CHAPTER FIVE #2
The dads, though, came more as a unit. They were so alike in temperament it was hard to believe they weren’t actually related.
They’d been raised just like we were. Together.
My father, Lyle Hargrave, and Hawthorne Whittaker had grown up best friends.
And their fathers had been best friends, and their fathers, and so on.
The families had supposedly been like that ever since our ancestors had come over from England together and settled here.
I was close to my dad, but if I needed him and couldn’t find him, it was no big deal. I just went to Hawthorne instead. We all did that. When any of us had problems, either dad would help us. It didn’t really matter which one it was.
I knew people in North Wixby thought our families, and especially how close we all were, were strange. But I didn’t really care what they thought. None of us did. Except maybe Willa. She always wanted to fit in, no matter what.
“Do you think they’ll be here today?” Olivia asked, breaking into my thoughts as we walked between the houses. We were both carrying decorations Mom had asked us to bring. Mom was the decorator; Orla was the cook. Together they made sure all our get-togethers were spectacular.
“I hope so,” I said, squinting up at the sun. I looked out at the fields that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Our side of Wixby River Farms provided vegetables, eggs, honey, and all kinds of other products to people all over the South.
The Whittakers’ side was primarily focused on the dairy.
Their cows’ milk went out to stores all over the place.
They also produced cheese, butter, and yogurt.
I knew the dads were working hard to add ice cream to that list, too.
They were always focused on what new products the farm could produce.
Our two sides of the farm came together to make one massive, working farm of which we were all proud.
Olivia gave me a look. “I’m not sure whether I want them to be here. They’re both fun, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that Lufton can be a little much…”
“Lou!” My mom called out as my hellion youngest sister ran and jumped into a creek that ran along the property. It was muddy because it had rained the day before.
“Don’t worry, Mom.” She was holding a burlap tablecloth over her head. “I didn’t get it dirty!” Louisa didn’t mind that she was now basically a mud monster, her once pretty dress now covered with oozy mud slime.
Mom just sighed and laughed. She was used to Louisa. Dad looked at her and said, “My little pirate princess,” and shook his head, grinning. That was just one of Lou’s many nicknames.
Her antics were funny now, but I sometimes worried about whether she was going to grow out of it.
I had overheard Orla talking with Mom about it a few weeks ago.
Mom had just shrugged and said that she’d send her to finishing school if she had to.
She’d laughed and said Louisa was too much for her to handle and that she’d leave it to the professionals.
All I could imagine was a bunch of the teachers quitting at whatever school Lou ended up at.
I turned back to Olivia. “How long do you think it will take Lufton to declare his love for you?” I teased.
“Shut your face,” she said good-naturedly. “Maybe this will be the year he found a girlfriend off at that stupid boarding school.”
“I bet he did. He’s a massive flirt. But I’m also pretty sure he would have rather been with you, Livy.”
“Whatever,” she said dismissively. “Maybe he’ll be more mature now that he’s sixteen. He’s such a shrimp. I don’t know why he likes me. I’m almost taller than him, and I’m five-four.”
“That just gives him a better view of your boobs,” I laughed.
“Ugh.” Olivia made a face.
As we got closer to the Whittaker house, I noticed a fancy car pulling up.
It was a black Rolls Royce, and when it pulled to a stop, a driver got out.
He went to the back and opened the car door for Mrs. Ashton and Edward to get out.
God, they were so fancy all the time. Last year she had made him wear khakis, a tie, and a blazer to Declan’s party.
In June. In Georgia. The rest of us wore normal things, like shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops.
Before I could see Edward, Olivia dragged me off in search of the Whittaker boys.
Willa hurried to find Siobhan, who was her best friend.
Liam ran out of the house screaming Louisa’s name like they hadn’t seen each other just the day before.
Finn came hurtling out to tackle Tab while Bethie jumped on top of both of them.
I caught Mrs. Ashton’s horrified look out of the corner of my eye.
I wondered if she was staying for the summer kick-off party or just dropping Edward and Lufton off.
