Page 122 of The Thorne at My Side
“Big fan but what happened at the end of the season?” The kid asks and I see Felix’s grip on his bag tighten.
“We didn’t win the cup, that’s what happened,” hegrits out and gives the kid a tight smile.
Maggie comes to the rescue. “Do we need to drop you off at the office or are you able to get picked up by a colleague?”
“Ugh,” the kid looks back at her, “The contract says I’ll be picked up by a colleague.”
“Fantastic, I’ll take the keys, and I really appreciate you bringing the car over to us today.” She smiles to end the conversation and we step out the front door and walk to the driveway.
Parked there is a giant, black F150.
“How is this less flashy than my car?” I protest as she uses the key fob to unlock it.
“It’ll fit in much better, trust me.” She pats my back after I lift our bags into the back seat. “You want to do the first shift?”
“No,” I say and I shake my head. “I haven’t driven in years, I’m not even sure my license is valid.”
“Ugh, excuse me, ma’am, the contract only has your name on it so you are the only authorized driver for the length of your rental agreement.” Kid chimes in from where he’s taken a seat on our front stoop.
“Shotgun!” Felix yells and he tosses his bag on top of ours and rounds the front of the truck.
“No way, you do not get to sit in the front seat while Maggie drives, that’s clear boyfriend territory.”
“Thorney, the rules of shotgun are very clear. And, I’ve got witnesses who will corroborate I said it first, and clearly.”
I slide my glasses off my face and pinch my nose. Maggie steps into my side and kisses my jaw.
“You can call shotgun for the next leg,” she says and I deflate because I kind of expected her to overrule shotgun.
???
“There it is!” Felix yells from the back seat. “What do I get for seeing the sign first?”
“Nothing,” I grumble.
“In our house, the first one to spot the sign gets a five minute late start on dishes. It was our biggest bargaining chip growing up,” Maggie says as she signals to change lanes. “Do you guys want to drive through town or go straight to my parent’s?”
“Town!” Felix yelps and Maggie smiles. She looks over to me for confirmation and I nod.
Lakeville is the quintessential small town. The square downtown with locally owned businesses lining the street, beautiful landscaping, and friendly waves even to the unfamiliar truck slowly moving down the street.
Although, I do spot three other black F150s and we’ve only been in town for a few minutes.
“That’s my sister’s studio,” Maggie points out the window, “and be careful what you say in that coffee shop. It’s owned by the matron of town gossip.”
She comes to a stop at the corner and in front of us is the park and the lake. The setting sun sparkles off the water and while DC is beautiful there is an urban grit to everything that I can see hasn’t tainted Lakeville.
After Maggie makes the turn I reach over and slide her hand into mine. She’s sitting up a little straighter in her seat and I can tell she’s nervous. We wind down the road away from town with the lake to my right.
“This place is really pretty,” Felix says from the back seat. I can’t see him but it sounds like his face is pressed up to the window.
“It is, I’mlucky to have grown up here,” Maggie says with a small smile at me.
She pulls her hand away to turn the truck into a driveway. There are already two other trucks parked there. We’re barely out of our seats when the front door opens and the screen slaps shut behind a blur of blonde headed our way.
“MAYBE! Congratulations!!” The ball of energy yells.
“Hey Lizzard,” Maggie and Liz wrap each other in a hug. I slide my hand into my pocket. “What are you congratulating me on?”
