Chapter 41
Zander is laughing at how energetic I am. We keep the house clean, but I’m fussing anyway. He stops me long enough to have some sausage biscuits for breakfast.
“Hello sweetheart. I’ve missed you. Let me get a good look at you,” she says, stepping back and holding my upper arms. “You look like a whole new person. You’re radiant!”
I chuckle at her. “Come on, Zander wants to see you,” I say, guiding her over to the carousel. Zander gives her a big hug as well. “Any luggage?” He asks.
“No, just the carry-on,” she tells him. Zander grabs the handle, and we head for the Jeep. “Oh my, it’s warm,” Sue says, sucking in a deep breath. “I always forget what the humidity feels like down here.”
“Have you been to Charleston before, Sue?”
“I have, many years ago. I spent a week here once, but it was in the fall.”
Zander opens the trunk to put Sue’s suitcase in. “Summer, you’ve got a beautiful vehicle,” Sue says.
“Thanks, I love it. I’ve only driven once so far, in an empty parking lot.”
Sue remarks on all the blooms and the huge bridge as we drive.
I tell her about the diving meet this afternoon, and she’s happy to accompany us to it.
I give her a tour of the house when we get home, leaving her suitcase in the guest room.
“You’ve made a beautiful home, Zander. The renovations are brilliant,” she smiles at him.
“Thanks Sue. Still a few to go, but it’s mostly done now.” We enjoy the chicken salad I prepped this morning, then Sue freshens up and we’re off to the diving meet soon after. Zander knows where the high school is, and Seb texts me that they’re waiting at the gym entrance for us.
The school parking lot is fairly empty, so Zander can park by the door. Seb opens my door and pulls me out for a hug. “Hello Sunshine,” he smiles.
“Hi Seb. Come meet Sue.” Zander holds the door open for her as she gets out.
“Miss Sue. I’m Seb,” he tells her and folds her into a big hug.
Sue is laughing at him. “Oh my. Hello Seb.”
“Thanks for taking care of my Sunshine,” he says, giving her a big smile.
“It was my pleasure,” she says, patting his hand.
We walk over to the door, and I introduce everyone else.
Troy and Gabby have joined us today, too.
Seb and E lead the way inside the building to the pool.
It’s a nice facility, just a little older than our school.
We find seats about halfway up in the stands so we can see everything.
I point out Bay and Alex to Sue, so she knows who we will be cheering for. “How many schools are here, Seb?”
“I’m not sure. It looks like 4 or 5. The whole team isn’t here, though.” I nod as an announcement comes on. Looks like they’re starting with single divers, then pairs, so we have a bit of a wait.
“It’s fascinating to see in person,” Sue comments. “How can the body twist and turn like that so fast?”
“That’s what I thought the first time I saw the guys diving. It’s mesmerizing,” I agree. We watch the single divers as the guys explain the scoring to us. It seems subjective to me.
When we finally get to the men’s pairs, I see eight pairs of groups. The first ones to dive are damn good. They’re in sync and hardly leave a splash. “They’re new this year,” E tells us. “Moved here from out of state.”
“They’re good,” Seb comments.
Bay and Alex are fourth in line. We cheer for them when they emerge from the pool. They complete a nice dive, but their scores are lower than the first pair.
“Don’t worry. That will be their lowest score,” Seb offers. “Bay always gets nervous for the first dive.”
After the second round, the guys are in second place. As the final round starts, the first-place pair makes a bit of a splash entering the pool. “That’s the opening they need,” Seb says excitedly.
Alex and Bay perform a near-perfect dive this time. We jump up and cheer for the guys. We get a wave from Bay when they exit the pool, and he’s got a big smile on his face.
“They should have first place now,” Seb says. The scores confirm they’ve moved into first as we watch the remaining dives. The guys finish first and the newcomers place second, with our school finishing fourth overall today.
We wait in the stands for Alex and Bay to emerge, and they’re pretty quick to join us. We congratulate them on their win, and I introduce Sue to them both before we walk out to the parking lot together. “So, what do you think of the newcomers?” I ask Alex.
“I am not sure yet. They performed the same dives as last year in the competition today. Time will tell if they are holding back some more complicated dives.”
I nod in acknowledgment as we get to our vehicles. We say goodbye as we go our separate ways until tomorrow.
“That was exciting,” Sue exclaims while Zander drives out of the parking lot.
I smile at her. “It was. Glad you enjoyed it.”
When we get home, I take Sue for a walk around the yard, showing her all the flowers and the vegetable garden I started.
Zander brings out some sweet tea and unsweetened for me to the outdoor table.
He made a salad while we were exploring and is grilling up some barbecue chicken for supper, so Sue and I relax at the table.
She asks questions about my classes and the guys.
I tell her there’s some kind of surprise Easter thing tomorrow I’m not allowed to know about. “You’ll like it,” Zander winks at me.
“Geez, does everyone know but me?” I complain.
“Sue doesn’t yet,” Zander chuckles. “Oh, Troy is taking Gabby to some cheer thing tomorrow, so they won’t be joining us. I’m not sure if the guys mentioned it.”
“No, they didn’t. That’s too bad they’ll miss tomorrow. Whatever is happening,” I reply, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m a vault,” Zander responds, smiling.
Sue is chuckling at us. “Oh, sweetheart, I forgot to tell you I placed some fresh lilies for your mom and sister before I left for Easter.”
“Thank you, Sue. I appreciate that,” I tell her, giving her hand a squeeze. Sue knows I try to visit with flowers on holidays as much as I can. “Speaking of lilies, Zander, there was a bouquet of lilies at my locker yesterday with a similar note as the roses.”
“Dammit. Do you think it was Ben again?” Zander runs his fingers through his hair, frustration etching his face.
“That would be my guess. I don’t know who else it would be.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t accept this contract, Summer. I can apply for another one later on.”
“Fill me in?” Sue asks. “I’m aware of Ben, but not the contract.” Zander tells her about the contract Finn has won, including the traveling and nights away.
“One of the guys will stay here with me when Zander has to stay overnight, and I’ll be staying with Alex for the night training portion.” I add.
“It sounds like a great opportunity, Zander,” Sue says.
“It is, but I’m worried about Summer,” he tells her, pacing the deck while he watches the chicken on the grill.
“I understand, believe me,” she smiles. “For what it’s worth, you’re less than two hours away.
You could be back here quickly if needed.
Heaven forbid anything should happen, but it would probably occur when you’re not with her, anyway.
It sounds like you’re taking every precaution you can, and the boys are all trained in safety and security. “
“I don’t want you to miss this opportunity, Zander. I’ll be safe. I promise.”
Zander looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath. “I wish I could make this Ben guy disappear forever.”
“Me too,” I agree.
“Me three,” Sue pipes up. We all laugh, breaking the tension. Zander serves up the bbq chicken and salad, and we move onto lighter topics over dinner.
Sue turns in not long after we eat, while Zander and I relax on the couch for a while, watching Thor.