Geoff tilted his chair back on two legs. “How long will this scavenger hunt take?”
“Chair down,” Mrs. Bryson said. “That depends on how long it takes you to figure out the clues.”
“Probably three hours then,” Amanda said with a fake smile.
“Hey!” Geoff dropped his chair down with a thud. “I won’t be that slow.”
His dad wiped his mouth with a napkin. “These things always take less time than the planners hope for. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get it done in an hour.”
“That’s not so bad,” Geoff said and then glanced out the front window. “What’s taking Kenz and Gabriela so long anyway? We need to start the hunt soon.”
“They’re probably out looking for guys,” Amanda said, not making eye contact with anyone. “Gabriela’s already run through all the ones here.”
For a full second no one said anything—just stared at her flushed face. Then her mom let out a loud, “Amanda!”
“What? It’s true.”
Okay, so Amanda was on the attack. Good thing Gabby wasn’t there.
Next to me at the head of the table, Mr. Bryson folded his paper napkin beside his empty plate. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but this isn’t the time or place.”
“Whatever,” Amanda mumbled, looking down at her plate.
Geoff chuckled, cutting through the hostility. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I have no memory of Gabriela running through, over, or around me. She’s been too busy sitting with Molly while the rest of us shoot hoops.”
Nice of Geoff to change the subject, but Haley was biting her lip, Dylan was clenching his glass, and Mrs. Bryson was frowning so hard she almost had a unibrow. I dragged my palms across my shorts.
Molly tilted her head as she looked at Geoff. “We’ve been discussing which one of you athletes I should draw shirtless.”
Amanda’s head snapped up. “See!”
Geoff ignored her. “That’s no contest. You can never have too much of this,” he said, pointing to his chest.
Gamma made a sputtering noise that sounded like “Pshaw.”
“Oh, yes we can,” his father said.
Molly’s face turned impish, something that usually happened when she was about to say something totally random. “We’ve decided I should draw Kenzie.”
Everyone laughed, lightening the mood. Thank you, Molly.
“Oh, Molly,” Mrs. Bryson said through her chuckling, “I love you.”
Molly smiled even as Geoff said, “I can’t believe you’d pick Kenz over me.”
“Pick me for what?” Kenzie stood in the doorway from the garage, holding what looked like twenty shopping bags. Gabby peeked around her, a strand of hair hanging in front of her eyes. I smiled. How could I not? She had me wrapped around her little finger.
And how had I missed hearing them drive up?
Mr. Bryson pushed back from the table and stood. “Don’t ask, Kenz. You don’t want to know.”
“Molly wants to draw you topless,” Amanda said.
“What?” A light pink color filled Kenzie’s cheeks. Huh. First time I’d noticed her blush.
Geoff’s mom got up too. “Ignore her, Kenz.”
Gamma edged away from the table. “I believe it’s time for a nap. I shall leave the rest of you to decide who’s going to model for Molly.” She slowly left the room.
Kenzie was still frowning.
Molly shook her head. “Not topless. Shirtless. You can wear a sports bra. I just want to get the line of your muscles.”
Kenzie carefully set one load of sacks on the kitchen island, and then gave Molly a closed mouth smile. “That can be arranged.” She turned to Mr. Bryson and lifted the arm still holding bags. “Here’s the stuff from the hardware store.”
“Ah, good,” he said. “Thanks again.” He took the bags from her and edged his way into the garage.
That seemed to be the cue for the rest of us to leave the table. I helped Molly gather the plates and silverware to take to the sink. By the time we got there, Kenzie and Gabby had moved out of the way. Shoot. I’d wanted to at least make meaningful eye contact with her. But she seemed completely focused on either Kenzie or the bags in her hands. A cold sensation swept over my shoulders. Was she deliberately avoiding me?
I went back to the table for the chips, keeping her in my peripheral vision.
“Have y’all eaten?” Mrs. Bryson asked.
