“Trust me, they’re going to love to be around you, too.” Nate admitted through his embarrassment. His eyes were glued to the street where trailer park residents were filing down the road in all types of swimwear. Elise was wearing a sarong, complete with her cigarette dangling from her lips. “Do we have to go to Weiner Night?”
I shut the car off after I pulled into my driveway. “Okay. We’re going to put on our swimsuits. You can get ready and go with us, or you can stay home like a wimp,” I told him sternly.
He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m going, I’m going. Geez, no one can take a joke tonight. Nobody!” he yelled dramatically as he stepped out of the car. “Oh, what a sad world I live in...”
His words trailed toward us as he continued speaking in an orator voice as he crossed the street.
“He’s good stuff, Riley. You have to keep him.” With that, Wren jumped out of the car and jogged inside.
But what if I wasn’t good enough to keep him?
Because I wasn’t. Maybe in another couple years we could be something, but right now? This? It couldn’t go anywhere. I was still the same trailer-park girl I was when I’d first met Nate and Nola. Maybe that was something that would never change, in spite of my five-year plan. As a matter of fact, I was on year three, and though I was on track with my plan, I didn’t feel any better about my life. It didn’t make sense.
But right now, I had other things I needed to worry about—like why my little sister had been so angry, and why her date had been cut short.
Just as I opened the trailer, Wren came dashing down the steps.
“Wait, I thought we were going to walk there together!”
“Marni said she has some new lip stain for me to try. I’ll walk over with her!”
“But I wanted to talk with—“ I stopped talking because she was already jogging down the street toward Marni’s house.
“Ouch!” I stubbed my toe as I stepped through the doorway. Hobbling toward the bathroom, I changed into my swimsuit that was still damp from washing the car earlier. I grabbed my selfie stick, my giant beach bag that I had stuffed a couple towels and sweatshirts into, then hobbled to the door.
My toe was still stinging when I knocked on Nate’s door. He opened it, and I enjoyed the shirtless sight of him.
“Quit objectifying me.” He pinched my nose—which he knew I hated—and I smacked those delicious abs of his.
He asked, “Are we going to Weiner Night or not? Where’s Wren? Did you find out what happened?”
“She’s avoiding me. And trust me, no one is as good at avoiding as Wren is.”
He shut and locked the front door. I shook my head. “I just can’t even with you.”
“What? Are you going to mock me again for basic safety precautions?”
With an exaggerated sigh, I tapped the door with my middle knuckle. “I could kick this door in right now.”
“No, you couldn’t. It’s dead-bolted.”
“Hold this; I’ll show you.” I shoved my purse at him, determined to prove a point and show him how ridiculous he was for thinking he could find a modicum of safety in a trailer.
Instead of taking my purse, he bent down and lifted me in his arms. We were nose to nose as he carried me down the porch steps.
“Ha ha, hilarious, put me down.”
We were skin to skin. I could feel his abs against my stomach.
Instead of putting me down, he lifted me higher until I wrapped my legs around his waist, my giant bag banging awkwardly against both of us.
“I don’t want to replace a door just because you want to prove me wrong. I believe you when you say it won’t keep people out. But guess what? I want to know if someone’s been in there. I don’t want to be surprised by them.”
I rested my chin on his shoulder. His walk was steady and sure-footed even though he carried me. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”
He sighed. “You know, sometimes, Riley, people do things that don’t make sense to you. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
“That’s true,” I whispered, thinking of my own reasons for leaving and not telling anyone. Though, the more I thought about it, the less my fears seemed rational, even in my own mind.
“I don’t know where we’re going.” Nate’s voice and rumbling chest jarred me from my thoughts.
“I can walk. We’re going to the empty lot again.”
“I know you can walk, but this is more fun.” He planted a kiss on my head, and I couldn’t find anything in me to disagree with him.
He walked around the corner, following the noise level.
“Oh wow.” He stopped and set me down on my feet. I turned around to see what he was looking at.
“Welcome to Weiner Night!”
“You just...you just didn’t do it justice.” His eyes flitted around, taking note of the giant bonfire in the middle of the street, the beer pong, the makeshift hot tub in the back of Dean’s truck, and then, of course, the weiner roasters.
“Sensory overload.” He shook his head. “Is Nascar Jim wearing a Speedo?”
I followed his pointing finger. “That would be a yes.”
“There are people swimming in Dean’s truck.” He rubbed at the crease in his forehead.
I waited for him to turn around and head home in disgust. Instead, he grabbed my hand and said, “Come on, let’s get in on that weiner-throwing contest.”
I was in love. “Only if we can be on the same team.”
“Are you afraid you’ll lose?”
“I’m afraid I’ll be drying your tears after I mop the floor with you...”
He planted a kiss on my forehead. “Maybe we should start with the redneck hot tub then.”
He pulled me through the crowd, and I set down my bag close to the bonfire. We’d be wanting those towels after the hot tub.
Nate waved and chatted with each person he passed.
