around us hoot and holler, “Evidently I need more than a quick kiss for luck.”

I pick up the ball, throw it dead center, and watch the bottles scatter off the table. Cheers go up around us and Samantha jumps into my arm as if I’ve won the Super Bowl.

The man inside the booth laughs and motions to the stuffed animals behind him. “Take your pick young lady. What’ll it be?”

Samantha’s eyes dance over her options until she lands on a purple and black dragon. “I’ll take the dragon, please.” He pulls the dragon from its hook and hands it to her. Arm wrapped around her prize she looks up and me and grins. “Gotta rep the home team.”

I laugh and lace my fingers with Samantha’s, raise our joined hands to my lips and place a kiss on the back of her hand. “Where to next?”

She smiles and leans into me as we walk. “Since this is your first fair in a few years, what do you want to ride first?”

I do a quick scan of the grounds and see the Ferris wheel is facing the west, which would give us a perfect view of the sunset.

“Ferris wheel?”

She smiles up at me. “Sounds good.”

We make our way over to the Ferris wheel and get in line. We wait and watch as the wheel spins for several minutes before it begins to stop and let riders off and new riders on. When our turn arrives, the operator lifts the bar and I help Samantha in before sliding in next to her. The operator secures the bar, and we rise into the air only to stop again as passengers unload and load.

I wrap my arm around Samantha, and she leans her head on my shoulder. “Thank you,” she says as we begin to rise again.

I turn and place a gentle kiss on her temple. “For what?”

“Everything. Helping me make ice cream, which if you hadn’t found and fixed the ice cream machine wouldn’t have even happened. Not to mention all the heavy lifting you’ve done carrying the cooler in and out of the hall.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I love you, Samantha. I’d do anything for you.”

She looks up at me, smiles and places her hand on my cheek. “I love you too, Cameron.”

The Ferris wheel starts and stops a few more times and then stops once more at the top giving us a breathtaking view of the sunset. As we gaze out at the setting sun the sky lights up in hues of pink and orange, and purple before dropping below the horizon.

A feeling of contentment washes over me. This is what I want my future to look like. I want the woman I love by my side as we watch thousands of sunsets. I want to share everything with her from the moment we wake up in the morning to the second, we fall asleep in each other’s arms. And, if she agrees, I want to raise children with her, here in the hometown we both love.

I know what I have to do to make it happen, now I need to find the perfect way to do it.

* * *

The soundof tools being tossed into toolboxes almost drowns out the ringing of the bell ending classes. “Have a good weekend, guys,” I call out as my students grab their backpacks and head for the door.

I chuckle as a few of them throw a fist in the air and yell “Go Dragons!” as they walk out the door.

We’re three weeks into the school year, and tonight is our first football game. I still can’t believe this is my life. Teaching kids’ basic mechanics is a skill they’ll be able to take with them through life. So is the patience and discipline they’ll develop while working on engines. But that’s a sub-lesson we don’t advertise. It’s something they’ll realize years after they’ve completed this class.

A knock sounds on my door and I look up as coach Markham walks in. “Hey, Coach.”

He stops in front of my desk. “Cam. You ready for the game tonight?”

“Yes, sir. You?”

He chuckles, “Been ready since the season ended last year.” He turns for the door. “See you at the pep rally?”

I grin, remembering my days in front of the student body. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

I pick up my grade book, syllabus and football playbook and place them in my Army issued backpack. I haven’t used this backpack since I’ve been home. Memories of all the times I’ve trekked through the desert with it secured to my back floods my mind. The image of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl I met in the airport on my way home comes to mind and I send up a prayer for her mother’s safety before I walk out the door.

I drop my bag off at my truck and head to the locker room to join the team. When I walk in, Coach gives me a slap on the back as he steps in to address the players. He stands beside me and blows his whistle bringing the players to immediate attention.

“Listen up! I know you all are excited to play the first game of the season. We all are. When we walk into the gym, I expect you to be respectful and have fun. The cheerleaders and pep squad have worked hard these last few weeks to make the pep rally a success.” The team raises their helmets in the air as they reply yes sir..

