“We’ll sleep on your floor. The guys can stay with Colt. It’s set.”
“What if Colt doesn’t want them to?”
“He’s a pledge. Like he’s going to tell the pledge master and president that they can’t crash at his house?”
I sighed. “Is this really that important to you guys?”
“Yes!” they both yelled.
Cara grinned. “It’s going to be epic.”
“Gasden and epic don’t belong in the same sentence.” With a population of 1500 on a good day, Gasden boasted all of four traffic lights.
Juliet flipped some hair off her shoulder. “You are completely exaggerating about your town being small. I bet we’ll get there and it’s going to be the size of Bethesda.”
I laughed dryly. “Yeah, not quite. I’ll call my mom. If she says yes, then you guys can stay. The guys will have to talk to Colt.”
“I’ll handle that.” Cara picked up her phone. She didn’t need to tell me she was about to text Aaron.
“Wait. I can’t let them ambush Colt. I’ll call him.”
I grabbed my phone and called.
“Hey, pumpkin.” He still insisted on calling me that, but it was getting less annoying for some reason.
“Hey. Don’t hate me for this.”
“Uh oh. What is it?”
“My roommates invited themselves and the guys to Fall Fest.”
“And I’d hate you for that because…?”
“I think the guys are going to insist on staying with you. My parents won’t let them all stay at my house.”
“That’s not a problem. You know we have plenty of room.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell Aaron and Reed when I see them. Just promise me one thing?”
“Yeah?”
“We’ll still get some time together. I really want us to have some quality time away from campus.”
“My bet is they’ll get scared and run away the first night.” I looked right at the girls.
Juliet threw a pillow at me. “Not a chance. You make it sound like you don’t have running water.”
“You mean you guys had modern plumbing in your houses?”
“Oh, stop.” Cara laughed.
“Can I see you later?” Colt pulled my attention back.
“Maybe.” I tried to hold in a smile. I didn’t need to give my roommates any other ammo. They didn’t need to know just how much I wanted to see him. After giving them a hard time for months, I was due for payback.
“Only maybe? Didn’t my performance last night qualify me for an automatic yes?”
I tried to hide the blush I knew was crossing my face. “I’ll call you later.”
“Oh, go have sex with your boyfriend.” Juliet pushed my shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Hey, what? You’ve given me a hard time about Reed for months.”
“Tell Juliet she’s the best. I’ll be by in twenty.” Colton obviously heard her.
“And where are we going?”
“Our spot. I’ll even bring the ice cream.”
Colton knew the way to my heart. The mingling of his lips and Miss Lawson’s ice cream was irresistible. “Sounds great. See you soon.” I hung up.
“So cute,” Juliet said in this sugary sweet voice.
“Aren’t you guys supposed to be at the Kappa house?”
“Sorry, honey, but we pay dues here too.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I couldn’t stop smiling. Colton and ice cream may just have been my favorite combination.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Riding in cars puts me to sleep. There’s nothing I can do to stop it. Colton had happily accepted my keys and agreed to drive my truck back to town for Fall Fest. Aaron drove the others, and we caravanned the three hour drive. I tried to stay awake and enjoy some uninterrupted quality time with Colton, but my eyes drooped closed a few minutes in. By the time I woke up, we were already nearly back in town.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Colton smiled at me when I finally opened my eyes.
I rubbed my eyes, noticing that the sun had started to set. “I’m so sorry. I really tried to stay awake.”
“It’s fine. You needed sleep. How late were you up studying for your econ test last night?”
“Until two.” Unfortunately, all the studying didn’t seem to help. I’d be lucky if I got a “B” on the exam. I couldn’t afford a “B” in econ. I was going to have to start pushing it harder.
“That’s what I figured. You seemed pretty nervous.”
“I was. I had no idea intermediate micro econ would be so hard. I can’t even imagine what advanced would be like.”
“Do you have to take advanced for your business major?”
“No. I’ll be done with econ after this. Thank goodness.”
“Nice. I think I’m stopping with intro. I can think of a million more interesting things to study.”
“Have you decided on a major yet? Still leaning towards English?” Colt seemed to change his mind about it all the time.
“Yeah, I think so, but I’m not going to officially declare it until next year.” He turned off at the all too familiar exit.
I took a deep breath. Going home filled me with such mixed emotions.
“Stay calm, pumpkin. It’s just Gasden.”
“Gasden with four friends from school.” We passed the lone gas station. They still didn’t accept credit cards at the pump.
“Are you sure that’s what has you nervous? It’s not coming home with us as an item for the first time?” He looked in the rearview mirror, probably making sure Aaron was following.
“Why? Are you nervous about that?” I stared out at the crowded parking lot of the diner. By the looks of the place, half the town was there.
“No. I mean I’m a little nervous about seeing Jack, but he told me he doesn’t care. I know my mom’s going to be all over you with questions and stuff though.”
“Fantastic.” His mom was my high school biology teacher, and she was one of my all-time favorite teachers.
