The Spring of Candy Apples (A Sweet Seasons Novel) Read online

  “What’s up?” she asked after walking over.

  He opened the door to the engine. “Hop up,” he said.

  “Really?” She didn’t think Pete ever let anyone ride in the engine.

  “Yup.”

  He lent her a hand as she climbed in and then motioned to the other seat. She sat down gently, staring around with interest. A minute later they were pulling out of the station.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  “Nervous,” she admitted.

  “Me too.”

  “I like it up here,” she said after a minute. “I can see why you love this job.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t change it for any in the world. Candace, I wanted to thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For making me one of your groupies,” he said wryly.

  “Groupie?”

  “Yeah. I’m not sure you realize just how popular you are here. Everyone loves you. You’ve helped a lot of us out too. I appreciate the fact that I actually had a team that chose me for Talent Show this year. Every year I’m usually the last pick for any of the big activities, and people are unhappy to have me at that.”

  “I was freaked out when I found out you were on my scavenger hunt team over the summer,” she admitted.

  “I know, but that didn’t stop you from being nice. I appreciate being included.”

  “I’m glad, but things like that are going to make it that much harder to leave.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be fine, better than fine. Besides, I figure Sue and I can keep each other out of trouble while you’re off in Florida.”

  “I’ll have to check in on you two on my breaks, though.”

  “You better, or else,” he said.

  “Else what?”

  “I’ll start trying to run you over again.”

  She threw back her head and laughed.

  A couple hours later she was standing in the crowd watching as team after team demonstrated their talent. Her group was slated as one of the last. Waiting was just making her more nervous.

  “And now put your hands together for the Kowabunga Krew!”

  Candace clapped and shouted. Josh, Mark, and the others ran up onto the stage with instruments and surfboards. Within seconds they were set up. The musicians set up on the left of the stage. On the right a couple of guys jumped on surfboards and were hoisted into the air by their comrades. The guitarist played an opening chord, and then they began to sing Surfin’ Safari with Josh singing the lead.

  Candace screamed and cheered. The guys holding the surfboards lifted them up and down and teetered them so it looked like the guys riding them were actually surfing. It was awesome-looking. They sounded great too.

  At the end of the song, the two surfers tumbled off their boards in a simulated wipeout. The Krew took their bows and then hustled offstage to make room for the next group.

  Up next was one of the teams who worked in the Kids Zone. After them, it would be their turn, so Candace made her way to the side of the stage where the rest of her team had already gathered.

  She arrived just in time to see Corinne freak out.

  “I don’t think we should do Stonehenge. I can’t remember it!” Corinne said, her voice panicked. “Can’t we make a model of one of the rides? What about the Sky Tower?”

  Pete grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Pull yourself together, woman, that’s at Sea World!”

  “We’re going to do Stonehenge. There’s no turning back now,” Traci said. “No matter how scared you are.” She glanced at Candace.

  Candace nodded encouragingly. “We can do this. We’ve practiced for it, and we’re ready.”

  “We’re all in this together,” Sue added.

  Candace had no clue what the team on the stage was doing. She just focused on her teammates and picked up her set of cups. “We know we’re better than the Kowabunga Krew,” she said. “They were good. We’re better. That’s all we need.”

  There was a round of applause. The moment of truth. Candace took a deep breath.

  “Thank you. And now . . . Candy and the Apples!”

  Candace jerked. “Okay, who do I kill?” she asked her team.

  Sue burst out laughing, and then so did everyone else, including Corinne. The tension eased, and they turned and ran onto the stage. They took their places to start with Stonehenge. In the middle of the stage, Pete knelt down and began to pound out a rhythm with the cups. Then methodically and to the rhythm, the other four began to build Stonehenge. When Candace and Sue finished their parts, they took over drumming out the beat while Pete built the center and Corinne and Traci finished their parts. When they were done, people cheered. They stood for a moment, then they took down the structures at twice the speed they put them up.

  They paused, then started on the Eiffel Tower, moving much faster than they had on Stonehenge. It went up smoothly, and when it was finished they all stood and moved back for a moment. The crowd cheered. They moved back in and took it down even faster, splitting the cups between them.

  Then they took their places for the three pyramids. Pete started it off by beating the rhythm impossibly fast. On the fifth beat, they all began, putting the pyramids up lightning fast to cheers and whistles from the crowd. They finished simultaneously, took a step back, then a step forward and slammed it all down into the ground in five stacks.

  They stood up and bowed as the crowd went wild. “We did it!” Corinne gasped. “I don’t believe it.”

  “We rock,” Candace confirmed.

  They took a final bow then grabbed their cups and ran off the stage. Next to the stage Candace ran into Becca who grabbed her arm. Candace looked at her friend and saw fear in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Candace asked.

  “I need sugar.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “For the dance. I can’t do that dance without sugar. I had some stashed so I could eat it right before we go on, but someone’s found it and taken it. I went to my backup stash and it was gone too. All the carts are empty and locked. What am I going to do?”