Coach Markham looks over at me and smiles. “Now, even though this isn’t Coach Hutchinson’s first game, it is his first game as the assistant coach, so he is going to lead you in.” I smile at Coach and give him a thankful nod, which he reciprocates. “Let’s go in there and get the school fired up!”

The players cheer and we head out of the locker room and walk to the gym. I open the door and step into the lobby where cheerleaders flank the doors leading into the gym, pom-poms shaking. Standing in front of the doors, dressed in jeans and a Dragons T-shirt, is my number one cheerleader, Samantha.

A wide smile splits my face as she makes her way to me, and I wrap my arms around her waist. “What are you doing here?”

She drapes her arms around my neck. “You didn’t think I’d miss your first pep rally, did you?” Before I can answer, she pops up on her toes, kisses me, and winks. She steps aside and motions toward the doors. “Now lead them in, Coach!”

I smile and shake my head as I jog into the gym, the entire team behind me. Cheers surround us as everyone in the stands is on their feet to greet the team. I’m surprised to see not only the entire student body but half the town as well. A banner hanging on the wall at the top of the stands catches my eye. Welcome, Coach Hutchinson! Emotion clogs my throat as I turn and wave to the crowd. It’s then I notice my entire family sitting front and center. Aunt Jane and Uncle Ken sit next to my parents and Craig, with Kenny, Aubrey, Samantha, and her parents sitting right behind them. I jog over and hug Momma and Dad. “I can’t believe you’re here!”

Dad’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

Momma wipes away a tear and pats my cheek. “Samantha wanted to surprise you.”

I catch her gaze and smile as she blushes and shrugs. “Of course, she did. I better get back so we can get started. I’ll see you all afterward.”

We’re under the lights,and the crowd is on their feet. The two-minute warning has sounded, and the Dragons are up by three. Coach Markham calls the team into a huddle. “Okay boys, this is it. Lawrence, when the ball is snapped you break left and get as close to the end zone as you can. Ingram, Lawrence is your target, you get him the ball, he’ll do the rest.”

“Yes, Coach!” All the players respond in unison.

“All right, Dragons on three! One, two, three, Dragons!”

The huddle breaks as the ref blows the whistle and the team takes the field. My heart beats fast as the excitement builds and everything around me fades into the background. Ingram makes the call, and the center snaps the ball. Lawrence breaks left and heads for the end zone. Ingram pump fakes to the right, causing the defense to shift right leaving Lawrence wide open. Ingram throws left, into Lawrence’s hands scoring a touchdown.

The crowd goes wild as the players celebrate the score and then quickly move off the field so the kicking team can get into place. Our kicker lines up his shot and kicks straight through the uprights, giving us a ten-point lead.

With one minute twenty seconds left to play, Levy County’s offense takes the field and lines up opposite our defense. Our defense blocks a pass making it second down. Their quarterback finds his receiver and converts for a first down. The clock keeps ticking down as the team lines up and the quarterback takes the snap. He looks down the field, finds his target and launches the pass, only to have it intercepted as the clock runs out.

The crowd goes wild and before I know what’s happening, Gatorade is raining down on me. Coach hugs me and laughs. “Now you’ve been officially welcomed.”

We head out to the field and shake hands with Levy County’s coaches and players while making sure our players do the same.

I search the stands for my family and see Samantha standing on the sidelines. I jog to her, and she meets me halfway, leaping into my arms. I lift her off the ground as she winds her arms around my neck. I kiss her, swinging her around in front of the entire crowd. When the kiss ends, I rest my forehead against hers. “Marry me, Samantha.”

She draws back in surprise, her eyes searching mine. “What?”

I set her on her feet, reach into my pocket and drop to one knee in the end zone. “Samantha Kincaid, I love you with all my heart. I want to start and end every day with you by my side. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?” I present her with the ring I’ve been carrying around in my pocket for the last few weeks.

Tears stream down her face as she nods. “Yes, Cameron, I would love to be your wife.”

I slide the ring onto her finger, leap to my feet, and take her in my arms. I kiss her as our families descend upon us to offer their congratulations.