Page 12 of If the Summer Lasted Forever
He flashes me a knowing smile, but he’s too nice to call me on my ridiculous choice in clothing. “You ready?”
The picture of good manners, Jarrett takes my hand to steady me as I step into the boat. I choose a seat in the back and watch Jarrett as he frees us from the dock. Tanner gives Paige an uncertain look as she coaxes the boat away from the dock.
“She learned to steer years ago,” I tell him.
Paige is the youngest of four children, and her brothers made it their personal responsibility to teach her everything theyknow. Appearances can be misleading. She looks like a cover model, but she can out-fish, out-hunt, out-everything just about any boy but her older brothers. At one point, she was quite the little tomboy. Officer Hilden, her father, didn’t know how to raise her any other way.
We skim over the water, talking and laughing as we get to know Tanner. Jarrett’s quiet as usual, but I don’t mind.
Thankfully, by midday, the day grows warm enough that the cool breeze is welcome. We float around the lake somewhat aimlessly, finally casting the anchor after several hours so we can dig into the lunch Paige packed.
I eat my sandwich, idly watching Paige and Tanner flirt. Not only does Tanner look more like Gia, but he acts like her too. Even though they barely know each other, Tanner’s pulled Paige beside him on the bench, and the two lounge next to each other like characters from a Greek painting.
I’m not too worried—Paige can take care of herself. It’s Jarrett I feel sorry for. He laughs with the rest of us, but it must be hard watching his cousin move in on the girl he’s had a crush on since we were young.
When the sun is low, and the smell of campfires and charcoal briquettes is on the breeze, we head toward the dock. Kids squeal from the tiny state park campground that’s tucked in the pine trees by the shore. The spots are small, designed for tents and little popup campers, but they’re mostly full. Now that we’ve passed Memorial Day, Gray Jay is going to be packed with both tourists and people passing through.
I don’t mind. This is the time of year I like the most—when our little mountain town comes to life.
Eventually, it comes time to say goodbye to the boys.
“I had a good time,” Tanner says as he gives Paige a lingering hug that makes Jarrett clench his jaw and stare out across the water.
She giggles and promises we’ll do it again soon.
“Bye, Lacey,” Jarrett says, nodding in a friendly way as we part. “Paige.”
He walks away, shoulders slightly drooped, brown-haired head tilted down, half-listening to his cousin as they make their way to their truck.
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Paige gushes about Tanner as soon as we’re alone. I frown, still thinking about Jarrett, and then turn to her and nod. He is easy on the eyes.
In fact, Tanner is almost as hot as Landon, but there’s one big difference between the two. While Landon’s charming, Tanner’s a little on the slimy side. He just has a way about him that makes me uneasy. Who knows—maybe it’s because he reminds me of Gia.
“Thank you for dragging me along,” I say to Paige as soon as we get back to my house.
She slings her arm around my shoulders and pulls me into a tight, one-armed hug. “You’re welcome. How about we go again next week?”
“We’ll see.”
Shaking her head, laughing, she walks across the gravel to her waiting truck. It’s a hand-me-down from her brothers, a beat-up, step-side, seventy-two Chevy in faded forest green. From the way they treat that thing, you’d think it was priceless. Paige was elated when it was her turn to drive it.
I watch as she pulls out of the drive, going slowly down the campground road since Mark’s a bit touchy about it. I follow her, off to check the flower barrels. Even though Mom said she’d water them, I want to make sure she remembered. It’s not her fault if she forgot—she gets busy.
Taking my time, I wander the campground, checking each one. Sometime, we should probably install a drip system.
I finally reach the gazebo, the place where we have a cell booster and WiFi for the guests. Landon’s young teen brother, Hunter, sits on a bench, staring at his laptop, muttering to himself.
“Hey.” I step into the gazebo just as the nighttime lighting flickers on. “How’s it going?”
“Slow upload,” Hunter mutters, not bothering to look up. “It’s taken all day.”
“It’s usually pretty decent.” I sit next to him, curious to see what he’s trying to do. “Well, no wonder. You have a zillion tabs open.”
“Four,” he corrects.
“What are you uploading?”
“A video.”