Gabby and Kenzie both nodded. “We need to get the rest of this stuff upstairs,” Kenzie said, gathering the bags from the counter. Geoff rushed over and she whisked the purchases away. “Back off, birthday boy.”
He laughed. “All right, all right. We need to go anyway. Now that you finally brought the car back.”
She scoffed. “You could’ve gone in Dylan’s car.”
A wicked look crossed Geoff’s face. “Nah. I think Dylan wants to stay here and help you with the party arrangements. Don’t you, Dylan?” he asked, his smile turning into a flinch. Kenzie must have kicked him or something.
Dylan leaned against the island. “Sure, whatever. I’ll go wherever I’m needed.”
I couldn’t see his face, but I’d bet money he was grinning at Kenz. He’d been doing that all morning. But then Amanda moved next to him and patted his upper arm. “We definitely need you and your big muscles for the heavy things,” she said, using her best flirty voice. And I would know. I’d heard it often enough.
It didn’t seem to bother Dylan, though. He put an arm around her shoulders and jostled her. “Okay, Squirt, I’ll help. You don’t have to compliment me to get me to work.”
Amanda’s smile faded a little, but she didn’t leave his side.
The guy was a freaking genius. Why hadn’t I ever thought to treat her like she was a little sister? Because I was an idiot, that’s why. And also because her flirting always made me uneasy.
Kenzie looked confused. “Right. Great. Good idea. We could use your help,” she said, focusing on the refrigerator instead of Dylan. “But right now we have things to hide.”
“You don’t need to do that yet,” Geoff said. “Noah and I are about to leave. But I need to find my shoes and someone needs to give me the first clue.”
“Oh, right,” Kenzie said. “Aunt Jenny, could you?”
Mrs. Bryson, who’d been scowling at Amanda, turned. “Of course. It’s right over here.” She opened the junk drawer and pushed things back and forth.
“Mol, where are my shoes?” Geoff asked.
“The back porch,” she said, her voice muffled from bending to put a plate in the dishwasher.
“Thanks.” He swung away and headed out. “Be right back,” he called over his shoulder.
And somehow in all the activity, Gabby and Kenzie weren’t in the kitchen anymore. Voices came from the hallway. I had to talk to Gabby before we left. At least to check in.
I walked out, hoping no one would notice. When I was clear, I sped down the hall and raced up the stairs to where Kenzie and Gabby were just turning the corner. They both stopped when they heard me coming. Kenzie raised an eyebrow but walked into the guestroom.
With Gabby finally facing me, my pulse pounded in my throat. “Hey,” I said, sounding out of breath.
“Sorry we were so late getting back,” Gabby said quietly. Probably so no one else could hear her non-Gabriela voice. She set her shopping bags on the carpet. “We weren’t counting on going to the hardware store.”
I wanted to step in close but forced myself to keep the two-foot distance between us. “It’s okay. Guess we’ll have to talk later.”
“Yeah, sure.” Her gaze fell.
That didn’t seem good. I should probably get a definite time. “Like when the party is winding down?”
“Sounds great.”
She still wasn’t looking me in the eye, so I chucked the idea of keeping my distance. I needed to connect with her somehow, even if it was only eye contact. I took a step closer, and her gaze flew to mine. She seeme
d both startled and curious.
I swallowed. “Uh, just wanted to warn you. Amanda’s been on the rampage, and I need to figure out how to fix the situation, so I’m gonna talk to Geoff about it.”
“I’m sorry.” She rubbed her lips against each other. “We shouldn’t have been—”
I lifted a hand. “Don’t. Please. We can’t take it back now.” I glanced downstairs to make sure no one was there. “And I don’t want to. Do you?” The sound of a door closing echoed up the high ceiling.
“Noah, I …” She shook her head.
My stomach turned over. She was regretting last night. We needed time to talk. To get everything straight between us.
“Jernigan!” Geoff’s voice rang out. “Let’s go!” He was walking down the hall toward the front door and hadn’t seen us at the top of the stairs.
“Thanks for warning me,” Gabby said quietly, her gaze steady.
