Free Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel by Liz Long Page A

on his heels, spit on
the ground. His right cheek puffed up like a squirrel and I gathered he had
chew in his mouth. Round with a potbelly, Marty was a bit overweight but still
managed to look as though he maintained a lot of muscle. His nose was squashed
into his round face and his thinning hair made him look older than I’d guess
him to be. A foot taller than me, I didn’t doubt he could pick me up with one
arm without missing a step.
    “You’re an Unbreakable, right?”
I asked him.
    He nodded, spit again onto the
dirt. “Yes, ma’am, I am. You need any heavy lifting, come and find me.”
    “Thank you. I’m glad to know a
face around here.”
    “I’m always around, so holler if
you need anything at all. I’m happy to help. I better get back to it,” he said.
He clapped a hand on my shoulder and I felt organs rattle inside my body. “It’s
good to see you back with us, girl.”
    “Thanks, Marty.” I looked up at
him and gave him a smile. He had lots of lines around his eyes but he sure
looked sweet, like a big, muscular teddy bear. He patted my shoulder once more
before wandering off to a tent. Several people greeted him on his path.
    “He is so nice,” Delia said.
“Everyone here loves him.”
    “My dad always had nice things
to say about him,” I agreed. “Now, can you show me where exactly I need to be
tonight?”
    We walked around more as I
continued to meet people and gawk at performers who practiced their act
beforehand. Beautiful girls stretched and bent backwards, prepared to do
gymnastics and dancing with each other or their horses. Clowns ran around to
find their props and makeup, or in some cases, their flasks, which I found
quite amusing. The afternoon flew as we got closer to show time. An hour before
the gates opened, Brooklyn and Bianca walked over to us.
    “Hi ladies,” they called out.
    “Have you seen Austin? He asked
me to grab his paint kit from his trailer. He needs it like ten minutes ago, he
has to get ready for the kids who want their faces done,” Brooklyn said. She
lifted up a battered toolbox smeared with colors.
    “Sure, I can run this over to
him; we passed him earlier. Meet you over at the Big Top in a couple minutes.
He likes to talk,” Delia said, rolling her eyes. She took the paint kit and
disappeared in an instant.
    “Doing okay, First of May?”
Bianca teased me. “That sure is a hot uniform on you.”
    “Ha, thanks.” I resisted the
urge to cross my arms over my chest. “There’s a lot going on, but I’ll get the
hang of it.”
    “No doubt, give it more than a
few hours,” Bianca said. “Let’s head towards the tent.”
    “We should go out tonight to
celebrate,” Brooklyn said as we walked over.
    “Good plan, we’ve had a pretty
smooth day. I could drink a beer or four,” Bianca replied. “Lucy, will you
remember to tell Dee?”
    I nodded. “Who else would you
invite?”
    “It’s usually the same group
from like last night. Anyone’s welcome to join, but we’re together a lot,”
Brooklyn explained.
    “Let’s tell Jade. I know she usually
declines, but I still want to ask. Renata will probably join us,” Bianca mused.
    “And what about that new guy?
Think he’d want to go? ‘Course, I’d have to find him. I didn’t get a good look
last night,” I asked.
    “Oh, honey, don’t look too far.
That’s Gabriel over there,” Bianca said, motioning across the grounds.
    I looked over to see a
good-looking—okay, no, a really hot guy maybe a few years older than me.
Tall and lean, he wore jeans and a white t-shirt, covered in dirt and oil from
machinery. His longish blonde hair was slicked back and taut muscle rippled
underneath his shirt. He spoke with an older man and pointed to the machine in
the games booth.
    I caught myself staring and
looked over to see Bianca and Brooklyn with their mouths slightly open. I would
never tell Gabriel this, but he might be the prettiest person I’d ever seen in
real life.
    “It’s like a romance