10. Lara
My dad pops his head through the doorway to my bedroom. ”Hey, Lara. There anything else you girls need to put in the truck? I”m about to go down and load ”er up.”
”Yeah,” I say. ”This bag I”m packing. Let me grab my toothbrush, and I should be good. I”ll bring it down.”
”Okay, then. You can help me with loading.”
After he leaves, I glance at my backpack. It”s just an overnight camping trip and pig roast, so it”s not like I”m packing for a trip to Europe. I need P.J.s, a swimsuit, and extra clothes to change into later.
I grab my lime green bikini, and immediately, my mind goes to Dylan. This is a pretty skimpy suit. It”ll grab attention.
Better not go there.
I ball the bikini and throw it into my closet. The last thing I need is Parker telling me to cover up if I wear that one, so I pull my navy blue one-piece from the bottom drawer of my dresser. Not as sexy, but more sensible.
I zip my bag, throw it over my shoulder, and head down the hall. I pass Amanda”s room. She”s sitting on the floor, surrounded by a heap of clothes.
”What”re you doing, silly? Papa”s packing the truck.”
Amanda scrunches her nose. ”I don”t know what to bring.”
I drop my backpack on the floor and enter my sister”s room. ”Grab some shorts and T-shirts.”
My sister jumps up and goes to her dresser while I pick things off the floor and begin to sort.
”Just grab a few,” I tell her.
Amanda looks at her clothes strung everywhere. ”I started out well, but then I didn”t know what to do.”
”That”s okay, but our mother will have a fit if she sees your clothes all over.”
After we pick everything up and pull out what she needs for camping, I zip her sparkly purple duffle bag and carry it downstairs. Papa is leaning on the counter in the kitchen while Mother is sitting at the table, leafing through a fashion magazine.
”You sure you don”t want to join us, Camille?” he asks her and takes a sip of his iced tea.
”And sleep outside? It”s too hot for that, Charlie,” Mother says. ”And the bugs. The dirt.”
Dad nods. ”I know, but I thought I”d ask.” He puts his hand on her shoulder. ”You”ll be all right while I”m with the girls?”
”I”ll be just fine. A little peace will be nice.” She smiles and pats his hand. ”Make sure you watch Amanda. I don”t want her wandering off.”
”That”s what big sisters are for.” My dad kisses my mom on the cheek, then looks at me. ”Isn”t that right, Lara?”
”Of course,” I speak up. ”Amanda and I are going to have tons of fun. Everyone will be there.”
Amanda sits on Mother”s lap, and her face brightens immediately as she looks at her youngest daughter and pushes Amanda”s hair back from her face.
”Why won”t you come with us, Mumma?”
”Camping isn”t for me, baby. You go. Have fun.”
”I will!” Amanda shouts. ”They”re going to kill a pig!”
”Roast a pig,” I correct her. ”The pig is already dead.”
”Will it be ready by the time we arrive?” she asks.
”Probably,” my dad answers. ”Malcolm told me at the rodeo they were going to put it on the spit at dawn.”
”Good. I”m hungry,” Amanda says and giggles. ”And they”re going to have games, too?”
”Yep,” Papa says. ”And swimming. You got your swimsuit?”
”Lara helped me.”
My dad smiles at me. ”Thank you, Lara.”
”When we going?” Amanda asks.
”Pretty soon, sugar. Just need to load the truck. You wanna help your sister with that?”
Amanda nods enthusiastically, jumps off our mom”s lap, and grabs my hand.
”Let”s go, you rascal,” I tell her, and she leads me to the garage.
Amanda and I will be alone in a tent while Papa is camping with the adults. I love my sister, but it would be nice to have a tent on my own and put Amanda in with him. But if I suggest that, Papa will start wondering why I want a tent for myself, and it”s better not to get into that. I don”t want anyone thinking I”ll have Dylan with me.
Er… Parker…
That”s who I meant. Parker.
Damn, I need to stop thinking about Dylan and stop thinking about that kiss.
I grab camping gear… sleeping bags, lanterns, bug spray.… and hand them to Amanda.
”How”s it going out here?” Papa walks into the garage. ”You girls finished?”
I pull the tailgate down and hop into the truck”s bed. ”You want all this stuff back here?”
”Yeah, and we”ll put our bags in the cab.”
”Can I ride in the back?” Amanda asks.
Papa ruffles Amanda”s hair. ”No sugar, not today.”
”Tomorrow?” she asks hopefully. ”When we come back?”