  “Hold tight,” Candace said, turning and pushing through the crowd as fast as she could. She finally broke into the clear and ran toward the Candy Counter. She made it inside and snatched up a candy apple then turned and raced back.

  “And now, the Muffin Mansion presents The Lady of the Dance!”

  “I need sugar!” she heard Becca shriek as she got close to the stage.

  She saw someone with a pack of gum, and another person with a candy bar try to give them to Becca only to be blocked by people in the crowd.

  Becca was standing in the middle of the stage, a look of terror on her face. The rest of the Muffin Mansion team was in line behind her, ready to begin. The music started. The rest of the dancers began their routine. Candace tried to push through the crowd, but her way was blocked.

  “Becca!” Candace shouted, trying to get her attention.

  Becca turned and saw Candace. Candace cocked back her arm and threw the candy apple as hard as she could. It flipped end over end as it sailed through the air. Several in the crowd jumped up in an attempt to intercept it, but it was beyond their reach.

  Becca reached up and snatched it out of the air. There was a long pause and then she brought it to her mouth and bit into it. Candace held her breath. Becca closed her eyes for a moment. Suddenly they flew back open and she tossed the candy apple into the crowd. Her feet began to move unbelievably fast and then she was off, dancing and jumping and spinning out of control.

  When Becca spun into her final pose and the dance ended, the crowd erupted. At that moment Candace knew her team had lost, and yet, she couldn’t have been happier.

  It turned out they were the last group to go. After two minutes John Hanson got up on the stage and took the microphone.

  “Wow, I think we can all agree that everyone here outdid themselves. That was amazing, and you all should be very proud. Give yourselves a hand!”r />
  Everyone applauded, and it lasted for nearly a minute. Finally it died down and he continued. “We have the winners of the contest. Anyone interested in hearing?”

  There were cheers and shouts.

  “Okay. Here goes. In third place we have the Kowabunga Krew!”

  Josh and his team cheered as they ran up on stage to accept their trophy.

  Candace clenched her fists. They had been great, but she knew her team was better. She just hoped the judges had agreed.

  “In second place we have . . . Candy and the Apples!”

  Candace and Sue started screaming and jumping up and down as they tried to make their way to the stage. Finally they got up on it and were joined by the rest of their team. Pete handed Candace the trophy, and she hoisted it high in the air. She found Josh in the crowd and did a little victory dance. He just shook his head and grinned.

  They ran back down into the crowd.

  “And now for our winners. Once again, congratulations to everyone. We all won because of the quality of the performances. I can’t remember a Talent Show I’ve enjoyed more than this one,” John said. “The winners are . . . the Muffin Mansion!”

  Candace screamed and jumped up and down as Becca and the rest of the gang claimed their trophy.

  “Congratulations to the Muffin Mansion, and thank you all for that stirring rendition of The Lady of the Dance!” John said.

  The crowd roared its approval. The group accepted their trophy, waved to the crowd, did a five-step routine, and then ran back offstage.

  “Congratulations!” Candace told Becca as she showed her the trophy.

  Once the noise died down a bit, John continued. “Now, I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the scholarship candidates. You’ve all done outstanding work here, and I have every confidence in your abilities. I hope to see you all working for The Zone for a long, long time.”

  Candace’s heart was pounding in her chest, and she had a hard time catching her breath. She had tried to fixate on the talent portion of the show and put this out of her mind. Now it was here, the moment of truth. She squeezed Becca’s hand so hard that the other girl began to squirm.

  “Ouch!”

  Candace tried to loosen her grip and then gave up.

  “This year’s winner of The Zone scholarship to Florida Coast is Candace Thompson!”

  “You won!” Roger shouted, crushing her and Becca in a hug.

  “Candace, come on up here!” John shouted.

  She let go of Roger and Becca and moved toward the stage in a daze. Suddenly there was music playing, and she began to laugh hysterically when she recognized it as “I Want Candy.”

  She walked up onto the stage and shook John’s hand. He winked at her, and she grinned back. It was so weird to see him in public now that she had spent time at his home.

  “You earned it,” he said. “I can’t wait to ride Balloon Races.”

  “Me either,” she said.

  She accepted a certificate from him, and then he handed her the microphone.

  She looked out at the sea of faces and was able to pick out several. She smiled at everyone.

  “Thank you. I wouldn’t be standing up here if it weren’t for the help and support and encouragement of everyone here. I know some of you really well and others not nearly as well as I’d like, but you have all made a huge impact on my life.

  “When I started here last summer as a cotton candy operator, it was just a job . . . and I wasn’t sure I wanted one in the first place. Things were hard, but I made it through with the help of so many of you. And somewhere along the way I began to feel like I belonged somewhere.

  “I’ve never known what I wanted to do with my life, but it has become clear to me that my heart, my future, is with The Zone. I’m going away for a while, but I’ll be back. And when I am, we’re going to build some awesome rides!”

