Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Hatch
Not long after we got home, I had a call from my dad, he of the barrier-busting swimmers.
“Hey, Hatchling, how’s it going?”
“Fine, fine.”
“So, we’re not going to talk about what happened at the church yesterday?”
I inhaled. “Bit of a shit show.”
“Didn’t see you after. Or before.”
“Wanted to get on the road to Saugatuck before I got sucked into the drama. How’s everyone?”
My dad talked about the latest thing that my four-and-a-half-year-old sister Tilly was obsessed with (fig jam) and the latest thing that my twenty-one year old brother Conor was obsessed with (trying to nail a puck in the tree hole of the big oak in the backyard).
“I stopped by Novel Grounds for coffee this morning. Gem was asking about your retirement, then Baz at the yacht club had plenty to say.”
He sighed. I felt for him, having to deal with all this speculation about his career.
Working with him, side by side, over the last year had been both amazing and intimidating.
This was the Theo Kershaw we were talking about, a legend in the game.
I hated thinking that it would be better for me if he retired, that I could finally get out from under his shadow.
“Have you given any more thought to that?”
“I think of practically nothing else. I’m guessing you’re sick of hearing about it.”
“Nah.”
My dad chuckled. “It’s good for you to get away from all the drama, family, hockey, and otherwise. So what’s the latest on Carter and Summer?”
“You’re worse than the twins. Is this why you’re calling? Looking for gossip?”
“Of course it is! Your mother’s been at me to get the scoop, not to mention Aurora. I know you’re not that close to Carter, but I figured you’d know something. I always liked Summer, too.”
“Based on what? You barely know her.”
“Wouldn’t say that. As a Rebels-cough-legend-cough, I spent a fair bit of time in the front office in my role as honorary GM, coach, and team psychologist. I had plenty of chats with Summer and she always struck me as a total sweetheart. Guess we never know what’s going on beneath the surface.”
The truth of that struck me hard. I’d made up my mind about Summer quickly, and now I had no clue what her game was. Just because she had ditched Carter didn’t mean she was suddenly a good person, though. She was hiding something. I just didn’t know what.
“Carter said she changed her mind. Well, I didn’t talk to him directly, but the guys texted to say he seems to think it’s just a glitch in the matrix. That they’ll sort it out eventually.”
Though judging from Summer’s reaction to talking to him this morning, Dash was playing a different game with her.
My father hummed. “That’s a big hurdle to climb. But hey, maybe this means you can finally take your shot.”
“Uh, meaning?”
“I was always surprised you didn’t make a play for her. I remember when she came on the scene, the first time you met her at the Rebels holiday party a few years back.”
Unfortunately, my dad had the recall of an elephant. I braced myself for a blow-by-blow account of this fateful meeting, but first I argued my case.
“Dash brought her as his date and they’ve been together ever since.”
“Not all the time. Believe me, I’ve listened to his whining every time they split up and happened to bear witness to all the times he found some bunny to help him get over her. Then a month later, they were back on the hamster wheel of love. Not exactly inspiring.”
It was not, but some couples thrived on the drama. “And what makes you think I wanted to take a shot?”
“Because you were smitten that first time you saw her.”
I scoffed. “No, I wasn’t.”
“Oh, Hatchling, I remember it well. You were struck dumb. But I get how you wouldn’t want to make a move on another guy’s girl.”
Ladies and gentlemen, my dad, the shit stirrer.
“I can barely recall meeting her.”
Neither did you rescue her from the church, squirrel her away in your family’s vacation home, or convince her to stay as long as she needs, either.
“Guess I got it wrong. That was the night I learned your mom was pregnant with Tilly, so maybe I already had empathetic pregnancy brain.”
If he had any idea of the bride’s current whereabouts, I’d never hear the end of it. The call left me uneasy, closing in on bad-tempered.
Summer wasn’t helping.
Having refused my offer of a ride back into town for an “essentials run” with her non-existent ATM card and minimal cash, she was now assessing the roadworthiness of Adeline’s bike, an ancient red Schwinn she found in the shed.
“It’s going to crap out on you before you’re halfway down the drive.”
Hopping on it, she cycled twenty feet toward the gate then back again. She had changed into a pair of what I assumed were Aurora’s shorts, and even though my great-grandmother was petite, Summer was even more slight. The shorts rode up, revealing smooth, gilded skin.
“It’s totally fine.”
“I can get you there in eight minutes.”
“And this will be amazing exercise. I can’t have you driving me everywhere. People will talk.”
She was right, of course. Gemma from the coffee shop was probably telling Cassandra at the bakery who would no doubt share with Sam at the library. As far as I was concerned, she could stay as long as she liked, but we needed to be discreet.
I kicked the front tire of the Schwinn. “How’d you come up with Shelby Mae?”
She stilled, then did a slo-mo check of the brakes. “What do you mean?”
“In the coffee shop when Gem asked your name, you came out with it whip-fast.”
Another squeeze of the brakes, then a glance behind to see them in action.
“I just tried to imagine what kind of name would piss off Dash’s mother—I mean, even more than Summer, which she thought was trashy—and it came to me in a blinding flash of inspiration!
If I’m gonna go trailer, may as well double down. ”
I detected a twang there. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it.
“Where are you from, originally?”
“The Bay Area. Small town no one’s heard of about thirty miles from San Francisco.”