Laughing, he throws up a hand. ”I guess. But only if your sister rides back there. That way, if we hit a bump, she can catch you before you fly off.”
”What if I fly off, too?” I ask him seriously.
”Make sure you land on your feet, kiddo.” Papa grabs the sleeping bags and hands them to me.
”Can I help, Lara?” Amanda asks, bouncing around.
”You are helping,” I tell her. ”Now, hand me those beach towels.”
”I want up there with you.”
I let out a sigh. ”Amanda, let”s just get everything finished.”
”Here you go!” Papa picks Amanda up and puts her in the truck bed with me.
I shake my head. ”You have to do everything I do, don”t you?” I mutter.
”You”re just mad because I can do it better.” She grabs the towels from our father and tucks them in between the sleeping bags. ”See? Now they won”t fly off when Papa hits a bump.”
I grab her ponytail and give it a playful yank. ”Remind me to braid your hair. That way, it won”t become one big rat”s nest.”
”Ooh, can you do a French one like last time?” She grabs another bag from Papa and hands it to me.
”Yeah, a French braid.” I smile at her, then glance at Papa. ”Anything else?”
”That”s it down here. Why don”t you two hop down and say goodbye to your mother?”
She”s stepping into the doorway to the garage. She hates coming out here, mainly because of all the dust that the tractors and trucks cause to come in, and not to mention the bugs. She does hate bugs.
”Give me a kiss,” she says, holding her arms to Amanda. I want you to be careful, and I”ll see you tomorrow.” She kisses Amanda on top of her head and looks at me.
”Keep an eye on your sister, Lara,” she tells me. ”And don”t invite Parker or any other boys in the tent while she”s sleeping. I don”t want you having S.E.X. when you”re supposed to be taking care of her.”
”Geez! I”m not going to have—ugh! Never mind. See ya.” I groan inwardly, trying not to be angry at her for basically calling me a slut.
I”m suddenly thrilled she”s not coming with us.
After ensuring everything”s secure, Amanda and I hop into the cab, and I roll the window down.
”Why do I have to sit in the middle?” Amanda asks as Papa climbs behind the wheel.
”Because you”re the smallest,” I tell her. ”You fit perfectly.”
”I”d fit perfectly in your seat, too,” she says and grins up at me. ”Maybe you can sit here next time, and I”ll sit by the window. It”s only fair.”
”She has a point,” Papa says as he pulls out of the garage and down the driveway.
Thankfully, Amanda starts fiddling with the radio, and I lean back and close my eyes. I do love the kid, but sometimes I could use a break.
But as I try to relax, there”s only one thing on my mind.
Dylan and that kiss.
How will I get through the day without reliving that repeatedly in my mind? And what will Parker say when he sees how I stare at Dylan?
Maybe he won”t notice.
Dylan will, though.
What if we wander off somewhere, him and me… there are woods by the river and many different places to hide. Or we could return to the ranch and go up to his bedroom?—
”Lara? Hello?”
I open my eyes. We”re slowing and turning into Three Rivers Ranch. Papa was calling my name.
”What?” I ask him.
”Did you pack water shoes for Amanda? The river is rocky. I don”t want her to cut her feet up.”
”Um, yeah. I think they”re in the back with the beach towels.”
Papa pulls the truck past one of the smaller ranch houses, the stables, the lake, and the old, big barn. Then we head down a back road, past the storage shed and some old gates, and then down another dirt road on the right. The river is a short walk from a clearing, and a bunch of trucks are already parked. I hop out and look at my outfit. I took extra time picking out what to wear. The denim shorts may be short, and the pink tank top with the silver horse motif may be too low-cut and tight, but it”s a party, after all.
”Where”s Dylan?” Amanda asks, coming up to me. ”I know you”re looking for him.”
”Oh, I”m sure he”s here somewhere?—”
Amanda smiles slyly. ”He kissed you at the rodeo. Everyone saw it.”
My cheeks heat as I bend to her. ”Shh. Dylan was stupid to do that. He got beat up for it.”
”Yeah,” she whispers. ”Do you think Parker is still mad?”
”For sure. Just… don”t bring it up around either of them, okay? I think it”s better if everyone forgets that.”
Someone walking by in a group lets out a wolf whistle, and I recognize the guys from yesterday”s rodeo. Great. Does everyone think I”m a big tramp now?
Papa pulls everything out from the back of the truck and grabs a foldable cart he keeps behind the seat. Then we load up and head to the river, where the festivities are getting started.
