Page 21 of If the Summer Lasted Forever
“Your hair is awesome,” Landon finally says, cocking his head to the side, studying me in the misty, filtered sunlight.
I can feel myself blushing, and I raise a hand to my ponytail. “It does strange things in humidity.”
“The color is really pretty.” He steps closer. “In certain lights, it’s almost red.”
“It does that.” Unsure how to answer, I sort of shrug. I hope it doesn’t look as awkward as it feels. After a moment, I gesture to the falls. “Weren’t you going to film a little?”
As if remembering, he steps back and digs his hand into the cargo flap of his hiking pants. “Right.”
I watch as he scans the waterfall, moving slowly, and then he turns the camera on me.
Rolling my eyes, grinning because it’s so hard to have the lens focused on me, I give him a wave. He smiles, pleased, and moves on.
It’s too loud to narrate, so he stays silent as he pans the scene. After a minute or so, he turns the camera off. Once again, it’s just us. Even though our families are on the other side of the falls, it feels private back here, like we’re in our own fairytale world.
It’s actually sort of romantic, the perfect setting for an unforgettable first kiss.
Because my mind wanders there, and because I don’t trust myself, I step away. “We should probably go back.”
“Yeah,” Landon agrees.
I sigh with relief as we step out from behind the watery curtain and into view of the others. At the same time, a part of me is disappointed we didn’t stay just a bit longer.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Here’syour map and the code to the bathrooms and showers,” I say to the couple at my counter. “Enjoy your stay.”
Mom comes into the front office as they’re leaving, and she holds the door open, welcoming them to the park.
“I’m working in the coffee shop for Betta while she drives her dad to the doctor,” Mom says when we’re alone. Her hair is up in a cute French twist, and she even has dangling earrings in. “I have to leave now, but I promised Sarah I’d get her this book today. It took me a while to find it. Will you take it to her?”
She sets a sewing guide on the counter, one that promises you can make a quilt in twenty-four hours. That seems ambitious.
I rub my ear, turning back to my screen. “Right now?”
“Would you stop avoiding that boy?” Mom says in a tone that’s half a laugh and half a scold. “He’s sweet, and he must be bored to death. You of all people know Gray Jay isn’t the most thrilling place for a teenager to spend their summer.”
I give her a look.
She slaps the counter. “Take the book, Lacey.”
Resisting the urge to pull a Hunter and sulk, I do as I’m told. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Good girl,” she says like I’m either three years old or a dog. With a breezy “love you,” she’s out the door.
In the last week, I’ve done a spectacular job of avoiding Landon. It’s not that I don’t like him—I do. He’s funny and sweet, and heaven knows he’s cute. But that’s the problem.
Every time I see him, my breath catches, and my stomach flutters. I know it’s just a crush, something meaningless, but I don’t want to feel that way about him or anyone else.
Though I continually tell Paige I don’t want a summer boy, in truth, I’m not sure I want a boy at all. Better to guard your heart, end up alone, than have it broken over and over. Whether they leave you specifically or just leave Gray Jay, the result is the same. It still hurts.
Hoping the Tillmans are gone, I walk the campground road, taking my time, checking my flowers on the way to Site Twenty-nine. The Suburban’s gone, which gives me hope, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that Landon doesn’t always go with the rest of the family on their outings.
The Tillmans have a simple set up compared to some of the other campers. They have no outdoor lights, no signs, and—thank goodness—no plastic flamingos. They have a woven rug in front of the door, a cheerful one in red and white. A few bikes lean against the picnic table, but the others are on the rack on the back of the trailer, out of the way. A small tent stands near the rear of the site, and it’s crammed full of Caleb and McKenna’s toys. Their site practically screams happy family.
I come to a stop in front of the door, debating whether I should knock. I don’t want to upset George and Candy if they’re in there.
As I’m standing here, with the book held tightly in my arms, Landon comes walking down the campground road, talking into that video recorder again. He has it on a selfie stick today, andI desperately want to tease him about it…but that might be considered flirting, and I just can’t go there.
