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“You two! Oh, my Lord. You look adorable!” my mother’s voice interrupts us from behind. She’s got good intentions, I’m sure, but I’m already stressed. This is only going to make things worse.
I turn back. “Mom… we’re just going to watch the meteor shower. It’s not a big deal.”
“Honey, this could be the start of forever. You want this moment documented. You’ll thank me later.” She pulls her phone out of her pocket and frames us up. “Okay, squeeze together. Real close now.”
Bobby lifts his arm around me as my mother clicks for what seems like forever.
“Smile, sweetheart!”
If she only knew how aggressive that statement sounded right now.
I force a smile, imagining myself as the Joker, then spin away from my mother, and out the door quickly.
“Be safe and have fun!” she hollers out after us. I love my mother, I really do, but she’s extra about everything. I mean, I’m a twenty-two-year-old. I should probably have a little more privacy than I have, though I guess it’s my own fault. If I want privacy, I should rent my own place.
Clive pops into my head. The way he leaned forward against the steering wheel, rattling off his phone number, his shoulders were so wide they blocked out the window behind him. He wanted to show me the cabins up on Eagle Rock. I should let him. If nothing else, I’d get a few minutes alone with him and maybe there’s something I haven’t seen before that I can afford.
Bobby opens the truck door and helps me inside. I shouldn’t be thinking about Clive. I’m on a date with another guy. But even now, I’m comparing the size of Bobby’s hand to Clive’s.
I need help.
Bobby is a nice guy, and I should try to like him. I really should. Except the more I sit in this truck, the more I think about Clive. It’s like an out-of-control roller coaster that has no end in sight.
The ink on his skin. The diesel scent in the truck. The way his giant frame leaned against the door. The heat in his gaze as he glanced toward me.
My clit throbs just thinking about it.
I close my eyes and shake my head, glancing toward Bobby. I need to stop this. There’s nothing wrong with Bobby. He’s cute… in a baby skinned, hair slicked back, good-boy kind of way.
“So, how’s school going?” He clears his throat and I notice the cherry scented freshener on his vents.
“Oh, I love animals, so it’s fun for me. I’m finished at the end of the year and I’m hoping to find work with Waylon’s Ranch. He’s always looking for more on-call vets. What about you? You’re a finance major, right?”
“Finance and accounting. I want to move to the Springs when I graduate. My uncle has a firm out there I can join. It’s pretty successful, too.”
I already know this won’t work. There’s no way I’m leaving Rugged Mountain, not ever. Everything I’ve ever experienced is on this mountain top. I’m meant to be here.
I don’t tell Bobby this. Instead, I nod and smile politely. “That’s awesome. I’m sure your family will miss you.”
“Ah, it’s only an hour away. They’ll come visit. It’ll be fine. There are so many more opportunities out there. Lots of veterinary offices, too. I hear the pay is really good.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’m in it for the pay. I like helping and feeling like I’m a part of something. Besides, I’d miss this whole hometown vibe thing, you know?”
“For sure.” He hesitates as though he wants to convince me of more. I appreciate that he doesn’t. “I’ll miss the diner… and the bakery if they ever get it rebuilt. I gotta say, that’s the best pie I’ve ever had. What’s your favorite?”
“Oh, the Sky-High apple for sure. What about you?”
“Blueberry lemon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.”
I should try to find the commonality between Bobby and I. We both like the diner. Check. We both like employment. Double check. Instead, I only see the negative. He doesn’t like Sky-High apple pie.
You know who does? Clive.
We shared a piece last summer while Cody complained to the waitress that his coffee was too cold. I should’ve known right then that things wouldn’t have worked between us. Maybe I was having too much fun with his dad to notice. I think that’s the first time I’ve admitted that to myself.
Bobby says something, but I miss it.
“I’m sorry, what?”
