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"Val, you have visitors!" my dad calls from downstairs.
I run out of my room, skipping every other step until I reach the foyer, where my dad stands with a widespread smile overpowering his face.
"I do?” I ask, hopeful.
"See for yourself," he replies, opening the door fully.
Standing front and center on my porch is Logan and Quaid, Carter leaning against the porch rail just behind them. Aside from their gleeful grins, the first thing I notice is that all three boys have beach towels around their shoulders and swim trunks on.
"It's going to be another scorcher today, so we thought you might like to come to the river to cool down with us," Quaid states cheerfully with his cute metal grin in tow.
"That’s very nice of you boys to ask. Isn’t that nice, Val?” my dad teases with a wink, but thankfully, none of the boys see it.
"Act cool, Dad,” I mumble under my breath.
As much as I was hoping they would pop by my house today, I’m disappointed that I will have to turn down their invitation.
"I don’t know how to swim," I admit, forlorn.
"Oh, that's okay. You can stay in the shallow end. No problem,” Logan is quick to reply.
“I don’t have a swim suit either.”
To that, Logan’s face drops instantly, but Quaid still looks oddly optimistic.
“That’s okay, too. Logan can help with that, can’t you, buddy? He's got four sisters, so I’m sure he can get one of them to lend you something.”
“That’s right!” Logan proclaims in better spirits. “It’ll just take me a minute. I’ll be back in a jiff,” he adds before sprinting across the street back to his house.
"Maybe we should take you shopping for some new clothes, kiddo. Give your wardrobe a San Antonio makeover. What do you say?”
“I’d like that, Dad. Can we go after I come back though? I’d really like to see this river my new friends want to show me,” I explain, hoping he takes the hint on how important it is to me that the boys are here inviting me out.
“Sure, kiddo. We can go after you come back. We’ll make an afternoon of it. Have some lunch at the mall. Maybe even see a movie.”
“We like movies. Can we come?” Quaid interrupts my dad unashamedly.
“How about you boys enjoy Valentina’s company this morning, and leave the afternoon for me, okay? We can do a movie night some other time,” my father retorts, trying hard to keep his goofy smile in check at my new friend’s eagerness.
“Okay,” Quaid mumbles dispiritingly, kicking the air at his feet while Carter just scoffs behind him.
“Desperate much?” Carter taunts under his breath, low enough not to grab my father’s attention, but I hear the reprimand just fine.
“I think it’s sweet,” I quip, promptly coming to Quaid's defense.
But my knee jerk reaction to come to the green-eyed boy’s aid only makes both he and I blush profusely, as well as gain a deep scowling black look from Carter.
“See? She thinks I’m sweet,” Quaid rebukes over his shoulder.
Before I’m able to set him straight, since the same sudden need to protect Carter is just as strong, Logan shows up all smiles carrying a small plastic bag in his hand.
“This was the only one I could find that seemed small enough to fit you. I hope I didn’t mess up,” Logan states sheepishly as he hands me the bag with my borrowed swimsuit.
“I’m sure you didn’t. I’ll just go upstairs to put this on.” I give all three boys a glowing smile and then discreetly tilt my head over to my dad so I can have a word without the boys listening in. “Be cool while I’m getting ready, okay? Don’t scare them off, Dad. Promise?”
“I’ll be a total angel,” he replies, going as far as drawing an invisible halo above his head.
I slant my eyes at him and point a menacing finger in his face, before turning around and heading back upstairs to my room. I’m still halfway there when the following words leave my father’s lying mouth, “So boys, who wants to see my gun collection?”
