I’m not exactly happy about the situation, because I know how this is going to end, but it’s nice seeing her feel good about something. She needs something to feel good about right now; I just wish it wasn’t a hormonal young man.
I try talking to her while we’re eating, but her head is somewhere else. Just to test whether she is aware of anything beyond the thoughts in her head, I casually tell her she looks like a cow. Not to be rude or anything, just to test her reaction.
“I love cows,” she replies dreamily while staring out the window at the ocean.
After breakfast she puts her arm around me and says, “Your bovine daughter wants to take the Walrus for a spin so she can practice driving.”
I know I should say no. I want to. I’m about to. And then I look into her Guernsey-eyes, and I can’t bring myself to do anything that might spoil her current state of happiness. But I only agree to it because the Walrus is a tank on wheels. Any other car, and I swear I would not give in. I swear.
Emily stays at home to go through stuff in the attic, but Bree and Cade tag along for the ride to Seaside, about ten miles up the road, hoping they might convince me to stop and play at the giant arcade there. Video games are out of the question, but I do splurge on a bag of fresh saltwater taffy for the ride home, most of which is already gone by the time we reenter Cannon Beach and rumble through the center of town.
About eight blocks from the house, out of the blue, Bree gasps as loudly as anyone can gasp. With a mouthful of taffy she exclaims, “Is that—?” As we all turn to see where she is pointing, she screams, “It is! It’s Tanner!”
Only Tanner isn’t alone.
Worse, the short, blond-haired girl hanging on his arm is not just pretty, she’s a knockout.
There. Now it feels like a Monday morning.
With Ann’s eyes fixed on the couple, the car heaves to the right, nearly hitting the curb.
“Just keep driving,” I tell her emphatically as I grab the wheel to help straighten us out. “No sense in crashing over this.”
I keep a sharp eye on Tanner as Ann regains control. Near as I can tell, Tanner doesn’t see us. He’s in his own little world, talking and laughing with the girl like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
I knew this would happen! Oh, that rotten little son of a gun…
Rather than easing carefully into the driveway, Ann doesn’t slow down until she absolutely has to, despite all my efforts to pump the imaginary air brake at my feet. The hard stop sends everyone sliding forward in their seats. Ann takes half a second to turn off the engine, but leaves the key in the ignition as she throws open her door and runs into the house. As she passes in front of the Walrus, I catch a glimpse of her face…dripping wet.
“Great,” Cade mumbles from the backseat, “there goes the summer.”
“There goes more than that,” bemoans Bree.
“Let’s try to think of Ann,” I tell them. For several moments, we all sit there quietly; none of us are quite sure what to make of what just happened. After a bit, I venture to ask Bree what she’s thinking, because the look on her face says it’s something serious.
“I think this sucks,” she blurts out. “Did you see her? She’s barely taller than me!” She huffs loudly, then adds, “So stupid.”
Cade laughs in her face. “Ha! You wish you were the one holding his arm!”
With a scowl that could kill, she replies, “Be quiet, Twerp. You don’t know anything.”
“I know you like Tanner.”
“Just shut up! Dad, can you make him shut up? Actually, better yet, let me out. I want to go for a walk on the beach.”
“Sure, Bree. Just…stick to the beach, OK?”
She doesn’t respond, but I let her out anyway. Without bothering to go inside, Bree marches around the near side of the house and makes a straight line through the tall grass to the beach and then disappears from sight.
“It’s gonna be a bad day today, isn’t it, Dad,” Cade says after a minute.
“Probably so.” I sigh. “It’s Monday.”
Chapter 31
Bree
I HATE IT WHEN my little brother is right.
He said I wished it was me hanging on Tanner’s arm instead of that blond girl, and well…I did. When we first saw them, all I could think was that if I was just a year or two older, maybe Tanner would have noticed me instead of Ann, and since I don’t have any of her medical problems, maybe it would have worked out.
I hate being the little sister just as much as I hate it when my little brother is right!