by Xana Jordan
“Get on out of here. I’ll need plenty of help later, so enjoy the time off while you can,” she warns, moving us completely from her domain. Who am I to complain?
“Your mom gets pretty feisty when provoked,” she giggles, allowing me to pull her into the living room, settling into my lap where I want her.
“Yeah, she’s not one to be pushed when she’s on a mission. I’ve learned to let Meesh be the one to get her riled up, staying out of the way when they argue.”
“She does seem to be kinda challenging some of the time.” Throwing my head back, I laugh heartily at her observation.
“Babe, challenging doesn’t even cover it. She drives us all insane in the best of times.”
“Who does?” Dad asks, coming to sit down in his recliner beside us.
Sharing a smile, we laugh at his question. “Who do you think?” My retort elicits a frown and head shake from him.
“I swear that girl is gonna be the death of me. I’m not sure if she’ll ever find a man strong enough to handle her.” That reminds me of my relationship. I wink at Stace, head leaning against mine. She catches my eye, raises a brow, then waits for me to say something. When I say nothing, grins back at me.
“You guys are pathetic,” she laughs softly, Dad looking at her like she’s insane.
“Whatever,” he grumbles, “anything in particular you kids wanna watch on television?”
“Nah, we don’t really care. Mom’ll probably be needing us to do something soon, anyway.” Agreeing at that assessment, he flips through the guide until he reaches an old ballgame on the sports channel.
Stace snuggles into my body, head resting in the crook of my shoulder with my arms around her, securing her in place. It doesn’t take long before she’s asleep again, the slight shadows under her eyes indicating another restless night. Why didn’t she just tell my mother she needed to come over a little later and sleep more? She would have understood. Halfway through the game, I find myself falling asleep, right along with her.
Last night with my family and Cade’s was fun. We all had a great time just being with each other, Papaw and Mr. Matthews were a hoot together. They joked and cut up like a bunch of teenaged boys, driving Granny and Cade’s mom to the point of giving up on trying to settle them down. Michelle kept leaving the room because the two of them kept aggravating her. It was pretty amusing.
Right now, we’re over at Xana’s house, enjoying the pool, while the men are manning the grill. Well, the dad’s are. Papaw is only supervising them, much to their dismay and Granny’s amusement. I think he enjoys it more than he lets on.
“That’s no fair!” I shout at the other team. “That point doesn’t count and you know it, Matthews!” I yell over the cheers only to have him smile in return. Mike and Michelle, my teammates, are too busy trying to keep each other from scoring and ignored what he was doing, letting them slide by. I swear I’m gonna kill those two. Cade and Noel are on the same team with Xana, which really means I’m playing against them, not Xana, ‘cause let’s face it. I’m the only one paying attention on my team, and Xana tries her best, but isn’t completely coordinated in water. This game has taken water volleyball to a whole new level I’m not fond of.
“Awwe, are ya upset you’re losing, babe?” Cade has the audacity to ask that question. I’m not upset I’m losing, I’m upset I seem to be the only one playing on my own damn team. Mike and Michelle may be their family, but their stupidity is about to make me go off on their asses.
Grinding my teeth together, I turn and throw the ball straight for my two useless teammates, nailing Mike square in the nose. “OW! What the hell was that for, Barbie?” Mike scowls at me, holding his nose delicately in his hand. I should hit him again, just for calling me that.
“Will you two stop flirting with each other, and get back to playing pool volleyball? Geez, ya’d think you two were hot for each other.” Mike and Michelle stiffen at my words, each quickly moving away from the other. If that was all it would’ve taken, I’dve said it hours ago.
“Quit yakking and get back to the game,” Xana shouts over Noel and Cade’s obligatory laughter.
“Yeah, Sybil, get a move on,” Noel chimes in, adding to my irritation. Before I have a chance to respond, Mrs. Bradford calls out that dinner is ready.
