By the time I pulled into the driveway, the sun was setting. I sat there staring at the house from the confines of my car. My dad’s truck was parked in its usual spot, but Mom’s car was missing. I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t be home, but I hadn’t really told them I was coming. I was worried about how they’d react when I told them the news about the team, so I’d kinda been hiding things. I silently hoped that they’d be so excited to see me that they’d forget that I should be at practice.
I climbed out of the car and wandered over to the pathway that led to the beach. I could hear the waves crashing, and the wind whipped my hair around. I kicked off my sandals and let my feet sink into the warm sand as I looked around. The beach was fairly empty, but we also lived on a private section. No one other than residents ever came down here. Uncle Cam’s house is as quiet as mine, and I guessed they all went out somewhere.
Even though I should be unpacking my car, I decided to enjoy the little bit of daylight that was left. I wandered out past the dunes, and lowered myself onto the sand. It’s funny sitting here. This was my spot when I was a kid. I’d come here to think, and now I was back doing the same thing.
“What are you doing here?” a voice sounded from behind me, causing me to jump. I quickly glanced over my shoulder to see my brother with his board under his arm. His hand was linked with the girl who he’d been friends with for years.
“Decided to come home for the summer. What are you doing here?” I smirked. He knew he’d been caught, and when he realized I was watching, he dropped Jess’s hand.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he rolled his eyes as he shifted on his feet. “Surfing, dummy,” his head shook in disappointment, causing his hair to blow around. “Mom and Dad went to some coaching staff thing. I didn’t feel like sitting there listening to them and all their friends talk about football,” he grumbled. “They trust me to stay home,” he chuckled as he began walking toward to the water. “Later,” he shouted before motioning to Jess. “You coming?”
She sighed, shook her head, and mumbled, “yeah.”
I stayed on the beach until the sun finished setting, before going to get all my stuff. It took me three trips up the stairs before I managed to get everything inside, no thanks to my brother. He’d come up the beach as I was making my final trip up, and disappeared under the house with Jess. I figured whatever they were doing was supposed to be a secret with the way he’d dropped her hand when he saw me. I’ve always known something would happen with them, but I didn’t think it would take him this long. They’ve been friends since they were five. He’s sixteen now, and acts like it’s a crime to like her.
When the lights to Mom’s car shown in the windows, I took a deep breath to prepare myself for whatever they may hurl at me. I didn’t think they’d be mad, probably just disappointed. Ryan had shouted something about hanging out with Cayden before he’d left, and now it was just me.
After taking a few deep breaths, I lowered myself onto the couch. I waited in the dark for the door to open, but it took a while. I could hear their footsteps outside, and my mother’s giggling. Dad was shushing her, and she muttered something about Ryan not being home as Dad opened the door. The next thing I knew, they were kissing... a lot.
If I’d reacted faster I may have been able to avoid seeing what I saw, but they always were all over each other when we were little. Dad shoved the door closed as Mom pushed his shirt up. He attacked her neck with kisses as she giggled and moaned.
“You always were a little crazy when you drank,” he groaned as she yanked his head up and pressed her mouth to his.
“Tequila makes her clothes fall off,” she mumbled and giggled at the same time.
“I love tequila,” he groaned as he pushed her against the door, and pressed his body to hers.
I was worried they’d start stripping if I didn’t say something, so I decided to make my presence known. “Hey Dad!” I jumped up from the couch and covered my eyes with one of my hands.
“Shit!” I heard my dad hiss as the room illuminated. Mom was snickering by the door as Dad fumbled around, I’m assuming trying to cover himself. His shirt was up around his neck, and his hands went to cover his crotch.
“Shoe’s on the other foot now, huh?” I laughed as I watched them. I didn’t want to see them go at it, but it did feel kinda nice to repay the favor. They’d caught me a time or two on the deck, and the couch. Now they’d see how it felt.
Mom laughed harder at that as she adjusted the strap on her sundress. She wobbled slightly on her feet before she came over to hug me. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?”
“Decided to come home this summer,” I shrugged.
“What about lacrosse?” Dad continued to fidget by the door.
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. Can we do that in the morning?” I mumbled as I looked anywhere but at him. He’d see right through my lies, and I just couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d be so disappointed in me.
“All right,” he gripped the back of his neck. “We’ll talk in the morning, but you’re not getting out of this conversation.”
“Yes, Sir,” I nodded as I began walking toward my childhood bedroom. “I’ll see you in the morning. Have fun finishing whatever that was, but I don’t want to hear it,” I shuffled into my room and closed the door. I knew my parents, and I knew they weren’t quiet. When I was little I didn’t get all the earplug jokes that Uncle Cam and Aunt Avery made. Now that I’m older, I understand it loud and clear.
I was roused the next morning by a knock on my door. It took me a moment to remember that I was home, and not at school. “Rise and shine,” my mother’s voice sounded. “Time to get up,” she was way too chipper. When I lifted my head and peered at the alarm clock on the nightstand, I almost swallowed my tongue.
