Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
SUMMER
Wrapped up in the coziest blanket Indy could find, we demolish the cookies she made. I know they were frozen, but damn did they hit the spot. She pops on the tv, and we search through several options before she lands on a movie about pirates that I’ve never seen.
“It’s hilarious,” she says, “I promise, it’ll take your mind off things.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, and she looks at me with a softness I love, but don’t feel like I’ve earned.
“You’re safe here, there’s police outside to make sure of it,” she says, leaning her head on my shoulder and wrapping an arm around my middle.
To my surprise I do enjoy the movie, and the way her body molds to mine. How, with every laugh from her, her stomach presses into my side and shakes. She’s so soft, pliable, and if I weren’t currently in the midst of an emotional crisis, I’d be bending her over her couch.
She yawns, and I untangle myself from her and the blanket before grabbing the empty plate and taking it to the sink. I’ll wash it later, but for now, I want to sleep. I want to fall asleep holding the most beautiful woman I know, and not have nightmares.
Indy unfolds her legs, and stands when I offer her my hand. Walking to the bed, she winces a little at the way I toss the blankets around, and I laugh.
“It’s fine,” I tell her, watching her climb onto the bed and snuggle closest to the wall. Following after her, gripping her hip and lacing my foot through her legs, I pull her body into mine and wrap her up. “Is this okay, Honey?”
“Perfect.”
The next morning, the bed’s empty save for the blankets I managed to twirl into, and I shove down the moment of panic. But the smell of tea wafts over me, and when I turn my head, I see Indy at the stove, wearing a long shirt and pink fuzzy socks that have polkadots on them.
“Mornin’,” she says, walking over to the bed with two cups of steaming liquid. Her hair’s wet, and I’m surprised I slept through her shower. I’m suddenly bummed, because Indy wet and soapy… that would have been fun to watch.
Sitting up, I wrap my hands around the mug and take a sip, enjoying the way the tea soothes my throat. Crying makes my whole body ache, and I did enough of it last night to serve me for a while.
“How are you feelin’ this mornin’?” She asks, eyeing me over her own mug.
“Sore,” I say with a sardonic laugh and she tuts at me.
“I’m bein’ serious. How are you feelin’ about, you know, finally tellin’ your story?”
“Confused, and anxious…” I finally admit, there’s no use denying it.
“I can understand that,” she nods, “about the messages or… us?”
My mug hits my legs, and the internal alarms in my brain start to go off, telling me I should leave–but I don’t want to.
I want to keep her, if she’ll let me.
I want to belong to her.
“Both?” I’m not sure it’s a question, but it sure isn’t a statement.
She takes a deep breath in and lets it out all in one go before replying.
“As far as the messages go, I know Hartley is taking it seriously. And as for us,” she stops and ducks down so she can catch my eyes.
“What I said yesterday didn’t change overnight, Freckles.
I want to pursue this, for real.” Suddenly, she smiles.
So big and bright, if I didn’t already know she was capable of this kind of sunshine, I would now.
“I want to know everythin’ about you.” She finishes, and my heart stutters.
“What if I’m not worth knowing?” I ask, allowing a little bit of my own insecurity to show.
“I think you’re worth a whole lot more than knowin’. I think you’re worth lovin’, Summer.”
Her words make my breath catch in my throat, and I smile, “Well hell, Honey, for you, I’ll damn sure try.”
She kisses me, careful not to spill her tea in my lap, and I slide my hand through her wet hair. Something about this feels like a promise, a pact she and I share, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I hold up my end of the bargain.
After tea, she dresses, and I have to hold in my naughty thoughts, because she’s wearing jeans, which means we’re going to work.
She saves her dresses for things outside of the ranch.
So, after throwing on some clothes that I don’t mind getting dirty, Indy picks up the goose who still eyes me like I took something from her, and we head out.
“Be good, Twatla,” she says, making me snort when the bird shakes out her feathers and wiggles her butt while walking to the lake.
“She’s an ass,” Indy mumbles when the goose reaches the water and fans away the other geese so she has a full circle of lake to herself.
“Oh, absolutely. I think I kinda like her,” I chuckle, following Indy to the buggy.
When she starts it up, the smell of gas and oil mixed together permeates the air, and I inhale the newly familiar scent.
Every time I smelled it, I’d secretly hope it was her coming to the barn so I could watch her work.
“I’ve got to check on the counselors and the kids that couldn’t get picked up yesterday,” she tells me over the roar of the engine.
“Just tell me what you want, Boss,” I nod and she rolls her eyes.
“What I want isn’t appropriate,” she giggles, pulling up to the camp.
“Are you… flirting with me?” I fake a gasp, something so dramatic her only response is to roll her eyes. “Melinda Turner, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“What did I say about callin’ me that?” She chastises with a laugh that we both share, and it feels good.
River and Zaye are holding hands, sitting in front of the empty fire pit, talking to Kiri and Santi while the remaining kiddos run around and play.
“Mornin’,” the group says as we join them.
“Hell of a night, huh?” River says, standing to hug Indy.
“Undersatement of the year. How did everybody sleep?” Indy asks, looking around at the four adults, and from the looks and mumbled replies, the general consensus is not well.
I can imagine.
“How are you holdin’ up, Summer?” Santi asks, he’s the first to look at me, but soon Kiri smiles and stands, crossing the space to offer me a clap on my shoulder.
“We know you aren’t a murderer,” she says, squeezing my shoulder and pulling me in for a hug. Everyone nods their heads in agreement, but Zaye doesn’t look convinced. I guess that’s bound to happen, seeing as how I disappeared with the police right after saying it was true..
Still kinda stings though…
“Life happens,” I say, trying to shake Kiri off, but she’s not having it. She just wraps her other arm around my shoulders and stays that way until Indy clears her throat.
“Sorry, Indy.” Kiri says with a sheepish look.
“Thank y’all for stayin’,” she starts, looking each one of them in the eye. “I know this hasn’t been the summer we were all hoping for, but I admire y’all more than you know.”
“We love it here,” River says, “wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.”
“I appreciate that,” Indy smiles, “but I have to warn you that Hartley doesn’t think the person doin’ all this is gonna stop until they get whatever it is they want.”
“And what, exactly, do they want?” Zaye asks, with a look of careful suspicion directed straight at me.
“To ruin my life, I’d guess.”