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It’s a voice that has the power to turn my anxiety into tranquility in the blink of an eye. My skin hums with comfort and familiarity. With purpose.
Junebug.
Apparently, I say her name out loud, because she whips her hands away and jumps onto my back, whispering against my ear, “Good guess.”
I make a huffing sound when June hops on, her arms curling around my neck, legs winding around my torso. Lilac hair and citrus skin infiltrate the blackberry smog that is Wendy.
Wendy’s reddish eyebrows lift with curious regard as she skates her gaze to June. Clearing her throat, she acknowledges, “Hi, June.”
“Hey, Wendy.”
June gives my upper arm a pinch, and I can’t hold back a laugh. I clasp her ankles, crossed in front of me, tickling up her calf until she giggles and starts kicking my abdomen with her heel. “Ow.”
We’re lost in our own little world when Wendy makes a pronounced coughing sound, reminding us of her presence. She tucks a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear, and her eyes roll back to mine, flickering with something I can’t quite pinpoint. She’s silent for a beat, studying us. “All right, then. I suppose I’ll go. Maybe we can…”
Resituating June by popping her up my back, I give Wendy a nod. “Yeah. I’ll see you around.” Then I spin toward the front porch, not allowing her to finish her final plea, and not bothering to watch her retreat. June’s chin is propped up on my shoulder, bouncing as I pace forward. “You’re getting heavy, Junebug,” I mutter, trying to keep my grip on her. “I can hardly carry you.”
She pinches me again. “Rude, Brant. You can’t say stuff like that to a girl. It’ll give her a complex.” June finally slides down my back when we reach the door, and she skips up beside me, smoothing out her sky-blue dress that matches her eyes. It bewitches me for a moment, the striking color parallel, until June jabs me in the chest with her finger. “Besides, you were just at the gym. You should be more than strong enough to carry little ol’ me.”
I shake my head, reaching for the doorknob. “How do you know I was at the gym?”
“Because you smell like sweaty gym shoes.”
“Awesome. Thanks.”
“No problem. You might want to hop in the shower before you head out back to the barbecue.”
Oh, yeah. The barbecue.
The Baileys always host an end-of-summer shindig on Labor Day weekend. I was so distracted by Wendy’s car that I hadn’t even noticed the slew of other vehicles lined up along the quiet street.
Traipsing in through the foyer, I see that the patio door across the way is cracked open, a warm breeze causing the curtains to dance. Chatter and music float in from the patio, while the smell of Andrew’s renowned barbecued chicken wafts around me, causing my stomach to sing.
“Dad’s on grill duty. Mom was hoping you’d make your epic potato salad, but I said you were too busy working on these guns of yours.” June reaches out to squeeze my bicep, bare to her touch from my sleeveless tank. Her gaze floats up to me for a moment before she drops her hand. “You’re single, now. Gotta impress the ladies, huh?”
She smiles a little, then looks away. I chuckle under my breath. “I think I’m good being single for a while. I’m in no hurry to jump back into anything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I—”
“Yo, Luigi! Make me some potato salad.” Theo pokes his head through the back door, waggling his eyebrows in my direction. “But first, come meet my lady friend. And my partner, Kip.”
It’s refreshing to see Theo.
He moved out a few months after getting a position at the Gurnee police department, finally able to afford his own place. He works crazy hours, so the occasional family get-together, lunch date, or “Operation Save June” are the only times I really see him.
June trails my heels as I make my way to the back of the house and step out onto the patio. It’s swarming with guests, most of them friends of the Baileys, but June has two classmates hanging out on the trampoline: Celeste, and a raven-haired girl I’m not familiar with.
Theo has his legs propped up on a wicker ottoman with Yoshi in his lap, his sunglasses hiding his slate-blue eyes. There are unfamiliar faces on either side of him—on his left is a man with light-brown hair, a little darker than Theo’s but cut in a similar short-cropped military style. He lifts his beer to me in greeting, his cheeks slightly concave, his jaw square.
“Hey, I’m Kip. Nice to meet you.”
“Brant.” I shake the hand he extends.
Theo pops his thumb to his right, where a tall, long-legged blond sits in a folding chair. Her hair is bleached, shoulder-length with crimpy curls, her skin is tanned, and her eyes shine emerald and amiable. “The good-looking one is Veronica. We got a place together last week.”
“Wow, that’s awesome.” I shake Veronica’s hand. Theo really seems to have his shit together, and I couldn’t be happier for him. A new career as a dedicated police officer, new coworkers, and a new girlfriend, who already appears to be ten times more stable than Monica. Pulling my attention back to Theo, I excuse myself for a quick shower, then promise to make a batch of potato salad when I’m done. “Be back in a few. Nice to meet you guys.”