“Well, lookie there. Little Golden Boy gets a reprieve for dinner. Had to get it from someone else’s mom, didn’t ya?” Everyone laughs, including him, as we make our way out of the pool to dry off before eating.
“Need any help,” Xana and I offer needlessly, the parents having everything under control.
Dried off and covered up, we fix our plates from the buffet line that was set up, filling our plates with way more food than normal - swimming in the heat really makes a person feel as if they’re starving - and finding seats around the backyard wherever we could. Mrs. Bradford, Mom as she likes me to call her, really loves gardening and the lush, green and rainbow colored foliage surrounding us is living proof of it.
Cade finds his way over to sit beside me on a blanket I have spread out by the pool. “Haven’t gotten enough sun yet,” he laughs, setting his iced tea by his feet.
“No way. It’s not every day I get to be lazy and swim as much as I want. Working and school kinda sucks the life out of summer.” Frowning at my lost summer fun, I straighten out my legs to better work on my tan.
“Sometimes working can be fun in the summer.” His smile, not exactly winning me over like usual.
“Says the one who loves playing ball anytime of the year, rain or shine.” I throw a piece of ice, nailing him right in the ear. “Don’t gloat.” His laughter entices me to laugh with him, before we settle down to appease our stomachs with food.
“I’ve missed you this week,” he says quietly as I gobble down Granny’s famous baked beans. No one can quite make them like her. “Everything been okay?”
I know he’s referring to my dreams, and frankly, I have been having them less often here lately. Apparently I’ve been busy enough with school and work I have been so tired I fall asleep without too many dreams. I guess that’s one bonus of not lazing around all summer. Great.
“Not too bad, actually. I still have a few of the nightmares, but not as often. You and Noel getting things all fixed up inside the house?” I leave it at that, not wanting to talk about it any further.
“Yeah, it’s not been too bad. The yard’s gonna have to wait until it gets cooler, because with everything his mother wants done out there, it may kill us.” He shakes his frowning head and I giggle.
“Oh, come on. You know you two manly men love being outside. It’s a wonder you two don’t sleep outside.”
“Oh, we used to when we were little. A lot. We even had a treehouse in his backyard that we slept in. Well, at least until a storm tore part of it away. I think we were about twelve when that happened.” He smiles, remembering all the fun times they had, I’m sure, making my vision of him as a child even sweeter than I had already imagined.
“You two didn’t try and fix it back up?” He chuckles looking off toward one of the trees on on the other side of the wooden fence. He must be reliving more childhood memories.
“Yeah, we did. But his dad said it wasn’t worth the effort because it was really old and not as sturdy as it used to be. That it wasn’t worth trying to rebuild, so we just made him buy us a tent for the backyard instead.”
“How in the world did y’all con him into that?” I ask in amusement. Those two never cease to amaze me.
“Uhm, let’s just say his dad isn’t as stern as he likes to pretend. Two moping, pitiful little boys were no match for his iron will. It was quite the sight. He went out that next day and bought us the coolest tent, while his mother just shook her head and laughed at him. That was one of the best night camping out we ever had.”
“I wish I could have seen y’all in action. I bet it was a sight!”
“Yeah, we were something. Too bad, it doesn’t work on him anymore. I think Xana�
�s taken over having him wrapped around her finger.” How right he is. That girl’s gotten both of his parents won over.
“That’s an understatement, but she does have a way of doing that without realizing it.”
“Kinda like you do with my parents,” he says, moving a wind-blown strand of hair from my mouth. Brushing his hand away, I roll my eyes.
“Oh, please. I don’t not have that effect on them.” He has to be kidding. His parents are not smitten with me that way. I’m just their son’s girlfriend.
“You may not realize it, but you do. Get used to it.”
“Whatever.”
Full of barbeque, we take our plates to the trash can, and help put away what’s left of the food so the flies don’t have a holiday feast as well. The grill has been cleaned and turned off, the outside party lights are on, and the sun is starting to set, just a bit. Too bad, the heat hasn’t let up any.
