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Bliss cocked a knowing eyebrow. “I thought so.”
Dylan
“I’m taking Remi on a road trip to Tennessee.”
I was in my new burgundy Toyota Rav4 waiting under the canopy outside the hotel. It was late afternoon, and though I was physically tired from the day at the hotel pool with my family I couldn’t wait to get on the road and to have Remi all to myself. I was excited just to talk to her. Our previous evening together made me utterly aware of how much I missed having her close.
The drive was only about three and half hours if I obeyed the speed limit, which, I admitted to myself, was not likely. I was looking forward to our time in the car because it would give us uninterrupted conversation, but I wanted to check in to the hotel and maybe get in some late-night rides at the park. If I remembered correctly, the lines would be shorter, and the temperature much more tolerable.
“Tennessee? I’d think there were other places she’d rather go, Dylan,” Chase said from my phone. “You do know she goes to school there, right?” He was amused.
“Not with me,” I explained. “We’re going to Dollywood.”
“Ah, that explains it.” Chase’s tone told me he was pleased that Remi and I were getting our friendship back on track.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
I’m sure you will, Dylan” Chase answered. “Does this mean you two are back to being friends?”
“I might have been mad at her for ditching Clemson, but Remi has always been my friend; my best friend.”
Chase chuckled. “That’s good to hear. We’ve all been hoping that you two would reconcile.”
“I honestly didn’t realize how much I missed having her around.” As I said the words, I was acutely aware that when she first left, I was mad at the world and especially, Remi. I had been determined that if she wanted to leave, then I wouldn’t miss her, and it wouldn’t affect me in the slightest. I immersed myself even more fully into the team and campus life. I allowed myself to become immersed in the attention of Christy and a few others before her.
“Have you let your parents know you’re leaving town? You could have told us all together today at the pool.”
“We kinda want to leave before the younger kids find out. They’ll beg us to include them and be disappointed if we say they can’t come with us. It’s been such a long time since Remi and I have spent any time together, I don’t want to have to worry about keeping them out of trouble.”
“I get it. I’ll let Jensen and Missy know, but the kids will still be disappointed when they find out where you’ve gone.”
“They’ll get over it.”
“Will you just be gone for the rest of the weekend? Ben and Marin are here to see you and Remi, too, Dylan.” Chase asked. “They’re leaving on Sunday night.”
I glanced into the hotel lobby through the glass windows, watching for Remi to join, but I haven’t had any luck with that, yet. “I’m planning on visiting the ranch, but not until after we get back from Knoxville. Maybe I can make it by Wednesday.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot that you’re planning to go out there before heading to Kansas City,” Chase observed. “You haven’t already booked your flight?”
“I’ve been hoping I can talk Remi into going with me, but so far, crash and burn. I already asked, and she refused.”
“Maybe you can get her to change her mind between rollercoasters,” he suggested, smiling. “She always loved it at the ranch.”
“I know. That’s the plan, hence no flight booked.” I chuckled with more confidence than I felt. It wasn’t fair of me to ask her to change her plans when, for three years, we’d basically written each other off.
I was close to Chase and Teagen and neither of them had mentioned Remi’s significant other despite the many opportunities to do so. I figured this was my opening to ask Chase for the details. “Maybe I can convince her to dump Alan, too,” I hinted, my tone as blasé as I could manage. “He sounds about as exciting as a wet mop, and I think he’s the reason she won’t come to Wyoming.”
“Teagan and I have only met him once when we went to Knoxville to visit Remi last year. He seems nice enough, very driven, and intelligent. He’s focused on his career, but I can say with certainty that Teagan and I don’t think he has much of a personality. And honestly, Remi doesn’t speak about him that much.”
That was something, anyway, I thought.
“Why haven’t you mentioned that she was seeing someone before this, Chase?” I talked to him at least weekly the entire time I was in college because he was always checking up on my soccer
“Well, one, because I didn’t think you’d give it a second thought, and two, because Remi asked me not to, and really, I didn’t think she was that serious about him.”
I frowned, perplexed. “Why wouldn’t she want me to know, then?” I wondered aloud.
“You should ask her, Dylan. Is she inviting him to go with you to the park?”
