Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

The Prize

Summary: When visiting a carnival, Cassie shows Ethan exactly how competitive she can get.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon with the gentle breeze coming off the bay softening the harsh sunshine on a cloudless day. Cassie Valentine waited off to the side while her partner of two years, Ethan Ramsey, purchased their tickets to the carnival they'd seen signs for on their way back from a weekend getaway to Cape Cod.

She closed her green eyes, hidden behind dark sunglasses, as the sights, sounds and smells—deep fried delicious goodness mixed with popcorn and cotton candy—from the midway reached her senses. Screams of excitement from children mingled with shouts from barkers and vendors, set against the carnival music blaring from giant speakers.

"Here you go," she heard Ethan say and she opened her eyes.

He handed her a ticket as he pocketed his wallet before looking intently at her. "One hour, agreed?"

"Two," she countered, "with the option of three if we're having a good time."

Even though he was wearing sunglasses, she could tell that when his eyes narrowed as he tried to stare her into submission. She simply stared back, a smile hovering over her lips as she stuck to her guns.

"Fine," he acquiesced. "But I'm not winning you a prize in those stupid games. They're rigged and it costs more to play than it does to buy the same thing in a store."

"You can't put a price tag on fun," she scoffed. "Maybe this time I'll win you a prize, Dr. Ramsey."

Their hands intertwined as they walked onto the fairgrounds. Cassie's eyes grew wide as she took in the colorful tents and booths, trying to decide where to go first. And then she saw it and dragged Ethan behind her before he could protest.

"No! No way," he muttered when he saw the words "Hear Your Fortune" and a crystal ball painted on the garish sign.

"It'll be fun," said Cassie taking her place in line.

"Fortune telling isn't real, Cassie," he griped. "You're better off throwing your money on the ponies."

"It's my money," she said, lowering her voice when the woman in line ahead of her turned around. "And I'm throwing it away here."

"Don't complain to me when you realize how pointless it is," he said, glaring at the woman who was blatantly eavesdropping.

Before Cassie could say anything, the people in line groaned as the fortune teller put up a sign that said she was going on break.

"Well, that sucks!" said Cassie, disappointed as they didn't have time to just hang around and wait.

"That's fate," he smirked, laughing when she hip-checked him in annoyance. "How about I make it up to you?"

"How?" she asked suspicious at his conciliatory tone.

"I spied a stand selling those tiny fried donuts you like," he said, taking her hand in his as they backtracked to the other side of the midway where the food stands were set up. "I know how much you love anything deep fried."

"You're forgiven," she said with a sniff, "but I'm not sharing my donuts."

Half an hour later, she was sipping a cold and tangy lemonade with one hand and digging into the bag of popcorn Ethan was holding with the other.

"You're going to make yourself sick," he cautioned, popping a few kernels into his mouth.

"Please," she sneered, "I've barely started. What shall we do next?"

"How about the petting zoo?" he proposed. "The sign said they had sheep and you told me once how you enjoyed stroking their soft wool coats when you were little."

Cassie found her heart melting at the sight of the fluffy white sheep with their black faces peeking through the fence. She crouched down to eye level, running her hand over the soft wool, her fingers sinking in as they gathered around her.

She laughed when the smallest of the lot bleated loudly and tried to escape through the slats of the wooden fence. She gently pushed it back before standing up to let others in line have their turn.

For the next hour or so, she and Ethan toured various stalls where craftsmen were peddling their fare. She purchased trinkets for her friends and a windchime that she told Ethan would look perfect hanging on Alan's porch.

He agreed to join her on one ride; on their way home later, he wondered how she'd managed to get him to go on three before he called it quits.

They had been at the fair almost three hours when Cassie finally convinced Ethan to visit the games section of the midway.

"I meant what I said, Rookie," he said as she headed in the direction of the ring toss booth. "I'm not playing."

"Don't worry, babe," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Leave this to the expert. I was the ring toss champion at the Shendoa River Summer Camp for two years."

"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up!" a man in a carnival barker's outfit said to them. "Today's your lucky day, pretty lady. That big ol' teddy bear is just waitin' on your young man to prove his skill."

"We don't need him," said Cassie, reaching inside her pocket for the tokens she'd purchased at the ticket booth.

The barker explained the rules to her: getting the ring around an outer cup would give her a free toss but if she managed to get the ring around the center cup at the far end of the board, she had her choice of stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling.

Her first attempt at the ring toss was not a success and the second barely hit the outer cup.

"Last toss," sang out the barker as she narrowed her gaze to focus on the center cup at the far end.

"Come on, Rookie," urged Ethan.

He knew from the way she cocked her hips and considered her target that she wasn't going to be three and out.

"I thought you were the two-time ring toss champion at Shendoa River Summer Camp," he mocked just to wind her up. "Is that even a real place?"

The angry look she threw him over her shoulder told him his trick had worked. Competitive Cassie was here to play now.

Cassie zeroed in on her target, the sounds of the carnival fading away as she considered the best trajectory to reach her goal. She rolled her head and shook her arms to loosen the muscles before angling her wrist to release the plastic ring.

She held her breath as she watched the ring fly through the air, as if in slow motion, clipping the top of the center cup before landing perfectly in the middle.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, her arms going up in the air before she jumped into Ethan's arms.

Her legs wrapped around his thighs and her arms circled his neck as she planted her mouth on his for a quick, hard kiss.

"Thanks for the assist, Dr. Ramsey."

"You just needed a push," he quipped.

He let her go as she turned back towards the booth and thanked the barker when he handed her the tan-colored teddy bear as her prize.

"Here," she said, shoving the teddy bear into Ethan's hands as they walked out of the midway. "I told you I'd win you a prize."

She glanced at him sideways as he regarded the toy with amusement. "Now you'll have some company on the nights when I'm not staying over. Maybe you can practice your kissing technique some more."

His eyes snapped to hers, brows beetling in annoyance. "I told you. I was practicing CPR!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, babe" she said, laughing as she ducked when he tried to swat her with his prize. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."