Until The Ride Stops. Amie Denman

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СКАЧАТЬ she said. “I’m a member of the Starlight Point Police Department.”

      “But you don’t have a gun.”

      She shot him a sideways look and squared her shoulders. Was he planning to challenge her? He’d find out she could take down a man his size before he saw it coming.

      He laughed. “Easy, sergeant. It was just an observation.”

      “I’m not a sergeant. And I don’t carry a gun yet,” she said. “I plan to complete the police academy over the next year.”

      “Then I better watch out,” he said. “Or at least stay in my tent at night.”

      They passed the loading platform for the cable cars, Tosha’s Homemade Ice Cream and the scrambler ride. Caroline began to wonder why she’d offered to escort him all the way to his tent like a lost kid. Maybe she should just point him in the right direction. She could tell him she’d be watching him and he would probably comply.

      But it was a quiet night. And walking under the stars was pleasant. And she was completing the trespassing call she’d answered by making certain the perpetrator was secured for the night. She could zip up his tent and wash her hands of him.

      “Too bad none of the vendors are open,” he said. “I’d like to buy you a soda to thank you for walking me home down the mean streets of Starlight Point.”

      “You’re not in danger,” she said.

      “I can’t see in the dark,” he replied. “I could fall and break both elbows, and then the new ride would be behind schedule.”

      “Hard to believe you can’t manage in the dark when you wandered all the way to the construction site without a flashlight.”

      He stopped, faced her and smiled. “You got me. How about taking a lap around the peninsula?”

      “No.”

      “It might tire me out and cure my insomnia. Then you’ll know I’m snoring away in my tent the rest of the night.”

      Caroline pointed down the Western Trail and started walking again. “Not negotiable. I’m depositing you in the camping zone where one of my colleagues is on guard. I’ll have Big Kenny keep an eye on you.”

      Matt sighed. “You’re no fun.”

      “Not in my job description.”

      They crossed the train tracks where an old-fashioned steam engine chugged past dozens of times every day, pulling passengers through a shoot-out with animatronic characters in a Western ghost town. Caroline enjoyed a mellow trip around Starlight Point in the open train cars on days when her feet were tired or she wanted to unwind, but most days she preferred buckling in for a heart-stopping ride on the roller coasters Starlight Point was beginning to be known for.

      “I love roller coasters,” she said aloud. “And I’m still curious why a guy who builds them doesn’t.”

      “I don’t just build roller coasters. I’m a construction engineer, which means I build whatever’s on the blueprints. I’ve built everything from playgrounds to senior citizen housing. This summer and winter, my job’s a roller coaster. I make sure it gets done correctly and on time.”

      “Which is why you have insomnia,” she observed.

      “Exactly. At this stage of the game, it’s like being in an abstract painting. And I think it’s only going to get worse.”

      As they made their way along the Western Trail, they started seeing tents.

      Matt stopped and whispered, “This is my tent. I think. They all look alike.”

      “Oh,” Caroline said. She was almost disappointed. Of all the things she’d thought might happen during the overnight campout, she hadn’t expected a pleasant stroll under the stars with a mislabeled trespasser who built rides he didn’t plan to enjoy. He was charming, but she wished she hadn’t had to surrender the Loose Cannon folder as soon as she’d finally gotten her hands on it.

      “Good night, then,” she said.

      He smiled and leaned too close. “You’re going to stand here and make sure I go inside, aren’t you?”

      “Just watching out for lions,” she said. She crossed her arms and watched him slide the zipper up and quietly crawl through the opening. As she walked away, she paused a moment and scratched on the slippery nylon tent.

       CHAPTER TWO

      MATT DUNBAR SHADED his eyes and peered through the surveyor’s scope. The project was massive. And unique. Mixing a kiddie coaster with an adult coaster could be genius. Or a total flop. Would little kids line up for a ride that looked scary even if it wasn’t?

      That wasn’t his problem. Starlight Point knew its customers better than he did. His responsibility was to make sure the intertwined coasters were built according to the blueprints, the code, the budget and the calendar.

      One year. The ride had to open next May, and it had to be perfect. Perfection in a roller coaster meant it had to seem deadly when in reality, riders wouldn’t break a fingernail. He shook his head. Such a paradox.

      Millions of dollars were on the line, as well as his company’s reputation and his own hopes and dreams. He had to prove himself. Not many twenty-six-year-olds got an opportunity like this. The media attention at the groundbreaking ceremony a few weeks ago was enough to remind him how high profile Starlight Point was. He’d seen his own picture on the front page of the Bayside Times with a caption saying the top secret project was all on him. Great.

      Matt looked up when something caught his eye across the construction zone. A tall man, suit coat flapping, made his way over the mud and around the equipment.

      Jack Hamilton. He and his sisters, Evie and June, were co-owners of Starlight Point. He was a nice enough guy and they had something in common—Jack had inherited the park from his parents, much like Matt believed he might inherit Bayside Construction someday. Perhaps sooner than he’d ever thought. His chest tightened when he thought of his stepfather’s declining health.

      “How’s it going?” Jack asked.

      “Good,” Matt said. He shoved his hard hat back and wiped sweat from his brow. “This part of the project isn’t much to look at, but it’s necessary. Even though it seems like we’re just making a mess.”

      “I remember when the Sea Devil site looked like this four years ago. I had a hard time picturing it ever becoming a ride. My sisters still claim I don’t have any imagination, but the problem is usually just that I’m hungry. Want to get a doughnut?”

      Matt glanced at his watch. He’d been on-site for three hours now and the midmorning belly rumble was slowing him down. “I could eat a doughnut.”

      Jack slapped him on the back. “Let’s go to the bakery just down the midway. But you might want to take off your hard hat so you don’t attract attention. The park’s open, and people are dying of curiosity because of this fence. Of course, it’s our strategy to build excitement and that’s СКАЧАТЬ