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I laugh out loud and press the gas pedal slightly harder. She loses her balance and falls back on her ass, still within the trailer, just as I’m able to push through far enough to be able to make it out to the normal parking lot.
I roll down my window and wave my hand out the side. “Thank you!” I taunt.
When I look in the mirror, I see she’s flipping me off. I know most people would be mad at that, but I laugh as I turn my music up loud again, feeling somewhat pleased with myself that I was able to get out of the back lot and royally piss her off at the same time. I’d say I’ve done my best work tonight on both accounts.
Leighton River is about as small of a town as you can get, so it’s not long before I’m home, and I see my sister’s car in the driveway, which lifts my spirits a little more.
It’s funny how when she lived here, we seemed to fight all the time, but since she moved out, we’ve gotten even closer. I’ll never admit that I actually miss having her around though.
Once I enter our house and put all of my gear in the mudroom, I walk around the foyer to see her curled up on the couch with her laptop in front of her as she practices sign language.
“What’s up, sis? You’re still learning ASL?”
She closes her fist and holds it out, bobbing it up and down—meaning yes.
I plop down next to her on the couch. “No hablo ASL,” I tease, saying it in Spanish—the language I chose to take in school. I look at the video she’s mimicking. “I didn’t realize you had to take a language in college too.”
She smiles. “You don’t have to, but I want to continue. I enjoy learning it, and I want to be able to teach it to my students once I become a teacher.”
I shrug. “Yeah, sounds cool, I guess. What are you home for?”
She talks as she signs the words she’s saying. “Mom and I are going to dinner. Dad had some meeting, so she wanted to have our once-a-year dinner.”
She rolls her eyes because that’s about all we get from our mom. We both know it’s a joke, but we still go along with her plan.
“And what am I, chopped liver?” I hold my arms out to my sides.
“No, we just know you’ll go for a run, then down a protein shake before you shower. Then, when you get out, you’ll eat the rest of the leftover steak you guys had for dinner last night.”
My eyes widen. “There are leftovers?”
She laughs. “See, we were right. There was enough for either the two of us or you. We figured you’d want it more. Now, go for your run so I can get some practice in before Mom gets home”—she looks at her watch—“which should be any minute, so scooch your booch out of here.” She slaps my thigh with the back of her hand.
I hold up my pointer finger. “Fine. But only because you’re leaving me the steak.” I get up and head toward my room.
“You stink, by the way,” she yells out to me.
“Good to see you too, Leslie,” I reply with a laugh. Funny how some things just don’t change.
CHAPTER FIVE
Natalie
I’ve never been so pissed off in my life as I am now, watching Dalton drive away. Picking myself up off the dirt pile, I stomp down to the ground and dust my pants clean just as my brother, Thomas, approaches.
“What happened to you?” he asks, staring at my clothes.
“Dalton Wick is what happened,” I state as I pat myself off some more.
Thomas takes in the situation—the trailer cocked to the side and dirt spilled out into the parking lot—then looks at me, rage filling his veins.
“What. Did. He. Do?” he asks, barely able to contain his anger.
Like me, he hates anyone involved with TimeLand, but we both have a special place in our heart for the Wick family. The unfortunate thing is, he has to playfootball with him. The wholebe a good teammateis hard when you can’t stand the sight of said teammate.
We all have learned to be civil with each other over the years, but him moving my trailer out of the way like that pushed things too far, and I can tell my brother feels the same way. Only thing is, I know how to move on, but he doesn’t.
I pick up my rake from the floor and get back to business. “I’ll handle it.”
