Teagan
Because… like the duffel bag full of her dad’s stuff she’d found a couple of months ago on a hunt for the curling iron, it should’ve been left behind.
“I liked it when I was, like, eight years old, Mom. Nine, max.” It was thirteen, actually, but she was pretty sure her mom wasn’t going to fact-check her.
“Very fun— Ow! Careful!”
“Stop squirming.”
“You’re not the one who’s panicking about running out of time. I’m getting picked up any minute, and I don’t want to start my date in my princess bedsheet.”
“Yes, m’lady.” Her mother released a curl, curtsied, then wound another one into the iron. “So… this date… he’s a rower…?”
“You met Cam at the regatta.”
“Yes.” Her mom gave a couple of exaggerated nods. “He seemed… nice?”
“You don’t remember him, do you?”
“I do!” She released another curl, wound a final tress into the iron. “He was the one in the hat.”
“Mom. They were all in hats.”
The final curl fell into place. “And we’re done!” She didn’t let Teagan take off the princess sheet until they were in front of the mirror. “Ready for the big reveal?” Ella swept the sheet away and caught her breath. “Oh!”
“Oh? What does ‘oh’ mean in this context, Mother?”
“You look stunning, Teagan. Truly beautiful.” Mom put her arms around Teagan from behind, careful not to touch her hair. Smiling at her mom in a mirror wasn’t a normal thing, but it felt strangely natural. Like they were finally figuring out how mothers and daughters who liked each other behaved.
A car engine sounded outside the house, then went silent. This was it, her first public date with Cam Dillinger.
Her mom was sneaking a peek out the window. “Well, hello, shoulders.” She dropped the curtain. “You didn’t tell me you were dating Superman.”
Aaaand… the mother–daughter bonding had just crossed the boundary into embarrassing territory.
She heard Cam’s footsteps on the porch, but jumped when he knocked on the door even though, duh, obviously that was going to happen. Maybe she needed just a little more mother–daughter mojo. “Do I look okay?”
“You look perfect.”
Mom looked proud anyway. Which meant a lot.
She opened the door. Her mom had called it. Superman might not even rock that suit the way Cam was.
“Teagan.” He shook his head. “Wow.”
“You look nice, too.” Nice? He looked better than nice. He looked… gorgeous. “I’ll be right back. I have to grab my clutch.”
“Cam!” Ella gushed, ushering him in. “Can I get you anything? Water? Soda?” She gave him a wink. “I used to steal my mom’s wine coolers before a dance.”
“Umm.” He glanced at Teagan. “No coolers, thanks. Driving.”
“Right answer.” Ella beamed. “You passed the test.”
There hadn’t been a test. Her mom was a doofus.
Cam held out his arm to Teagan. “Ready?”
“Great!” Her mom grabbed her purse, too. “You two are still okay to give me a lift, right?”
Seriously, Mother? It was bad enough Ella had volunteered to chaperone the dance.
“Kidding! I’ll get there on my own.”
“She’s not kidding.” Teagan grabbed Cam’s hand and pulled him toward the door. “Go, go, go!” They laughed as they ran down the porch steps. Teagan came to a sudden halt when she saw their carriage.
“We’re going in this?”
“Yup.” Cam held open the door for her. “’Fraid so.”