“That was so much fun,” she said to him when he handed her a bottle of water.
“I told you. But you’re just thrilled because you beat me. I think when it’s all said though”—he leaned down and whispered in her ear—“I’m the one that is winning.”
* * *
“Will you look at that,” Carolyn said to her brothers and sisters-in-law at the table as they watched the basketball game. “It’s working. I didn’t think it would.”
“What I find so great is that though they are adults they are playing and acting like they did as teens,” her husband, Garrett, said. “Maybe we need to get out there for the volleyball game and show those kids a thing or two.”
“Horseshoes,” Gavin said. “I need to hold my beer now when I play something.”
“I’m with Gavin,” Grant said. “You’ve always been more competitive than me. Let the kids go at it.”
“Boys,” Carolyn said, “back to Wyatt and Adriana. Did I do good or what?”
“I’m not so sure,” Jolene said. “They haven’t even kissed. Are you sure they aren’t just friends like Drake tried to say?”
“Please,” Diane said, “Sam told me last night that Wyatt is wearing her down. He’s got it bad for her and she’s not caving. As much as Wyatt can get on everyone’s nerves at times, they are trying to help him out a bit. You can see it.”
“I agree,” she said. “It’s kind of sweet.”
“What are you guys all talking about here?” Jade asked, walking over. “I think you’re all up to something.”
“Jade, why are you always so suspicious?” Carolyn asked her daughter.
“Because I’m onto you all. You’re talking about Wyatt and his friend, aren’t you?” Jade asked.
She looked around at everyone at the table. “Adriana is very nice. We are just chatting in general. What do you think of her?”
“I already warned her to not take any of Wyatt’s shit.”
“Why would you do that?” Garrett asked, his voice almost a little high. Carolyn wanted to pinch her husband for maybe giving everything away.
“Because no one can last around Wyatt if they don’t put him in his place. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to give her a bit of advice.”
They watched Jade walk away. “That’s a good thing,” Garrett said. “Why did you look like you wanted to hit me, Carolyn?”
“Because it was your tone of voice,” Grant said to his twin. “You almost gave it away. But yes, Jade is actually helping rather than hindering. You might have been right on with this one, Carolyn.”
“I’m starting to feel left out,” Diane said. “We had two first and now you are onto three.”
“And things might be falling into place for Jade,” Jolene said. “Gavin and I were talking about it on the way down here.”
Wyatt was forgotten for the moment, as she wanted to hear more about what to do with her stubborn daughter, as she was going to be next in line.
21
Weighing My Options
Things seemed to be moving faster in Adriana’s mind than she thought they would when she’d arrived at Wyatt’s aunt and uncle’s yesterday.
Did she have a great time there? She did. Having been an only child she wasn’t used to the closeness she saw between the siblings and cousins.
They didn’t just quit after the basketball game because everyone was too sweaty, but they played volleyball, the parents playing horseshoes, then their children jumping in to best them.
She was glad that she’d brought a change of clothes though because after the basketball game and two volleyball ones she was covered in sweat. Everyone was hot, but she was really sweaty making her realize she was putting more effort in than the rest of them.
Sometimes she couldn’t quite get rid of the competitive streak though and had to learn to dial it back.
When dinner was being served, she’d excused herself and went into the bathroom and realized how unkempt she looked, then asked Wyatt if they could get her bag out of his car. She’d keep her shorts on and just change her shirt and put on some more deodorant fearful she was going to stink.
“I’ll do the same as you,” he said, following her in the house with his own shirt. “You go first, I’ll keep guard if you want to spend more time in there kind of washing up. Then no one will think you are blowing up the bathroom with something nasty you ate.”
Her jaw opened and closed. She couldn’t believe he’d said that to her. Then she started to laugh. She was the one that’d just gotten done saying she was afraid she stunk and needed to clean up. It’s not like she was crude enough to say she had to wash her pits.
But leave it to him to say people might think she was in there “blowing up the bathroom.” So she hurried as much as she could fearful he’d think that.
When she was done, she came out and he said, “That was fast. I like a woman who isn’t high maintenance.”
“Compliment or insult?” she asked. “I’m weighing my options on that.”
“Compliment. Definitely. Now keep watch for me like I did for you,” he said. It was the least she could do.
But when Bryce came up the stairs to use the bathroom that she suspected the boys had shared when they were younger and she was standing there, he asked, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Wyatt has been in there for a bit and I’m waiting to see if he is okay.” That would teach him in her eyes. It’s not like she said he was blowing it up.
The door opened a minute later after the water shut off. “I was cleaning up,” he said to his cousin. “See, new shirt. Thanks, Adriana.”
Bryce laughed. “Someone is in the bathroom