She might give off California summer vibes, but she had never struck me as a West Coast girl.
Before I could comment, she clambered off the bike, lay it against the wall, and picked up a backpack that looked familiar. It had the red-headed Disney princess on it, the one who could shoot arrows.
“That looks like Tilly’s.”
“I figured as much. I hope she won’t mind. I’m going to head into town to pick up some toiletries and … duh, duh, duh … underwear.”
“Why the big announcement?”
“Because I mentioned needing some spares earlier in the car and it seemed to bother you.”
She had. It did. “Your underwear seemed to bother me?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. You gripped the steering wheel really, really tight. Because … duh, duh, duh … underwear!”
Maybe I had. Or maybe everything Summer did had me holding on, bracing myself for the next dip of the rollercoaster.
“Did Carter know how weird you are?”
“If he had, I probably wouldn’t be in this mess. Okay, wish me luck!”
She had yet to come home.
It was close to four o’clock and there was no sign of her. I should have taken her number, but I hadn’t, and now I was worried because she was riding that pile of rust and had probably fallen into a fucking ditch.
I got in my car and started driving. No sign of her on the road into town or near the harbor. My relief at finding her walking the bike along Water Street pissed me off so much that I was already rolling my window down as I pulled up alongside her.
“Where the hell have you been?” Dad energy to the max.
Those violet eyes went wide at my reaction. “Didn’t know I needed to check in.”
“What happened?”
“Flat tire.” She wiped her brow and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. “I didn’t have your number. It’s only a thirty-minute walk.”
More like forty. “Guess we didn’t think that one through.” I got out, grabbed the bike from her, and put it in the trunk. The action provided a much needed moment to cool down. “How did it go?”
She patted her backpack. “I got a few things, tampons and the like.” If she was expecting me to be embarrassed by the mention of menstrual products, she’d be a long time waiting. I had dealt with enough estrogen in my life to be able to handle that.
To prove how evolved I was, I asked, “Pick up any underwear?”
“No. The boutique places in town are too expensive. I didn’t go into any of them, but I can tell.”
“So you don’t have any clean undies?”
“Don’t you worry, Dino Boy. I can wash out my single pair every night before I go to bed.”
Which meant she would be sleeping naked.
I really needed to stop thinking of Summer naked.
“Let’s take a look.”
“At my single pair of underwear?”
“At Saugatuck’s clothing emporiums.” If necessary, I’d drive her into the next biggest town, Holland, but I’d rather check out the local options first.
She got in the car, grumbling, “what a waste of time and money” and “I believe it’s emporia.”
I fought to ignore how my great-gran’s shorts rode up her thighs and how her smooth, golden limbs had me itching to touch. Two minutes later, we pulled up outside one of the Main Street boutiques.
“How about some retail therapy and then something to eat?” This was already going against my resolution to be discreet, but she had the Motors cap, and I was confident we could fool the lot of them.
She brightened. “I can buy you dinner. To thank you!”
“With what? I thought you were broke.”
“Maybe we can find a hot dog stand?”
Even in Saugatuck, they cost a fortune. “Keep it for your underwear. Come on, let’s go.”
Once out of the car, she squinted at the window of Tanya’s Treasures. “I think this boutique might not be for me.”
“You said you needed underwear.”
“I do, but I don’t want to blow my limited funds on one pair of knickers. Where’s the nearest Walmart?”
“Grand Rapids. If you start cycling now you could be there in, oh, four hours. Once you get your tire fixed.” I touched her back and gave her a gentle shove toward the store. “Let’s take a look and if it’s no good, we’ll come up with another plan.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to take such an interest, Dino Boy.”
“Just being a good host. Would you prefer I wait in the car like your driver?”
She made a low growl in her throat. “Always the drama with you.”
“Says the woman who climbed out a bathroom window on her wedding day.”
She pushed open the store’s door and the bell above gave a little tinkle to announce our arrival.
I wasn’t a fan of these kinds of boutiques.
They were usually too small to keep a low profile and held little interest to me as a consumer.
But Summer was clearly in need, and I didn’t like the idea of her running around with no underwear on.
Or I liked the idea a little too much.
Someone called out from the back. “Be right there!”
“Take your time,” Summer replied, then in a whisper to me, “Ninety-five dollars for a T-shirt? I don’t think so.”
That did sound pricey, but if it was a choice between a Walmart five-pack and an overpriced scrap of lace, I knew where my preference would lie.
With the unerring male knack for being magnetically drawn to the lingerie section, I walked to a corner in the back.
Frilly panties and bras were laid out like a tempting buffet.
I picked up one of the bras and tried to imagine Summer in it—it wasn’t hard.
But something else was.
“Did you find anything?” Summer came up behind me and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, these are pretty. Do they have your size?”
“A little small for me,” I said as I stretched the waistband of a silky white pair of panties.
Summer checked the price tag. “Nope.”
“I can buy you a pair, poor little almost-rich girl.” I picked up the skimpiest ones, which retailed at thirty-nine dollars. So something like five bucks per square inch. “If I’m paying, this is my choice.”
“You are not paying for my panties!” She grabbed them, but I held on tight, determined to win no matter the cost. Just the sight of her with her cheeks flushed and her eyes as bright as blue suns was worth forty bucks for sure.
A movement sounded behind us, then came a voice I never expected to hear.
“Hi, Hatch. It’s good to see you.”