“Hey, hun. How was Riley’s?”
I dropped my bag beside the door and crossed the living room. It was Saturday. My mom was sprawled on the couch with the cooking channel blaring on the screen and a notepad on her lap. The notepad meant she was trying a new recipe. If we were lucky, she’d forget she wrote it down.
“It was fine,” I answered, taking a seat in my dad’s recliner. “Dad at the field house?”
“Yeah. He and Case left earlier,” she said. “Think they left pancakes on the stove, if you’re hungry.”
“I’m good.”
I glanced at the television, but my mom paused it. She tossed the notepad beside the remote, then shifted so she was facing me.
“Spoke to your dad last night,” she said, smiling. “I’ve been trying not to call you until you got home, but we found a solution.”
“A solution for what?” I asked, arching a brow.
“The Baker Heights trip,” she answered. “We can go in three weeks. We’ll make it a girls’ trip.”
My heart quickened, and I immediately looked at the bracelet wrapped around my wrist. I begged for this trip, paid my dues to get this trip, but I wasn’t excited. I should’ve been excited.
“Thanks,” I said, forcing a smile.
“You’re welcome.”
She relaxed into the cushions and resumed the television. I stayed there with her, absently watching the rest of the cooking show while I tried to convince myself that I was excited. I couldn’t do it.
“Mom,” I said as she finished jotting the recipe.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t get mad, but I don’t know if I want to go anymore.” Her attention darted upward. “I’ve been trying to get over the move,” I continued, fidgeting with my bracelet, “and I’ve been trying to get over Seth. I feel like I’m getting to a place where I can do that. I’m moving on. Visiting Baker Heights would be three steps backward, right?”
She sat there a minute, her eyes on me. The last time I got this look was when I told her I wanted go blond. She looked cautious, filled with things she wanted to say but worried about my reaction.
“What?” I asked, grabbing a throw pillow. “You think it would be better if I went?”
“No,” she answered. “I think you’re making the right choice. Baker Heights is in the past, and you need to keep moving forward, but this doesn’t change that I owe you a trip. A deal is a deal, and you’ve kept your side of the bargain. If you don’t want to go, we’ll find another option. I think I might already have one.”
“Really?”
She nodded and grabbed her phone from the end table. Two seconds later, she had it to her ear. “Mark,” she said, addressing my dad.
I stared at her, brow furrowed.
“Think you can get another ticket for that trip?” she continued. I could hear my dad’s muffled voice on the other end of the line. I couldn’t hear his response, but a slow smile spread across her face. “Great. Yeah, it’s for her. No. No. We’ll talk about it later. ’Kay. Love you, too.”
“So, where am I going?” I asked.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she replied.
“Mom!”
“That’s my name,” she answered.
She went back to her shows, and I spent the next two hours trying to drag the info out of her. By the time my dad and Case got home, I’d expended all options and was sulking in the kitchen.
“What’s for lunch?” my dad asked. He glanced at my freshly baked pizza rolls and stole one. “Shit!” he exclaimed, spitting it back on the tray. “Those are hot!”
“Mark! Language.”
“What I meant was, Oh my heavens, these pizza rolls are scorching,” he said, smiling at my mom. She whacked him on the shoulder with her notepad, and he laughed. “What?” he said. “My language was fine that time.”
“You don’t have to be a smart-ass about it.”
He kissed her on the cheek and maneuvered around the island. One look at dinner prep, and he cringed. “Looks delicious,” he lied.
In reality it looked disgusting. She claimed it was sauce for chicken spaghetti. I had my doubts.
“Did you get the goods?” she asked, looking at him.
“Yes. Why? We doing that now?”
“Now, later, either way is fine with me,” she replied.
“Adam’s here!” Case hollered, grabbing a pizza roll as he stepped into the kitchen. He popped it in his mouth before I could tell him dad had it first. Only Case would eat an already munched-on pizza roll and not even notice. “Hi, Mrs. Collins,” Adam said. “Sorry to barge in.”
“It’s not barging in if I told you to swing by,” my dad answered. He headed to the hall. “I’ll be right back. Let me grab that stuff.”
