“For your baked goods. You could turn your truck into a promotion for your own cookie business. Sexy Cookies, Inc.” He laughs, and I grin at him. “Okay, maybe not that name, but I’m serious. I don’t think Betty Lynn would mind handling the Caffeinated Cat float if you were doing your own. I could make a cookie costume this week.”
He eyes me, smiling. “You’d have to wear the costume.”
“Uh, no. I’m not signing up to dress in a ridiculous costume in front of the whole town,” I laugh. “But I’ll make it for you.”
“Then who would drive the truck? You don’t have your license.”
“Jake will drive.”
He nods slowly, thinking. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.” He’s trying to be nonchalant about it, but I can read this boy like a book.He’s excited.
A half hour later, we turn right again. The sky has grown dark, and I can no longer hear the rides or the crowds of people from the farm.
“You have no idea where we’re going,” Cooper finally says.
“Not a clue.”
“Ellis,” he groans.
I laugh. “I’m sorry. I was lost when you found me! It’s not like I have a map.”
He sighs. “I know you don’t have a map, but you seemed like you had a plan.”
“I did. Wander until I find my way out.”
“Okay, but now what?”
“Keep wandering until we find our way out?” I suggest.
“We could cut through the corn and just walk straight until we find our way out,” he says. “Even if we end up on the wrong side of the farm, we won’t be stuck in here anymore.”
I peer into the dark cornstalks. “Um, no.”
“It’s a better plan than yours.”
“Except yours is terrifying,” I argue.
“Why? There aren’t any bloodthirsty children in there, I promise,” he says with a laugh.
“There might be coyotes, though. Or bobcats.” I sigh. “I don’t have to worry about coyotes or bobcats in the city.”
“No, you just have to worry about rats.”
I shrug. “Meh, rats are just basically stray cats in New York. I’m used to those.”
“Gross,” he says with a shake of his head. “But okay, if you don’t want to cut through the corn, I think maybe we should just sit tight.”
“Like here? On the ground?”
“You can stand if you want. I’m just saying, Sloane knows you’re in here. She probably already has people looking for you.So we should stay in one place so we’re not accidentally walkingawayfrom our rescue team,” he says. “They’re bound to find us eventually.”
“Seems more likely we’ll find the end before they find us.”
He frowns at me. “We’ve both been in here forhours.”
“Fine,” I pout.
Cooper and I sit on the dirt path, cold and enveloped in silence, with our legs stretched out in front of us. I try not to think about how close his fingers are to mine as we lean back on our hands. And I try not to stare at the perfect slope of his nose or the curl of his eyelashes, or his full lips as he breathes puffs of warm air.
