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I chuckled but wanted to give him another chance to get out of hanging with us.“Sounds about right.You sure?It’s not like I’m party boat material anymore.”
“This isn’t a party boat.It’s a cranky older brother making sure his little sister doesn’t get herself into trouble.”
Nora and two of her friends from college waded into the water, each in a bikini that showed more skin than Kennedy ever had in her life, but I didn’t have the urge to look.As for Nora, my gangly cousin had turned into a mermaid.She’d been a sullen thing whenever I’d seen her around town, but she’d blossomed in college.
Nora gave me a light hug.“I’m so glad we ran into you.Ohmigosh, Kennedy, it’s so nice to see you too.”
That made Nora the only Barron who liked Kenny being with me.
Nora patted me on the arm.“Don’t worry.We’ll deal with Mom if she finds out.Besides, she likes pissing off Uncle Cameron more than anyone.”
Both Nora and Holden were okay with me?Suddenly, anything my father might plan on doing to prevent me from getting a job around Coal Haven didn’t bother me.If two people close to him didn’t agree with how he acted, then there had to be more.
There had to be.
The afternoon flew by, and we stayed hours later than we’d planned.When we’d eaten through our stockpile of sandwiches, chips, Gatorade, water, and cookies, I helped Kenny and the boys off the raft.
“I’d better get these guys home.”I’d caught Owen digging through Nora’s cooler, and she’d already shared the snacks she brought.The boys needed a solid meal and a good night’s sleep.
Nora hung over the edge of the raft, waving at us.“We need to plan this again.When are you back?”
“I’ll be back the beginning of August.For good.”
“Hey, good to hear, man.”Holden slapped me on the back as we waded out of the lake.“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.I mean it.”
Nora was helping Kenny herd the boys to our spot on the beach.Her college friends stayed on the raft.
I took the moment to tell Holden, “I appreciate it.I really do.”
He did a double take when he noticed my solemn expression.“No problem, as long as it’s not too little too late.The more my friends left town after graduation and never wanted to come back made me take a hard look at my family.Maybe the younger Barron generation can keep from driving everyone away.”He glanced at the raft that was floating away, and his eyes widened.“Oh, shit.Those girls are going to drive me to drink.”
I walked toward Kenny and shamelessly eyed her ass as she bent and gathered up our items.Nora had run to help Holden rescue the raft and her friends.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw my gaze on her round ass.She mouthed “later,” and I groaned.I’d been thinking aboutlaterall day.She was sleeping over and would be all mine.
Once we drove out of the parking lot, AC blowing on us until Owen complained he was cold, Kenny dug out her phone.
“Oh.Holy crap.”
I couldn’t look as I turned onto the highway.“What?”
“Sh—crap.Mom’s been trying to reach me.”She tsked.“I have a missed call from Cassidy too.Crap.Mom must be really worried.I hope nothing’s wrong.”
Her phone buzzed.She answered.“Hey— No.I’m fine.Fine.What?Why would he—” Kenny turned her luminous gaze on me.Her lips pressed flat.“No.You didn’t have to; I have plans.”A pause, then her tone pitched higher.“You’re at the house?”Another pause.“Because I changed them.”
Aw, hell.Her mom had been so worried she couldn’t get a hold of Kenny that she’d driven from Fargo to Coal Haven on the Fourth of July.And learned that Kenny had changed her damn locks.I hadn’t even helped her.We’d gotten our pizza, and she’d watched a few videos, asked me a couple of questions about tools and deadbolts, then gone home and changed both the front and back door locks.
She’d given me a spare key.
“I’ll be home in an hour.”She huffed and hung up.“Guess my plans have changed.Just like last time, my car was home and I didn’t answer the door.Bruce tried my phone, and when I didn’t answer, he called Mom.She and Benji are sitting in their car outside my house.”
That whole scenario sucked, but eventually they’d realize that Kenny wasn’t answering the door because she had a life.“They can come over and light fireworks too.”
She propped her elbow on the armrest, her head in her hand.“No.They’ll just fret and ruin the night.”
“They’ll do that anyway.Let them come see you have fun.”
Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth.“I really wanted to light fireworks with you.”