“Yes, sir.”
Adam’s eyes flickered to me, and I adjusted my ponytail. Why hadn’t I showered instead of nagging my mom all morning?
He stopped beside me and leaned against the counter. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi,” I replied.
The corners of his mouth tilted upward, and my mom cleared her throat. When I looked at her, she was staring.
“You’re more than welcome to stay for dinner,” she said, addressing Adam. “We’re having chicken spaghetti. I’d love to have more taste testers.”
“Don’t,” Case hissed. “You’ll never make it out alive.”
“You haven’t even tried it, Case Michael.”
“Wow, breaking out the middle name,” I said, grinning.
“You want in on this, Claire Elizabeth?”
“Nope. All I want is my pizza rolls.” I turned, ignoring the pair as they bickered over my mom’s chicken spaghetti.
Adam watched their back and forth, then took the pizza roll I handed him. “I like them. They’re funny.”
“Try living with them,” I said.
My dad reentered the kitchen and hesitated in the doorway. “What happened? What did I miss?” he asked.
“Mom’s spaghetti,” I replied. “Case made the mistake of voicing all our concerns.”
“Right.” He nodded and cleared his throat, earning my mom’s and brother’s attention. When he flashed a folded piece of paper, she straightened her apron and walked to his side.
“What’s happening?” Adam asked.
“No idea.” I popped a pizza roll in my mouth. When they faced me, I froze. “What did I do?” I asked. “Besides being the perfect child.”
“We have something for you,” my mom answered. She bounced across the kitchen, grinning as she handed me the folded piece of paper. “It’s from your dad and me.”
Slowly, I unwrapped it. When my eyes found Alabama, my adrenaline rushed. “Is this … Are we…”
“We’re going to Auburn,” my dad replied.
Shocked, I looked at the paper again. Joy flowed down my cheeks. “Thank you!” I cried, running across the kitchen for a hug. “Thank you so much! This is … I just … is this real?” I scanned the paper. My name was there in black and white. It had to be real.
“We fly out in two weeks,” my dad said, his arms crossing his chest. “We’ll leave on Saturday and return Monday after school, so both of you need to bring your makeup work with you. You can do it on the plane.”
“Both of us?” I repeated. I blinked, confused, as my dad handed Adam a paper that matched mine. No. No. No.
“It’s a bye week, so I’m meeting with scouts,” Adam explained.
My stomach curled.
“It’s Auburn this month, the University of Tennessee next month, and—”
“Clemson wants to see you, too,” my dad interrupted. “Got the call on my way home from the field house.”
Adam smiled. “They’re one of the best teams in the country!”
“No kidding. All we need is the University of Alabama to call, and you’ve got your pick of the litter.”
Adam moved closer to my dad. Talk of national championships became their focal point, but I tuned them out. A trip to Auburn meant a lot of time with Adam. I couldn’t decide if I was excited or concerned.
“Your dad and I talked about bringing you to visit Auburn in the spring,” my mom said, taking a spot beside Case and me. “When he got the call for Adam to talk to the coaches, to tour campus and their facilities, we talked about getting you a ticket, but decided it would be better to go in the spring. We weren’t sure we could swing a trip to Baker Heights and a trip to Auburn.”
“Auburn will always trump Baker Heights,” I said, glancing at her. “That’s a no-brainer.”
“Then I’m glad it worked out this way,” she replied. She paused, studying me. “I know you didn’t want to move here because of Seth—”
“Mom.”
“—and I know how hard the breakup was on you, but I’m proud of you for moving on. There’s a guy out there who will love you regardless of the distance. Who knows, he may even be in this room.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing the embarrassment away. This wasn’t happening, not with Adam in earshot. Case thought it was hilarious. He cracked up as soon as she stepped away.
“You’re just so grown up,” he said, grinning.
“Shut up, Case.”
He chuckled and leaned over the counter, grabbing another pizza roll. “So, Auburn with Meade?”
I shifted my face from his view. Case was a master at reading through my crap. He’d caught my hesitation and wanted to bug me about it.