There was nothing else to say. I had no time. I let myself touch her fingertips. “No problem. Later.”
I jogged down the stairs, clenching my teeth. We’d work it out. We had to.
Gabby
I waited until the front door banged behind Noah and Geoff before picking up the sacks and heading for the guest room. I hoped the guys could figure out how to help Amanda because I knew she wouldn’t accept any sympathy from me.
Kenzie looked up from sorting game prizes when I came in. “You can set that stuff over here.”
I put the bags near the others and sank down beside her on the soft carpet. What was I going to do about Noah? He was being so sweet. And I was going to hurt him. Again.
Kenz tore open a baggie of plastic clapping hands with her teeth and dumped them out. “Want to talk about it?”
I dropped my head into my hands. “I don’t know what to do. Noah clearly still wants some kind of relationship. I just don’t know what kind.”
She blew out a laugh. “Don’t be dense. You know exactly what kind. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
I straightened. “But we haven’t talked yet. What if he’s being nice, but really just wants to stay friends. You know, because I hurt him so much before.”
“Possible, I guess.” She emptied a bag of multicolored bouncy balls onto the carpet. “But not likely.” She eyed me. “You just don’t want to go through with another breakup.”
I gawked at her. “Would you?”
“No.” She turned back to the toys, which she separated into groups so there’d be one of each thing in a pile.
“Aren’t we a little old to be passing out goody bags?”
She grinned. “Doesn’t the fact that it’s a party for Geoff answer that question already?”
I laughed, but it felt weak.
Kenzie jiggled my shoulder. “Hey, don’t look so freaked. Everything is going fine. Last night Noah didn’t tell the girls about your past together, so you can still be Gabriela. And you have a hot guy hanging around who’s madly in love with you. It’s a win-win.”
“Stop acting like you don’t understand the problem here.”
She leaned back on her hands. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
“Should I be worried?”
She ignored me. “Our situations—yours with Noah and mine with Dylan—really aren’t the same.”
“They seem like they are.”
“On the surface, yeah, but I’m not really sure how I feel about Dylan.” She paused. Probably for effect. “You’re in love with Noah.”
Everything in me wanted to deny it. “No, I’m— I don’t think—you don’t—”
Kenzie waited until it was clear I wasn’t going to finish the sentence. “If you’re not in love with him, then you’re crazy about him.”
“Kenzie.”
“And if not that, then you want to have his babies.”
I laughed. “Stop. It’s not like that.”
“Oh, really? Then how come every time you talk to him you either stomp off like you’re going to batting practice against a tree or you shuffle dreamily away like you have animated birdies flying around your head?”
A laugh bubbled up to my throat, but I choked it off. “None of that is true.”
Kenzie pursed her lips.
Apprehension kicked at my stomach. I wasn’t sure where she was going, but I’d better get it over with and find out. “Would you please just get to the point?”
“Okay. I don’t think you need to break it off with him.”
What? “But last night you agreed with me. You agreed I needed to end it.”
She juggled a bag of individually wrapped chocolate candy from one hand to the other as if none of it was really important. “I changed my mind.”
I shook my head slowly. “But why?”
She tossed the candy aside and leaned forward. “Because you’re both a year older, which makes it more likely you could travel to see each other. It’s only an hour and a half drive. No big deal. And more than that, you love each other. Even the people who think you’re Gabriela can see there’s an attraction between you two.” She squeezed my hand briefly and then let go. “What if you gave it a shot? What have you got to lose?”
How about everything? It would be twice as hard to break it off in two months as I watched his interest dwindle, wouldn’t it? Or to live through him dumping me. Which he would because I’d never succeeded at anything in my whole life. And thanks to my overly successful brothers, I was treated to lots of fun comparisons at home.
I got up and went to the window, not really focusing on the bright scenery outside. Could I give Noah a chance? Would it be such a bad idea to start a real relationship with a sweet, cute boy? One who cared about and maybe even loved me? Just the thought of letting go of my worries made my heart leap into high gear. Both because of Noah and because the whole thing scared me so much.