“It’s six a.m. Mom,” I groaned as I flopped back down.
“Yep, get up!” she tossed a shoe at me. “You and me are talking. Get dressed.” When I opened my eyes again, I noticed she was dressed in a running bra and shorts.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I whined.
“You should be at practice right now, and you’re not. I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know why you’re here, but I am happy,” she turned and walked over to the door. She paused before glancing back at me, “Get dressed and meet me on the deck in five minutes or the next person in here will be your dad.”
That statement right there got me up. The last person I wanted to explain anything to was my father. He would be on his way to Eastman right now to beat the crap out of Jordan, and he’d never look at me the same.
I rushed around my room tugging on clothes, and looking for my other shoe, before stumbling out onto the back deck. My mother was finishing up her stretching as I pushed open the slider. I still couldn’t believe after all these years that she still did this. Dad always said the only time she didn’t run was when she was pregnant. I knew I got my stamina from her. Dad was athletic, but Mom could run circles around him.
“You ready?” she smiled.
“Yeah,” I sighed as I leaned forward and touched my toes. “This is exactly what I wanted to do when I got home...run... against my ‘gold medal mother’.
“I never won a medal, Emma,” she shook her head.
“You could’ve though, that’s the point,” I rolled my eyes.
“Well life happened, and I didn’t,” she jogged down the steps and stopped in front of the house. I watched her put her earbuds in as she tapped her foot, waiting for me. “If you beat me, you don’t have to be the one to tell your dad about this, I’ll do it. If I win, you get to tell him at breakfast today,” she grinned as my face paled.
My mom was always competitive, and we’d been doing stuff like this for as long as I could remember. “That’s not fair,” I shrieked. “I’ve never beaten you.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” she grinned as I reached the beach. “Ready? Go!” she shouted as
she took off down the beach. It took me second to react, but I knew I’d be trailing her most of the way. I’d be the one talking to Dad. She was crazy if she thought I actually stood a chance of winning, especially with her cheating.
Chapter 2
Emma
“So are you ready to tell me what you’re really doing home?” Mom panted as she took a giant gulp of water. We’d run down to the pier, and were currently walking back to the house. Mom had stopped a cart girl to grab waters. I’m sure she could have kept running. We’d only gone about two miles, but I knew this was her way of making me talk.
“Do I have to?” I sighed.
“Emma,” she paused, “you are not a quitter. I know whatever happened had to be bad. I get it, really I do, but I don’t want you to give up so easily.”
If she only knew. I’ve been agonizing over this decision for two months. It’s plagued me nightly, and if my life hadn’t spun out of control back in the spring, I don’t think I’d even be talking about this.
“Come on, spill!” she pushed against my shoulder.
“It wasn’t what I thought it would be like,” I lied. “I have no time for anything. I spend all my time studying, sleeping, and training. I wanted it to fun, like it used to be,” I sighed. The lies fell easily from my lips, but it looked as if Mom was buying it so I kept going. “I want the real college experience and I’m not getting that.”
Her head nodded a few times before she released a deep breath, “Okay.”
“Okay?” I stumbled to a halt. That was easier than I thought it would be.
“Yeah, okay. If you’re not happy, then quit,” she shrugged. “I’ve never known you to quit so easily, but I don’t want you to be miserable just because you’re out to prove something.”
“Just like that?” I jogged to catch up with her. “What about Dad?”
“I’ll deal with your father,” she laughed as she took another gulp of water.
“But you said...” I trailed off as I noticed that we were back at the house.
“I needed a good workout. I needed you to want to beat me so we could go faster,” she grinned as she turned to make her way up the deck steps.
“You tricked me!” I shrieked.
“I know everything there is to know about you and your brother. I’m your mom. You can’t fool me,” she narrowed her eyes on me as we stood there halfway up the steps. “Just like your brother thinks he’s being all sly skipping out on family stuff lately. I know he’s been hanging out with Jess.”
“What?” my head snapped back as I watched her. Who was this person? She was like me. This couldn’t be my mom.
“You’re just like me; you didn’t know that?” she laughed again. “I was young once too. I know all the tricks, and despite what you think... I do understand. When we get in here, you go shower while I talk to your dad. It may take a little persuasion that you don’t want to see,” she winked as she pulled the slider open and we saw my dad standing at the stove bare-chested cooking breakfast.
“Eww,” I curled my lip up as I rushed down the hall.
“What’s that all about?” I heard my dad ask her before he groaned and I knew I needed to turn the water on to drown them out.
Dad took me quitting the team better than I expected, although I’m sure Mom worked pretty hard soothing his ego when she told him. I felt like a chickenshit for not being the one to do it, but I wasn’t going to argue with her when she offered.
