Page 61 of Something Tattered
"Where to begin?" I gave a shaky laugh. "Let's see, you gave me a ride, went to my party…" I rolled my eyes. "Saved the horse."
His eyebrows furrowed. "What horse?"
"You know. The one my uncle was swiping."
His lips lifted at the corners. "Oh yeah. That horse."
While I was on a roll, I figured I might as well cover everything. "And also, for coming by today to tell me about my car. That was really great of you, and I should've been nicer about it."
I shoved a nervous hand through my hair. "So, I guess that's everything." I glanced around. "So, if you still wanted to give me a ride home, that would be really great."
Joel gave my bike a long look. "You're giving me too much credit."
"I am not," I insisted. "It's all true."
"Nah." He lowered his voice. "I'll let you in on a secret."
"What?"
"Today, about your car, that wasn't the only reason I stopped by."
"It wasn't?" I cleared my throat. "I mean, was there something else?"
"Yeah."
"What?" I asked.
He smiled. "Marshmallows."
Chapter 29
The campfire was at the perfect stage, with cheerful flames and a glowing bed of red embers. Joel and I each had a marshmallow on a long stick, and were turning them over the flames.
I gave mine another slow turn. "So, do you camp a lot?"
Sitting in the lawn chair beside me, he looked easy and relaxed as he gazed into the fire. "The truth?" he said. "It's my first time."
The answer surprised me, not because he looked like an avid outdoorsman or anything, but mostly because he'd whipped up a fire in no time flat.
"Really?" I gave him a curious look. "What made you start now? Did you just need a vacation or something?"
A shadow passed over his features. "Something like that."
Obviously, there was a lot more to this story. "So why'd you pick this place?"
Joel glanced around. "Why not?" And then, he returned his gaze to the fire and said nothing more about it.
I studied his face in profile. Thanks to my internet research, I knew more than he realized. Obviously, this had something to do with his brother.
I returned my own gaze to the fire and was surprised to see that my marshmallow was almost done. I gave my stick a few more turns, making sure the marshmallow was roasted evenly all around.
I pulled it back and gave it a closer look. I smiled with satisfaction. It was almost perfect, just like it was the perfect night for a campfire. The evening was cool and clear, with almost no breeze. In the background, I heard crickets chirping and people laughing from a few campsites away.
The place was a lot less crowded than it had been on Friday night, but that was no surprise.
Technically, it was no longer summer, which meant that kids were back in school, and camping would be mostly confined to retirees and weekend warriors.
It was Sunday night, and the weekend was almost over. Most people, including me, had to work tomorrow. I gave Joel a sideways glance. Didhehave to work tomorrow?