There are lines of picnic tables covered in red and white linen cloths filled with dishes, bowls, and platters of all sorts. Everything is protected to keep the flies away. The pig roast is set up away from the picnic area, and two guys are turning the large spit.
The Caldwells do go all out at their annual celebration.
On the other side of the picnic tables, a volleyball net is set up, along with a sand pit for horseshoes and what looks like an obstacle course set up for the kids. And then, next to that, people are starting to set up their tents.
”Let”s pick out a spot for you girls,” Papa says. ”Looks like there”s some room under one of those shady trees. Look over there.”
We make our way to the tent area and stake out our space. Amanda looks longingly at the water while Papa and I put up the tent.
”Amanda, can you hand me one of those stakes?” I hold my hand out. ”Amanda?”
”What?” She looks at me. ”Here, take this. Can I go swimming yet?”
”Not yet,” Papa tells her. ”Don”t you want to get something to eat? I thought you were hungry.”
”I”m not anymore. I want to go swimming.”
”Well, not until this tent goes up. Then your sister can take you.”
I glance at my dad as we hoist the tent. ”Do I have to watch her all day? I want to enjoy myself for a little while.”
”Spend time with your sister,” he tells me, then gives me a chuckle. ”I”m sure Parker won”t mind.”
”Or Dylan,” Amanda adds and giggles.
”Shut up,” I tell her quietly, then move closer so only she can hear. ”Look, we can swim, but you have to promise something.”
Amanda gives me a skeptical look.
”You have to promise not to say anything about Dylan in front of Parker… Especially about the rodeo thing.”
”But Parker was there,” she says. ”He saw you kis?—”
I grab Amanda”s mouth and smush her lips together. ”Not a word.”
Her shoulders visibly slump.
After we get the tent up and throw in our sleeping bags, Amanda changes into her swimsuit.
While I”m waiting, Papa comes up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. ”A lot of people are going to be here today.”
”Yeah, I heard they invited close to a hundred people.”
”Make sure you keep an eye on your sister. The river is calm down there, but even a strong swimmer can get caught in a current.”
”She”ll be fine. I”ll keep an eye on her. You don”t have anything to worry about. And maybe after lunch, I can have some time alone?”
”That”ll be okay. Now I”m going to set up my tent before it gets any hotter. You make sure she wears those water shoes.”
”Got it covered, Papa. I”ll see you later.”
As my father rolls the cart away, I wonder if Dylan is nearby.
”Hey.”
That”s not the guy I”m looking for.
My heart skips as I turn to face Parker.
”Oh, hey.” I swallow hard. ”I–I thought you might call last night.”
Parker looks at the ground and kicks a pebble. ”Yeah, well… I needed time to cool off.”
I lick my lips. ”I”m going swimming with Amanda. You want to come with us?”
”I can come watch, I guess.”
Amanda steps out of the tent wearing her swimsuit. ”I”m ready.”
”Now sit so I can braid your hair,” I tell her.
Amanda sits on the ground next to the tent while I give her a French braid. Parker stands next to us, looking slightly bored. I almost tell him he can find something else to do, but I hold my tongue. After yesterday, I owe it to him to spend the day with him.
”All right. All done.” I give the braid a little tug. ”How”s that feel? Does it hurt?”
Amanda shakes her head, reaching up to touch the braid. ”Only when you”re pulling it.”
”Okay, let me change… Parker, will you keep an eye on her for a minute?” I look at my sister and arch an eyebrow. ”Remember our promise?” I mouth to her.
She nods and walks close to Parker. It”s best not to leave her alone with him for too long. Even if she doesn”t mention the kiss, lord knows what else she might say. I change into my suit quickly and step out of the tent, only to see Dylan standing three feet away. A rush of heat flashes through me.
“No bikini?” he asks coyly.
I glance at Parker, who”s glaring at Dylan. ”Not today. This is more family-friendly.”
”You still shoulda worn it,” Dylan says quietly, then looks at Parker. ”Hey, man.”
Parker frowns at me. ”You ready?”
”Just have to make sure Amanda is wearing her shoes. I dig around the tent. Finally, I find them wrapped in one of the towels.
”I don”t want to wear those,” she whines. ”They hurt my feet.”
”Come on, Amanda. You aren”t allowed to go in without them.”
She lets out a groan and swipes them from my hand. ”Fine.”
After she puts on the shoes, we head to the somewhat sandy shore next to the river. A few people are already enjoying the water, and as Parker, Dylan, and I approach them, Amanda takes off running.
”Amanda?” I yell. ”Wait!”
But she doesn”t listen!
She heads straight into the water and goes under like a damn rock!