Page 48 of Like Home
“Well, I never. See you soon then,” she harrumphed and ushered me out the door, demanding that I change my clothes before picking up my “lady friend.” She reminds me so much of my Nonnathat it hurts a little to interact with her.
I shake my head and chuckle while getting in my truck. In just the few months I’ve been here, I’ve felt so at ease. I had been so starved for an actual community these last few years. It feels so nice to have one again.
I feel a sense of purpose and belonging I haven’t felt in a long time. I let Lydia cut my tethers and I’d been drifting ever since. I’m feeling more than happy to tie myself to this place. To Summer.
When I pull up to Summer’s house, she’s sitting on her porch stoop, freckled legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles. She has her phone out and her eyes rapidly scan back and forth, devouring her ebook. She bites her lower lip (red of course, because my girl loves a theme) and her eyebrows raise in this particular way she has where I know she just read something spicy.
I pop the truck’s door open and hop out. She looks up at the noise and her cheeks color prettily, confirming she just got to the good part in her book and knows she’s been caught. I raise my eyebrow playfully. “They finally did it?”
“God, yes. Finally! I’m, like, eighty percent of the way through the damn book. I like a slow burn, but this was downright glacial.” She stows her phone in her small purse and stands. I get the full view of her now and it nearly knocks me on my ass. She’s wearing jean shorts and a red sleeveless top studded with tiny metal stars. It's tight over her chest and flares out over her hips. The bare expanse of her legs is distracting and I’m about to suggest going back inside so I can peel those shorts off her.
“Ah-ah,” she chides, seeing the look in my eye, “We are notmissing the festival and my chance to meet some of your family because you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”
“Who said anything about hands?” I smirk as she stumbles a little on her way to me.
Her lust-blown eyes close and she shakes her head, poking me in the chest. “No. Nope. You’re not going to use sexy words against me. You know they’re my weakness.”
I laugh and wrap my arms around her, inhaling the clean scent of her shampoo, and say, “Okay, fine. I was going to suggest a reenactment, but I see you’re not interested.” I lean down and capture her lips with a kiss and feel my pulse quicken. I wonder when or if it’ll ever feel routine to kiss her. I hope it never does. I love that even after months with her, it still feels brand new.
She pulls back, “I have to actuallyread itfirst before it can be reenacted.” She pouts, twisting her fingers through the hair at the base of my neck, giving me goosebumps.
“Do you want me to give you twenty minutes before we leave so you can finish reading?” I ask earnestly. “I do need to spray the weeds again.” I look over the front lawn with a critical eye, seeing a few pesky but resilient weeds creeping in from the edges.
She beams up at me, “I love that you asked that and meant it, but no. If I pick up where I left off and you’re here… Well, I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere.” When she sees my pleased smile she says, “I want to go to the festival and meet Layla, Hudson, and Todd. If I stick around here, it’s just going to make me sad that Emma isn’t with me. This will be the first holiday of hers that I’ve missed. I need a distraction.”
“Festival it is,” I say before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s get going. I doubt parking is going to get any better.” I tug her toward the truck and open the door for her.
Once we’re both settled in I ask, “Do you know what Emma is doing with her dad today?”
“She’s going with him to his parents’ and I think they’re going to have a barbecue and shoot off fireworks. She’ll have agood time,” she says with a tight smile. I know today is going to be hard for her, so I’m working overtime to make it special. I know nothing can replace spending holidays with her daughter, but I hope I can at least take her mind off it and make it fun.
“Sounds like she’ll have a blast. Let’s try to do the same, okay?” I reach over and squeeze her thigh, letting my hand rest on her warm skin. Her smile turns more genuine, and gives me what I need to put the truck in reverse and head out.
When we get to the multi-block festival in downtown Springview, parking is just as I suspected: Terrible. We end up having to park several blocks away and walk hand-in-hand towards the booming music and red, white, and blue bedecked crowd. I have an old backpack slung over my shoulder with a few essentials.
We missed the start of the parade, but it looks like we’ll catch it in the middle. Intricate floats featuring local clubs and interests roll by, interspersed with dance teams, fire trucks, cheerleaders, and the local middle and high school bands. Everything is classic Americana, down to the cherry-red vintage Mustang acting as a float for the previous years’ prom king and queen.
Once we reach the main road, I scan the crowd for my sister and find her with Hudson on her lap in a camping chair by the road. I tug Summer with me, glad that Layla and Todd seem to have saved us a small bit of real estate near them. The entire street is packed as tight as sardines, most people sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder in the blistering heat. “Layla, this is my girlfriend, Summer,” I say when we get close enough to be heard.
“I’d get up to hug you, but this barnacle is a little people-shy and his favorite person had to run back to the car for more water. Nice to meet you, Summer. I’ve heard so much about you,” Layla says warmly, tucking Hudson in closer when it seems he wants to be back inside her skin at the appearance of a stranger.
“No problem. It’s great to meet you, too. Ryan has also told me a ton about you and this little cutie,” Summer replies,waggling her fingers at Hudson who has peeked one eye out from the refuge of his mom’s neck.
“Don’t listen to anything he says unless it’s glowingly positive,” Layla jokes.
I playfully flick Lay’s ear and spread out a picnic blanket under one of the last shady trees available near my sister, glad at least that they seem to be hitting it off. Both women are amazing, so I wasn’t really worried, but it’s always a little scary introducing your girlfriend to family for the first time. I’d never tell Layla this, but her opinion matters more to me than anyone else’s.
Summer and I take a second to arrange ourselves on the blanket before we down an ice-cold water bottle each. After we cool off as much as possible, I pull Summer in front of me so she can lounge back on my chest. She comes willingly and instantly relaxes into me, despite our sweat-dampened skin.
“Hey, Ryan,” I hear Todd’s deep voice say from behind me. Summer and I both turn our heads to see him heading for the open camping chair next to my sister. I say hello and make the introductions between him and Summer. I catch Summer giving Layla an approving nod and a thumbs up.
I try to hold in my snort of laughter and tickle Summer’s side briefly. She grabs my hand and kisses the back of it before placing it back around her waist. Hudson careens from Layla’s lap to Todd’s and watches the parade in wide-eyed amazement.
Looking around at the festive chaos with Summer snuggled up to me and my family nearby, I feel a moment of pure peace. This is what I’ve been looking for. I didn’t know it at the time, but she is the reason I came back to Lakeland.
I’m pulled out of the moment when one of the high school band members trips over her feet, tuba letting out a loudsquawkas she rights herself. I’m impressed by the way she throws her shoulders back and keeps going. We watch the rest of the parade in comfortable silence. When the last float goes by, longsilver streamers reflecting the setting sun, we get up to stretch and walk around.
Summer shakes out the picnic blanket and we work together to fold it quickly. “Want to go check out the booths?” I ask, looking across the street at the pop-up tents that seem to stretch as far as the eye can see.