“I thought you liked my mom.”
“I do, but what if she’s more upset about us than you think?” She’d always seemed happy to see me with Jack, and she’d been nice enough to me after the breakup, but would she flip out about me dating another one of her sons?
“She isn’t. She always thought we made a better match. Besides, she adores you and is just glad you’re dating one of her sons. Of course, if you decide you want George, she might flip.”
I smacked his arm. “George is fourteen. I think your little brother is safe.”
“Sorry. I’ll stop.”
“Good. I still can’t believe Jack’s going to be in town. He hasn’t come back for one of these in a while.”
“Mom says he is. But maybe she’s wrong. We haven’t talked at all since I left for school.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re not the reason. He barely talks to anyone in our family anymore.”
“Maybe he won’t come.” I really didn’t want to face my ex-boyfriend, although a part of me thought it might give me some much needed closure. Besides, he was Colt’s brother. Keeping them apart was unrealistic. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Colt seemed comfortable dating his brother’s ex, but would that change when they came face to face?
“Don’t worry. I also wouldn’t worry about your friends. They’re going to have fun.”
“I hope so.”
“They invited themselves, remember?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they won’t blame me if they’re bored.”
“Has anyone ever told you how judgmental and hard you are on people?”
“Hey!” I pushed his arm.
“It’s true. I’m sorry, but Juliet and Cara care about you. At least give them the benefit of the doubt.”
“You’re right. Sorry.” He was right. I just hated the thought of embarrassing myself even more than I already had that semester. I knew they
weren’t coming to make fun of my town, but I hoped it was what they expected.
“What do you want to do tonight?”
“I told Annie we’d stop by to see her.” We’d finally caught up on the phone, and she was dying to see us together as a couple. She’d always encouraged me to go after him, and I was readying myself to hear ‘I told you so’ a lot.”
“And then there’s the game…”
“Yes, the game. Think they’re up for it?” I pointed behind us.
“Oh yeah. Who wouldn’t be up for a football game?”
I laughed. “It’s high school football.”
“Yeah? That just makes it better.”
“I obviously need to go. I want to watch Davie start.”
“He’s gotten really good.”
“I know. He’s even thinking about playing college. I don’t know how I feel about it.”
He gave me a look. “Lucky for you, it’s not your decision.”
“Do you want to come in and see my parents first?” I wasn’t sure what answer I hoped for.
“Absolutely.” He picked up my hand. “I’m going to freak out Rob by calling him Dad.”
“Colton!”
“What? It would be priceless.”
“And he’ll flip out.”
“Yeah. He seemed pretty chill when we talked.” Colton kept his eyes glued straight ahead as he drove down the country road leading into town.
“When you talked to him?” My jaw probably dropped. “When were you talking to Rob? Why?”
“A few weeks ago, and he called me.”
“How’d he even get your number? And why’d he call?”
“He got it from my parents, and isn’t the why obvious? He wanted to make sure my intentions were pure.”
“And are your intentions pure?” I teased, still not sure how the news of our relationship had traveled back to Gasden so quickly.
“Mostly. Of course, he wasn’t thrilled about how sexually active we were, but—”
“Please tell me you’re joking.” My heart sped up. I thought it might beat out of my chest.
“Do you think I have a death wish?”
“Phew.” My heart returned to normal. “But why didn’t you tell me you talked?”
“I knew you’d have this reaction.”
“So, in other words, you’re only telling me because you’re afraid I’d get mad if Rob let it slip?”
“Pretty much.” He grinned. “Just covering my bases.”
“I guess it’s a good thing. Maybe he won’t question me too much.”
“Because that’s likely.”
I leaned my head back against the seat. “Don’t feed me to the lions, okay? Help me out with him.”
“Of course. I know how he is.” Colton knew how ridiculously strict Rob was. He was the exact opposite of my dad. Instead of absentee, he was overly involved.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, love.”
Love? Did that mean anything, or had he just used the word by accident? I forced the thought from my head as we drove into the center of town.
The town square was decorated with strings of white lights for the festival, and we had to take a detour around Main Street. I looked out the window as we passed the Miller’s farm, surprised that I was feeling more excitement about being back than I expected. I didn’t even mind the manure smell that only seemed noticeable when you’d been away from town awhile.
Colton pulled into the steep driveway of my modest two story house. Aaron parked out front by the curb.
Mom was halfway down the front porch by the time I’d hopped down. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she looked younger than usual.
“Mallory!” She pulled me into a bear hug. I enjoyed her warmth before reluctantly pulling back. Colton pulled out my bags.
“Hi, Colton. Nice to see you.” She hugged him before turning her attention to the rest of the guests.
“Mom, you remember Juliet and Cara, right? These are their boyfriends, Reed and Aaron.” Mom and Rob had taken all three of us out to dinner a few times freshman year.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand to each of the guys. She gave me a look as if to say are these guys real? I smiled and then glanced at Colt. He was fitting in with them more and more. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Rob walked out while we chatted, and we did another round of introductions before the guys brought in all the girls’ bags.
