Page 54 of The Summer Plans

Raven: Ask your dad about his first kiss.

Sophie: Ugh, what does that have to do with anything? Adults are weird.

“Is that why you asked me that?”

“Yup. To be fair, I didn’t know it was with Summer, or I wouldn’t have asked you in front of her. I’m still sorry about that.”

“I’ll talk to Raven. She shouldn’t have put you in the middle of this.”

“I like being in the middle of all this. It was fun. Auntie Raven is an instigator, and I love it.”

If she only knew.

“Still. It was supposed to be just the two of us this week. She shouldn’t have derailed our time together and roped you into one of her pranks.”

“Wait, Auntie Raven is a prankster?” She rubs her hands together like she’s forming some kind of wild idea. The sly smile on her face is so Raven-coded, and I shake my head in frustration.

“Only with me. She likes to mess with me. It was her favorite pastime growing up, and apparently she hasn’t grown out of it. And I know that look, it’s the same one Raven makes when concocting her evil plans. The answer is already no to whatever you’re thinking.”

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

The app says our flight boards in fifteen minutes. “Hurry, they’re going to open the doors soon.” I try to convince myself that my daughter isn’t about to get roped into one of Raven’s pranks.

My brain is racing as I process the texts Sophie showed me. While she didn’t outright admit to setting all this up, her winking face implies that she knew she double-booked us. But why would she do that? Did she plan this? She couldn’t have known Summer and I would share a bed. I know I’ve asked her about Summer a few times since I moved back to town, but we all used to be friends. It’s normal to be curious about old friends, right?

Ten minutes later Sophie walks back toward the terminal, head buried in her phone, grinning stupidly at the screen.

“It’s settled,” she announces, leaning down to grab her carryon.

“What’s settled?” I ask as she uses her foot to push my rolling suitcase out of my reach. “We don’t have time for this,” I growl in frustration.

“You’re staying here. I talked to Mom, and she said it’s fine. Tim’s picking me up at the airport. And Auntie Raven said you can stay another week. She’s already booked you a new flight for a week from today.”

How have all the women in my life ganged up on me without me even realizing it, and in the last ten minutes while she went to the bathroom? I eye her suspiciously. “You didn’t go to the bathroom, did you? This was your plan the whole time?”

“So clever, Dad.” She winks.

“What did you tell Raven? Summer is her best friend. I don’t think she’d be cool with us dating. She got really weird after I kissed Summer in high school.”

“Relax. I told her that Summer found some issues with the house and wanted to have an inspector come out and look at it.”

I’m a little unnerved by how easily the lie slips out of her mouth. “Remind me to have a tracker installed on your phone when we get back.”

She rolls her eyes and pats me on the head like I’m a petulant child. “This really isn’t a good look on you.”

“I can’t help it if I’m overprotective, especially not after how easily you just concocted this whole scheme.”

“I’m not talking about that.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“This shirt. Green isn’t your color.”

I bite my lips in frustration and drop my head to keep myself from saying something I’ll regret. No one warned me how much teenagers will test your patience while keeping you humble.

She rests a palm on my shoulder, getting my attention. “Dad, you have to go after her.”

My head pops up. “What?”