“What time did they say they were going to begin the firework show?” Cade’s mom asks, bringing out a fresh pitcher of her famous limeade for us. We’re sitting around the tiny outdoor fire pit in lawn chairs while we wait for it to get dark enough to see the display the town’s setting off.
“They’re guessing it’ll be around nine thirty or nine forty-five before it’s dark enough,” Michelle answers, sitting on a lounger near Mike. It looks like they’re on speaking terms for the moment.
“Oh, well that’s plenty of time for dessert,” Mrs. Bradford says. “I’ll go get it.” She stands from her seat, moving toward the patio doors, when Mike groans.
“More food? Haven’t we eaten enough for today?” He leans back against the cushion of his chair and rubs his belly. Noel and Cade’s heads immediately turn toward him.
“Shut up,” they warn him simultaneously, causing everyone to laugh. They all know just how much those two can eat. How they ever stay in shape is beyond me.
“You don’t have to eat anything,” Papaw says, completely shutting him up. “Don’t be ashamed if your metabolism isn’t as good as theirs.” Leaning back in his seat, he crosses his legs out straight in front of him. Oh, no he di’nt. Mike just got schooled by Papaw. Priceless.
“Now I see where you get it from,” Cade whispers in my ear when our laughter dies down. “Granny, too. You’re doubly blessed.” Grinning from ear to ear, I look over at my grandparents sitting at the patio table.
“More than blessed,” I agree, leaning into his side. He wraps me in his strong, bare arms, where I relax into his hold and enjoy the moment with family and friends.
We spend the next hour, altogether, talking about anything and everything, from work and school, to current events and local happenings. Before we know it, the City as started their annual fireworks display from the center of town, and we all quiet down to take it all in.
After a few minutes, Cade leans his head forward and says, “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing too much. Just thinking about how they make fireworks and the patterns they make when fired. How amazing today has been.” I sigh, leaning my head next to his, resting on my shoulder.
“All of that?” he chuckles against my bare skin, sending tingles soaring throughout my body.
“Yeah. That and just how truly wonderful the past two days have been with all of the people I care most about.” His moan of agreement sends tiny, yet intense, vibrations along my shoulder and arm. It’s the small things he does that makes me feel warm and content.
Chatter from the rest of the group over the colorful and spectacular fireworks, is muted against the words between us, but I can occasionally hear them. “Time is always better when it’s spent with you.”
“Laying it on thick, are ya?” I muses, my hand reaching up and around his arms at my waist to run the palm along the side of his face.
He twist his neck to the side so that he’s able to place a brief kiss on my hand. “I’m only telling it like I see it. How I feel it,” he pauses to place a small trail of kisses along my throat and back up along my neck to finally end just beneath my earlobe. You know, that you can kiss me here all day if you want and nibble at my ear.
“Maybe you’re right,” I admit, slowly letting his soft lips wrap me up in some sortof love spell.
Laughing, head thrown back, he smarts off, “Wait, can I get you saying that on voice recorder? I’d like to have proof on a daily basis that you admitted I can be right, just as you are.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I laugh, looking back up toward the multi-colored lights filling the sky. Xana’s parents sure do have the ideal spot for firework watching.
“I’m serious. You just have a way of making me feel content and challenged no matter where we are.” He holds me closer to his body, tender and possessively, at the same time.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Scarlett.
“Are you umping tonight?” I ask Noel as he walks into the kitchen. The mid-July heat has been unbearable, and I’m ready for cooler weather to get here. Humidity and ball playing isn’t friendly to anyone.
“Yeah, I have the girls t-ball field all week. What did you get?” he questions, pulling the pitcher of tea from the fridge.
“High school baseball, so I’ll be out late.” I take the tea from him and pour myself a glass before returning it to the fridge. “Xana still staying over?”