Football camp was starting up in a few weeks, and my dad was busy with that more than anything. Uncle Cam had come over a few times as they talked strategy for training camp, but I spent most of my time away from it all. I grew up spying on them when they’d be sitting around the pool talking about practices, recruits, and what was going on on campus. It wasn’t anything new, but now it wasn’t interesting either. The last couple of days lying on the beach had held more appeal. I was still trying to heal from my broken heart, and if it was up to me, I’d spend all my time alone. I had no interest in hanging out with my friends or family. I’d been running from the pain for so long that all I wanted to do was forget and go back to that girl I was a year ago, happy and carefree.
“So why are you back?” Aaron, my cousin, stood beside me where I was sitting by the pool.
“Do you really care? Or are you just being nosy?” I tipped my head up and shielded my eyes from the sun. He was dressed in a pair of red lifeguard shorts with a whistle hanging around his neck.
“Nosy I guess,” he shrugged before sitting down.
“Nice,” I groaned.
“Well, at least I’m honest. You gotta give me that,” he chuckled as he shoulder bumped me. “You can’t say that about most guys.”
“I’m not gonna argue that one,” I muttered.
“So, you gonna tell me?” he leaned closer like he was waiting for a secret to be spilled. Little did he know that I had no intention of telling him the truth. No one knew the truth, and I planned to keep it that way. The moment you tell someone something, you’ve risked everyone knowing. The only way to truly keep a secret is to not share it.
“I just wanted my life back. Why is it so hard for people to believe that I don’t want to live on the lacrosse field?” I shook my head as I picked at a thread on my shorts.
“Hey,” he laughed as he shoved me again. “Do you see me playing football?” He had a point. Uncle Cam had pushed him to play in college, but after high school Aaron gave it up.
“Point taken,” I nodded. “So you’re a lifeguard for the summer again,” I grinned as I appraised him. Aaron was my cousin, but I knew the ladies loved him. He was built, tan, and the sun had lightened his hair to a golden blonde. He was the quintessential Ken doll.
“It pays the bills,” he laughed, “and the girls like it.”
“I bet they do. So, how long have you been back?” Aaron goes to school an hour away.
“A few days. Last summer my boss told me I could have my job back when I came home if I wanted it. Who wouldn’t want to hang out on the beach all day looking at chicks in bikinis? I’d be an idiot if I didn’t say yes.”
What is it with guys and bikinis?” I rolled my eyes.
“Do you really need to ask me that, Em?” he jerked his head back to really stare at me.
“Guess not,” I muttered.
“So, I’m going down to the pier tonight to hang out with some friends. I was coming over here to see if you wanted to go,” he smiled as he stood up and stretched.
“What friends are you talking about here?” the last time Aaron invited me along I got stuck being his girlfriend’s brother’s blind date. It wouldn’t have been that bad if the kid had actually been a man. I was eighteen. My date was sixteen. It was one of the most embarrassing nights of my life.
“Just some guys from school. I think one is bringing his sister. No teenagers, I promise,” he drew his finger across his heart in an x as he grinned at me.
“Sounds fun,” I smiled. “What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at eight.” He started to walk away but paused at the gate that led toward his house. “Hey Em?”
“Yeah?” I lifted my eyes to meet his.
“I don’t know what happened to make you come home. I know whatever line of bullshit you’re feeding everyone is lie, but I am glad you’re here,” he grinned a boyish grin before turning and walking away, leaving me staring at his back. Aaron always could read me. I guess things really haven’t changed much.
After letting my parents know I’d be out for the evening, I went to wait on the front porch for Aaron. When he pulled up in Uncle Cam’s old Jeep, I started laughing. I couldn’t believe the thing still ran. He’d had it for years.
“You’re still driving that?” I yelled as I jogged down the steps.
“It works and it’s paid for. Why wouldn’t I?” Aaron shrugged from his spot in the driver’s seat.
“I figured a player like you would have something with a better backseat,” I climbed in and buckled up.
“Girls actually go out with you in this?”
“Ouch!” he recoiled as he put it in gear. “First,” he glanced at me before looking over his shoulder to back out onto the road, “I have no trouble attracting ladies, and second,” he wagged his finger at me as we took off down the road, “I like a bed better than the backseat.”
“Fancy,” I giggled.
“I know how to treat women,” he shook his head as we headed toward the pier.
There were several places to go around the area, but Windy Dunes Pier was a favorite local hangout. It was about fifteen minutes by car away from home, and along with the carnival games it had the most amazing food. Yes, I was a foodie. I loved to sample all the greasy fried stuff that the tourist places offered for the summer. When we were younger, Aaron, Ryan, and I would make up our own concoctions. I discovered fried pickles long before they became a real thing.
“No kissing my friends,” Aaron warned when we parked. “You can hang out with us, but you cannot date them. Got it?”
“Why not?” I pouted. I had no intention of getting involved with anyone at the moment. I was still recovering from Jordan and I didn’t see myself moving on for a while.
“Because I said so,” Aaron narrowed his eyes.
“Fine,” I rolled mine dramatically. “I don’t want to date your friends anyway. With the way you go through girls, I can only imagine they’re the same way. Besides, I might catch something,” I giggled as I watched his mouth turn down.
Catching Raindrops (The Sutter Family #1) Page 2