I walked straight through the entryway into the kitchen. The room looked exactly the way it did a few months before, but it always took me a little while to readjust to being home.
“Is Davie already at the game?” I took a seat at the island, feeling almost giddy about being back. There is just something about your childhood home that makes you feel safe and comfortable. I wondered if I’d always feel that way.
“Yup. We’ll need to head over soon.”
I turned to Colton. “Why don’t we just meet you guys there? We can’t all take one car anyway.”
Colton shook his head. “I’ll borrow my dad’s Suburban. We can all fit that way.”
“You sure?” I’m sure my relief showed. I wasn’t looking forward to having to drive around searching for a spot.
“Absolutely. We’ll just run by my house to drop off our stuff. We’ll be back in thirty?”
“Sounds great.”
He kissed me on the cheek.
I watched as the guys walked out, incredibly grateful to have a boyfriend that was willing to help me out. He pretty much had to say yes to Reed and Aaron, but he wasn’t doing it for anyone but me. I knew that, and I appreciated it more than he realized. I’d have to find a way to thank him later.
“Have you girls eaten?” Mom asked once the door closed behind them.
“We grabbed sandwiches before we left.” Juliet hopped up onto a stool next to me.
“Do you want me to make you anything? Or would you rather grab something at the game?”
“What do you guys think?” I asked my friends.
“We’ll eat at the game.” Juliet kind of wiggled in her seat. “I want the full authentic experience of small town football.”
Rob laughed. “Oh, it’s going to be authentic.” He seemed excited about having out-of-towners around for the event.
“I’m not even going to pretend to know what’s going on, but I’ll try.” Cara smiled nervously. She seemed less comfortable than Juliet.
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to know anything. Just cheer when the crowd cheers. You’ll fit right in.” Rob smiled at her. He was usually pretty good at making people feel welcome. At least when they weren’t guys trying to date me. He’d put Jack through the ringer.
“All right. I’ll try.”
“I have something for you girls.” Mom got an excited look on her face.
“Oh yeah?” I asked.
“They’re on your bed.”
I got down from the stool, and we headed upstairs. The cream carpet was starting to wear out in places, but that’s just part of what made it home. I pushed open the door to my childhood bedroom. The walls were as bare as I’d left them. After Jack dumped me, I’d decided to tear down everything that reminded me of him. In the end, my off-white falls stood empty. My eyes next went to my twin size bed. Laid out on my purple and green striped comforter were three Gasden Warriors long sleeve t-shirts.
“Oh, this is too awesome.” Juliet stripped off her t-shirt and pulled on the new one before I even closed the door.
I laughed. “You are really into this, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course I am.”
“This was so sweet of your mom.” Cara donned her shirt, seemingly more relaxed.
“That’s just Mom.”
“Is she the perfect hostess?”
“Most of the time.”
“I can see where you get it.” Juliet sat down on my bed.
I sat down next to her. Cara took a seat in my desk chair. “Not exactly. I d
idn’t inherit it. You know how flustered I get about things.”
“Not about entertaining. You rocked rush.”
“That’s different. We all have a part to play. It’s different in situations like this.”
Juliet shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Do your parents like Colton?” Cara asked.
“I think so. Most people in town like him.”
“Is he friends with your brother?” Cara was full of questions.
“Yeah. It’s actually kinda weird.”
“Is your brother okay with it?” Juliet leaned back on her elbows. She looked pretty natural in her Warriors tee.
“I think so. Davie likes Colton enough. The way he sees it, Colton is a known entity. It’s better than if I were dating someone he didn’t know.”
“My brothers surprised me with Reed.” Juliet sat back up. “I thought they’d be super over protective, but they liked him on the spot.”
“Reed has that effect on people.”
“Yeah, but you don’t know my brothers. I expected them to run him off.”
“Maybe they’re like dogs. You know? They can tell when someone’s good?” Cara laughed.
“Did you just compare my brothers to dogs?” Juliet arched an eyebrow.
“Does that comparison actually bother you?”
“No. It’s kind of accurate.”
I laughed. “Oh, brothers.”
“We probably need to get ready. Didn’t Colton say they’d be back in a half hour?”
“Uh huh. You guys ready for the most exciting football game of your entire life?”
“I was born ready.” Juliet jumped up and pulled me to my feet.
“Please never change, Juliet. Never change.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
***
“Wow, this really is a small town football game.” Cara stated the obvious as we settled into our seats in the bleachers. Colton had easily found a parking spot just a block from the stadium. Only Colton had that kind of luck. If I’d been driving, we would have had to walk a mile or more. Everyone showed up at the game the weekend of Fall Fest. Friday night games were always well attended, but the festival brought everyone back to town.
I glanced at Cara. “Yes, it is. Pretty much the whole town is here.”
She smiled. “Okay, now I get why you’re dating your ex’s brother. There isn’t much of a dating pool, is there?”
The Hazards of a One Night Stand Page 18