He crammed the pizza roll in his mouth, then studied Adam across the room. “Be careful,” he said, his voice dropping.
I glanced at him. Something about the way he said it set me on edge.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Case’s expression was neutral, but his eyes flickered from Adam to our parents, calculating.
“Case, what does that mean?” I repeated.
He took another pizza roll and turned so his back was to our parents. Adam was out of sight, covered by Case’s graphic tee and towering form. “I’m not saying it’s true,” he said, “but I know Adam’s reputation. He has it for a reason, Claire. Watch out. Okay?”
I nodded, and Case exited the kitchen. Most of the time Case was a moron, but he was usually right when it came to guys. He worried about my relationship with Seth, and it ended just like he said it would, with me heartbroken. I would be an idiot to ignore him and let the same thing happen again.
“Question.”
I glanced at Adam as he crossed the kitchen, grinning with the paper tight in his hand.
“How would you feel about a game of Scrabble and some homemade peach cobbler?” he said. “I caught a better look at that spaghetti. Pretty sure it’s inedible.”
“You’re learning quick,” I replied. I cocked my head. “But are you sure about the cobbler? I thought you said you didn’t share?”
“People change. Even me.”
“You sure about that, Meade?”
“Positive.”
* * *
“I’m telling you she likes me more than you,” I said, noshing on a cookie. “You can deny it all you want, but I’m cooler. These cookies prove it.”
“Those were my cookies, and you stole them.” Adam pulled his truck down Tate’s road, nothing but darkness and stars visible from the windows. “Besides,” he said, “it was a test recipe for some guy she met at the VFW dance. She gave you the crappy batch and left the good ones on the stove.”
“Someone sounds bitter,” I said. I bit into another chocolate chip and sighed. “So, Wanda has a boyfriend?”
“Wanda has someone calling her up,” Adam answered. “Wouldn’t say they’re serious. They’ve bonded over Scrabble Club, but I think he’s faking. The guy probably hates Scrabble. He seems like a domino lover.”
“Old people scandals. The horror.”
He gave me a look, one somewhere between amusement and annoyance. “Don’t make me pull this truck over, Claire Collins. I’m likely to throw you into the Macks’ pond. You’ll be the town’s newest ice statue.”
“And I’ll die of hypothermia and come back to haunt you.”
“Or you’ll have to strip and cuddle with me for body warmth,” he replied. “It’ll be a life or death thing. I’ll totally help you out.”
“Do you ever think with your upper head?”
“Yes, but it’s rare.” I shoved him and he pointed a finger at me. “That’s called distracting the driver, sweetheart.”
“Call me sweetheart one more time and I’ll—”
“Kiss me senseless, then blame me for your unprovoked actions?”
“You’d like that too much.”
“I definitely wouldn’t complain.” I rolled my eyes, and he laughed. “Just saying, there’s still a good mile between us and Tate’s house. We’ve got time, and I know the back roads. If my truck accidentally gets stuck…”
I shook my head. That would be like Adam to know the back roads. He probably used them for all the wrong reasons and would get stuck on purpose.
“You’re considering it, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Nope,” I answered. “I already told Riley we’d be there soon, and I’m not the kind of girl who ditches her friends for a guy. You want my time, you’ll have to take a number.”
Adam’s jaw dropped as he pulled the truck to a stop. “Take a number?” he replied.
“You could be number two?”
“Number two?” he said, taking the keys out of the ignition. “I’m sorry. Number two won’t do.”
He shut his door and walked around the truck. When he reached my side and opened the door, I caught the mischief in his eyes.
“Adam, don’t do anything irrational.” He motioned for me to get out of the truck, but I shook my head. It was chilly, and the truck was warm. This didn’t seem like the best-thought-out plan.
“Claire, you have to get out of the truck.”
“No. I’m perfectly happy right where I am.”
“It’s my truck. Get out.” I gave him the same look my mom gave my dad when he was being an ass. When he continued with “Get out of the truck, please,” I knew I’d been successful. I needed to use that more often.
Adam grabbed his letter jacket from the back seat and tossed it to me. “You’ll want this.”