“Hey,” Kenzie said.
I turned and rested against the windowsill.
“I didn’t mean to weird you out. Just think about it, okay?”
“All right. But I already have to stay in character as Gabriela. I’m not sure my brain has room for thinking about Noah.”
She gave me one of her “cut the B.S.” looks. “You can handle a whole lot more than you give yourself credit for. Now, help me finish off these bags. I need to gather everybody to set up the party in the backyard.”
I sat down next to her again. She dropped a bag containing sheets of fake tattoos in my lap, so I ripped it open. That was good. Exactly what I needed. Perfect for not thinking about the future.
If I could just keep Noah out of my mind.
Noah
Geoff waited until we drove down the long driveway and were on the road to town before he glanced at me. “Any idea why Amanda is ragging on Gabriela?”
Here we go. “Yeah. Haley caught me with Gabriela last night, got pissed, which made me pissed, so I said I wasn’t interested in dating a fourteen-year-old. Your sister overheard.”
“Aw, man, I wish you hadn’t done that.” He adjusted his AC vent. He always messed with the vents; it was his ritual at the start of every drive. “At least not here where it’s hard to escape from each other.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I was just hoping for an easy letdown. Like she’d forget you once school started.”
“Me too.”
We both stared ahead at the forest-lined winding road. I was about to ask whether I should apologize to Amanda, when Geoff turned to me and said, “So Gabriela, huh? Looks like you took my advice.”
“What advice?”
“To move fast.”
I should probably tell him about Gabby and me, about our past. But I didn’t want him to get all weird about her since he was the one who helped me get over her last year. No. Better not say anything.
“Noah?”
“What?”
“Being with her was so good you can’t even talk? What exactly did Haley see y’all doing?”
I
pulled on the seatbelt’s shoulder harness to loosen it. “Just kissing—not that I think I have to tell you.”
He shook his head like I was lame or something. “Did Haley yell at both of you?”
“No. Gabriela ran off.”
“Ouch. You think that’s it then? Is she too embarrassed to get with you again?”
“Don’t know. Haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet.”
“Oh, well. I’m sure you can convince her. Just use the seduction skills I taught you.”
I laughed because I knew he wanted me to. “I’ll get right on that.” But I needed to move the subject away from Gabby. “Where we going? What’s the first clue?”
He lifted a piece of pink paper from the center console and tossed it toward me, but the note fluttered to the floor of the car. “It’s pretty strange. Don’t know why my dad would want a stuffed animal.”
I picked up the note and read aloud. “‘Your father has always wanted a brown, furry creature. Go buy him the next best thing. He says he’ll pay you back. Maybe.’” I looked at Geoff. “What kind of stuffed animal? A dog?”
“I’ve been going back and forth on that. He loves dogs, but he also has this thing for bears.”
“So we’re going to a toy store?”
He lifted one shoulder. “It’s a place to start.”
Fifteen minutes later, we walked into The Three Bears toy store in downtown Ruidoso. There were a lot of vintage toys and novelty items in the bright shop. Geoff zoomed straight over to a Newton’s Cradle on display, pulled back the metal ball, and sent it banging into the other four. He watched it as I glanced around. The toys here seemed aimed at little kids, and though there were stuffed animals, there weren’t many bears among them.
Geoff stopped the Newton’s Cradle and pulled back two balls. “I love these things.”
“I don’t see a lot of stuffed toys,” I said.
“I could set this near Amanda while she’s doing homework in front of the TV. She’d go ballistic.”
It looked like I was going to have to help Geoff focus. I walked over to the stuffed animals. “Do you think your dad wants any of these?”
He ambled over. “Uh … no. But just to be sure, let’s check.” He headed to the counter where a middle-aged woman with glasses on top of her head waited. “Hi, my name is Geoff. Has anyone left a scavenger hunt clue here for me?”
About Last Summer Page 15