  A cheer went up from the crowd. It wasn’t nearly the kind of inspirational speech John gave on a routine basis, but it was from her heart. She handed him back the microphone and then made her way off the stage to rejoin her friends. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t care. She was going to miss everyone when she went to Florida, but she’d be back.

  Sue hugged her as she walked past, and Candace clung to her fiercely for a moment before continuing on. Lisa grabbed her next. Of all her friends at The Zone, Lisa was the most surprising. Candace was still shocked at how their relationship had changed. They hugged for a moment, and then Candace continued on. Traci and Corinne both hugged her. All the cart vendors and the refs from the Candy Counter clustered around to congratulate her and pat her back.

  Martha smiled, and Candace could see that she was crying. Pete kissed her on the cheek and thrust a small toy train into her hand. The crew of the Muffin Mansion surrounded her. Becca, Gib, and Roger embraced her together. Over the top of Becca’s head she could see Kurt. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

  Then finally she saw Josh. He smiled at her in that same laid-back way he had the first time she met him, and her heart leaped. She ran toward him, and he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before. She pulled away slightly. “We need to talk,” she said.

  He grinned. “Actually I think we’ve done too much talking and not enough of this.” He had a point, and she smiled as she kissed him again. Of all the gifts The Zone had given her, he was by far the best.

  The night of Tamara’s party arrived, and Candace and her parents showed up at Boone’s. Candace shivered with excitement as they were led up winding stairs to the top of the Fort. The restaurant itself was a juxtaposition of the rustic and the refined. The tables and chairs looked like rough-hewn wood and were slightly twisted to follow the curve of the wood. The tables were set with the finest linen, china, crystal, and silver.

  “Bizarre. I like it,” her mom said.

  Josh walked toward them. “Welcome to Boone’s,” he said.

  “Aren’t you a little afraid of exposing your secret tonight?” her father asked by way of greeting.

  Josh shrugged. “I eat dinner here with my parents a lot. The staff here is already in the know.”

  “Looks like your parents just arrived,” her mom said.

  “Great, let me introduce you,” he said, waving to them.

  John and Lilian came over. Lilian embraced Candace. “I’ve missed you,” she said.

  “I’ve missed you too,” Candace replied.

  “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Candace’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, these are my parents, John and Lilian.”

  “Call us Rob and Carol,” her father said as they all shook hands.

  “It’s so nice to meet the parents of the girl who has completely bewitched my youngest son,” John said with a smile.

  Josh actually blushed. It made Candace smile.

  “We’re just thrilled that she and Josh are finally dating,” Carol said.

  It was Candace’s turn to blush, and Josh laughed.

  “I hear there’s a game night in the works,” Lilian said.

  “Absolutely, we’d love to have you over next Friday if that works for you,” Rob said.

  “Sounds great,” Lilian said.

  More people came upstairs, and Candace and her parents took their seats as John and Lilian moved to greet them.

  “I like them,” Rob said.

  “They seem lovely,” Carol added.

  “I’m glad,” Candace said as she looked around, wondering where Josh went.

  He returned a minute later with a wicked grin on his face. He was holding something behind his back.

  “What have you got there?” she asked.

  “I just thought you’d like to see a sneak peek of something that showed up today.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a mock-up of the cover for The Zone yearbook.”

  Candace groaned. “I still can’t believe no one but you told me we had a yearbook.”

  “Spend
more time on the website.”

  “Why should I when I have my own personal insider who’s supposed to tell me things?”

  “Fair enough,” he said with a laugh.

  “Okay, show me the cover.”

  He handed it to her. There on the cover, spelled out in different types of candies were the words I Want Candy.

  She started laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her chair. “You have got to be kidding me!”

  “Nope. You want to hear the best part?”

  “Yes.”

  “I had nothing to do with it.”

  “That is good,” she said.

  She passed the cover to her parents who also started laughing.

  “Yup, we pass those out just before summer starts,” he said.

  “You know what’s weird?” Candace said.

  “What?”

  “It’s nearly the end of spring, we’ll be going to Florida in September, and there isn’t any other job you’re trying to entice me to come back for.”

  “Ah, the perks and drawbacks of being a regular employee,” he said.

  “It’s just a little weird that I’ll have this job until I go away to school.”

  “You know, I was thinking about that. Zone World has a summer international cultural exchange program where you get to work and live with college students from all over the world.”

  “That could be a lot of fun,” she said. “But why are you telling me this?”

  “Well, I just figured you might want to consider enrolling in it. You could get a roommate from Italy or Japan or China.”

  “And?”

  “And you could work in the Asia Marketplace selling rice candy.”

  She blinked at him for a moment. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see a summer of rice candy in my future.”

  “Never say never,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

  Read chapter 1 of

  Carter House book 1,

  Mixed Bags

  1

  “Desiree,” called Inez as she knocked on the other side of the closed bedroom door. “Mrs. Carter wants to see you downstairs.”