“Why? What are we doing?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered. “Quit asking questions and go with the flow. It’s a bit of a walk, but it’ll be okay. I promise.”
I followed him across the grass. Beneath the full moon, it was easy to spot the abandoned barn on Tate’s property. It loomed far in the distance, with small buildings farther behind.
“If I get bit by a snake, I’m going to be mad,” I said.
“If you get mad, you’ll be stuck in the country by yourself.” He grinned at me over his shoulder and extended his hand. I took it, my fingers linking with his. “You always like this when a guy takes you out?” he asked, looking ahead. “And I mean whiny. Not in a good way.”
I extended my boot and caught his ankle. He stumbled in the grass, laughing as he straightened to full height.
“I’m not whiny,” I answered, “and no, I’m not always like this. If you’d quit being a jackass, maybe I’d be nicer.”
“I’m being a perfect gentleman, Collins. I gave you my jacket. I’m holding your hand. I happen to know most girls like both of those things.”
“How many girls did you ask?” I replied.
“More than I should probably admit.” I squeezed his hand, and his laugh carried on the breeze. “You know how I am,” he said. “It’s not like I’ve tried to keep it a secret. As a matter of fact, I’m the only one whose personal stuff is out there in the open. What about you? When are you planning on sharing your past with me?”
“I don’t have a past,” I lied.
“Yeah, not buying that for a second.”
I pulled my lip between my teeth and tried to figure out where to start. This conversation had to happen eventually, I just didn’t expect it this soon. I needed time to prepare. Where did I even start?
“I have one ex,” I said, looking at Adam. “And it’s complicated.”
“I’m sure I can keep up.”
“Okay,” I answered. “My ex and I dated. We broke up. The end.”
“I need more than that, Collins. Nice try.”
I groaned and scowled at him. He held my gaze, a smile still present on his face.
“What do you want to know?” I asked, my tone taking on an edge. “It was good, and then it wasn’t. We started dating when we were sophomores, and we broke up this summer.”
“You don’t sound like you’re over it.”
“I am.” Adam shot me a skeptical look, and I shook my head, my cheeks heating despite the cold. “What do you want me to say, Adam?” I asked, stopping. “He broke my heart. He told me he didn’t care if my dad took this job. He told me we’d make it work because he loved me. I trusted him. I thought he meant what he said, but he didn’t. He lied. He told me everything I wanted to hear, but when the time came to move, he was done. He wanted his freedom.” I paused. “He didn’t want me.”
Ahead, a flashlight beam flickered on. Adam paused, frowning as he turned toward me.
“And it hurt,” I said. “I was in love with him, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t enough.”
“Are you still in love with him?” Adam asked, his face void of expression.
“No,” I answered. “I’ve moved on. I’m happy for the first time in a long time, and you’re a big part of that. I care about you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”
Adam nodded and pulled me into a warm hug.
“And I don’t want to talk about Seth,” I said, looking at him.
“His name is Seth?” When I nodded, Adam cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Well, Seth sounds like an asshole anyway,” Adam replied. He kissed me as Tate’s voice echoed across the pasture, but pulled away before they were close enough to see.
Riley and Tate came to a stop in front of us, Riley smiling as she eyed the letter jacket I wore. “Tate, have you ever seen Adam let a girl wear that jacket?”
“Nope,” Tate answered, shaking his head. “I’ve seen many try, but all have failed.”
“Adam’s standing right in front of you,” Adam replied. He crammed his hands in his pockets and looked around the space. “You bring your clubs?”
“Brought mine and borrowed my dad’s,” Tate said. “Everything is set up and waiting on us to get there.”
“Clubs?” I repeated, looking at Riley for insight.
“Night golf,” Riley replied.
“You golf?” I asked Adam.
“Heck yes, I golf. I’m a man of many wonders, Collins. I golf. I play baseball. I do it all.”
“We’re triple threats,” Tate explained. “The best athletes to ever come through Pader.”
“And when one of you ends up in the hospital with a concussion, I’ll remember you said that,” Riley said. “Because it isn’t night golf until someone gets pegged in the head. I just hope it isn’t Tate.”