She’s been staying with us at our house off campus a few nights a week since summer school started. With her not having as much driving experience as the rest of us, she and her parents felt more comfortable with her staying to avoid driving so early in the mornings. She’s done so well overcoming her fears of driving, but still needs more confidence. Noel breaking his arm in that ball game may have been one of the best things for her. She took over taking care of him, making herself get behind the wheel to do it. We were all so proud of her.
“Yeah, her new meds are kicking her ass and making her really sick sometimes. She didn’t want to drive back after work tonight and then here again in the morning for classes.” He looks down to his glass scowling, something he does a lot when he feels helpless.
“She could always ride back with Stace tonight. She doesn’t have to work until later this evening, then they can drive back in the morning. Her car’d still be here for her to drive home since she gets out of classes earlier,” I reason. Stacy worked out her work schedule at the hospital in El Dorado to allow her to take a class or two here this summer. She really seems to enjoy it, and I think she’s been able to sleep a lot better with her body not being idle for too long during the day.
“You know how she is. She doesn’t want Stace to worry, so she hasn’t told her about the new meds.”
“What the hell, man?” What the hell is she thinking, not telling Stace? Those two are so close you’d never guess they aren’t blood relatives.
“I know, I know. Believe me, I’ve had the same argument with Xan. She insists that she needs to do this on her own, and she wasn’t going to tell me, but I walked in on her throwing up so she had to confess. Damn, she frustrates the hell outta me sometimes.” He rests both hands on the counter, head lowered as he breathes deeply to calm himself down.
“Do you need me to talk to her? She may respond better to my charm and breathtaking smile,” I wiggle my eyebrows, unable to resist teasing him, just to get the one reaction I wasn’t expecting.
Raising his head just enough to look at me he says, “They’re talking about surgery, Cade, if these meds don’t do what they’re supposed to,” he pauses and lowers his head again, “Surgery.”
I study him for a moment, not liking what I see. Having my best friend, my brother, look this defeated is not something I’m used to. Even when they broke up in high school he didn’t look this torn up. That’s saying a lot because he was devastated. “And you can’t fix it.” There it is, the real problem for Noel.
He braces his hands on the counter, arms locked in place as his gaze burns into mine, totally in defense mode. “No,” he admits, g
rudgingly. “Things just can’t seem to ever leave her alone. Right when we think things are making progress and starting to even out, something has to happen to knock her ten steps back, and I worry it’ll eventually break her. Then what do I do?”
“Hey, just take on one thing at a time. Calm down a little. You can’t prepare for everything when it might not even happen. You’re no good for her, worrying like that…” I try to reassure him, but am interrupted by the front door closing.
“Hellooo, boys!” Stace. She breezes through the house and into the living room before Noel and I can say another word about our conversation. “Are you two having a lover’s spat?” she teases and sits on the bar stool beside me, her keys lying where she flung them.
Tension broken, Noel laughs then tweaks her nose. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he jokes, then leans against the fridge behind him so she can’t respond with a slap to his chest, something she always does.
“Where’s my girl? I haven’t seen her in days, and haven’t talked to her in as many. Are you keeping her from me, Noel Daniels?” Her arms cross on the counter in front of her while she glares at him, but her attempt at intimidation isn’t working, her mouth fighting a grin betrays her. She’s so damn cute when she makes that face.
“Sybil, you disappoint. You know your friend is the one who does her best to hide me,” he places his hand over his heart, pretending to be offended. It’s a game they play regularly and never seem to tire of.
“Whatever. Where is she? I got out of class a little early and wanted to see her before I drove back for work.”
“She won’t be over until later. I’ll make sure she calls you, how about that? She should be here before I leave for the ballfields.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” she pouts when her phone rings. “Hello? Slow down. What?” Her face becomes more pale the longer she listens to whomever is on the other end of the call, “Yeah, no, I’ll go,” she whispers so low I almost don’t catch what she’s saying.