She had loosened up some last summer, but mainly she just kind of stuck out like a sore thumb with her classy suits and quiet demeanor. She was nice, though.
Declan and Aidan were around the back, where all the party activities were set up. Declan was standing on top of a table.
“I’m king of the mountain,” he yelled out, while Aidan tried to get him to come down before their mother saw him.
To be honest, Orla was almost as laid back as Mom was where discipline was concerned.
I didn’t think she’d care unless there was food on the table, or he stood on top of a tablecloth.
As long as it was just the wooden picnic table, she’d just ignore him.
We all gathered in the grove where our outdoor events were held.
Orla and Mom came out talking and laughing.
They were carrying trays of food over to the huge, homemade picnic tables that were in complete shade thanks to several large trees.
It was hard to tell in the daylight, but the trees were strung year-round with large string lights called Edison lights.
I loved coming over here for dinners, barbeques, and cookouts under the lights. It was always so much fun.
“Oh, hey, boys! Come on in and join us,” Mrs. Whittaker said to someone behind us. Livy and I both turned, and my mouth fell open.
Edward and Lufton were walking towards us.
I could not believe the changes in them since we’d seen them last year.
Edward, who had always been tall, seemed to have grown another few inches.
But that wasn’t the biggest change. His body had filled out.
He had muscles now. He was also wearing normal clothes.
He had on a T-shirt that clung to him a little around his biceps and pecs, and he was wearing shorts and Birkenstocks.
His hair was darker, more of a dark blonde now.
His eyes, always the bluest I’d ever seen, and that was saying a lot considering I lived next door to the blue-eyed Whittakers, stood out even more against his lightly tanned skin.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Was this really the skinny kid who’d put a frog down my dress just last summer?
I looked over at Livy. She was having a similar reaction to Lufton.
Edward had grown and changed a lot, but Lufton almost looked like a completely different person.
He must’ve grown a foot over the past year.
There was no doubt he would tower over Livy now.
He was almost as tall as Edward and Declan.
The three of them were well over six feet.
His hair looked lightened by the sun, even more blond than I remembered, and shorter than he used to wear it.
It suited him. His unusual blue-green eyes stood out in his tanned face.
I wondered if he and Edward were lifeguards or something.
He was also dressed casually, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. His eyes were laser focused on Olivia.
He walked right up to her, grabbed her in a big bear hug, and lifted her off the ground.
“Livy, love of my life, how have you been all year? Devastated without me, I’m sure,” he smiled while Livy squealed for him to put her down.
But when he did, for the first time ever, she didn’t struggle to get out of his arms or tell him he hadn’t earned the right to call her ‘Livy’.
She was staring up at him with a much different look on her face than she usually did.
I couldn’t hide my smile. Maybe Livy would finally give Lufton a chance.
I turned to see Edward staring at me. “Hey,” I said, unable to get much more out than that as I took in his new hotness. I mean, he’d always been good-looking. But it had hit an extra level now.
“Hey,” he smiled and walked over to stand next to me. I practically had to crane my head to look up at him. “What’ve you been up to this year?”
I was having a hard time thinking of words while he was staring at me like that with those bright blue eyes. I tried to be cool. “Oh, not much, just school and dance.” I put my hand out to lean casually against the table Declan had been standing on earlier.
And fell. Epically. There was nothing to break my fall, and I just fell straight down in the grass. Someone had moved the table over a few inches, and I had failed to notice.
I laid there for a moment, hoping to hide my shame, or come up with some realistic reason for why I fell. I heard raucous laughter and turned my head to see the entire group laughing at me. I sighed. That was the drawback to basically having eleven siblings. I wouldn’t live this down for a while.
Maybe not ever.
Edward was standing over me. “Are you okay?” He wasn’t smiling or laughing. He had a little furrow between his eyes.
“Yeah,” I said, moving to get up.
Before I could, he reached his hand down to help me. He pulled too hard, and I ended up smushed against his hard chest. It felt nice, but I flushed and stepped back a little. “Thanks,” I said, softly.