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Grant burst out laughing. “I’m not surprised by that at all, sweetheart.”
“Don’t make fun of me and my friends,” Bea said.
“I would never,” Grant said. “I just know none of you ladies are doing hard hiking.”
“The boardwalk sounds nice, though, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“I can’t wait,” Grant said, and when he said it with so much enthusiasm, Bea believed him.
“Okay, look,” he added several minutes later. “No one is getting out of the car at Julie’s, okay?” He looked in the rearview mirror. “Shelby? You hear me? We’re not getting out at Aunt Julie’s.”
“Why can’t we get out?” Bea asked.
“Because then we’ll get stuck there for an hour,” Grant said. “We just need to get the food and go.” He nodded. “Yep, we’re just there to get the food and go.”
“It sounds like you’re using your twin sister,” Bea said.
“Yes, it does,” Grant said. “Because I am.” He grinned and kept driving, and before Bea knew it, they’d arrived at his sister’s house.
“Don’t honk,” Bea said.
Grant gave her a withering look. “Come on. I’m not going to honk.” He put the car in park and reached for his phone. “I’m going to text her.” He did that, and only a moment later, Julie opened her front door and came out carrying a platter—yes, a platter—of food.
“My goodness,” Bea said. “You guys weren’t kidding.”
Shelby opened the door, and Grant said, “No, no, no, no. Don’t get out.”
“I’m just going to hug her,” Shelby said. “She made us road trip food, Dad. You don’t have to be rude.”
“She’s too Southern,” Grant muttered as his daughter closed the door. He sighed and unbuckled. “Here we go.”
Bea grinned as she got out too, and Julie radiated happiness to see them all. “National Park treats,” she said. “I’ve got the most amazing beef jerky bites you’ll ever taste. Hello, sweetie.” She kissed Shelby’s cheek and gave her a side-hug.
“I also made pizza pinwheels,” Julie said. “My brother loves those.”
“I certainly do,” Grant said. “I was hoping for something pizzarrific.”
“Dad, don’t say stuff like that.” Shelby rolled her eyes, but Bea grinned. Telling Grant not to use weird words or tell Dad-jokes was like trying to get the sun to stay down in the morning.
“Hey, Julie,” Bea said as she rounded the hood.
“There’s my favorite sister-in-law.” Julie grinned at Bea, passed the platter to her brother, and embraced her. Since she was Grant’s only other sibling, Bea would be heronlysister-in-law. She still hugged her back and grinned at her when they separated.
“Thanks for the food, Julie,” she said.
“Yes,” Grant said. “Thank you, Julie.” He kissed her cheek and started packing the pizza pinwheels into a plastic container Bea hadn’t even known he’d brought. She should’ve known he’d be prepared, because Grant always had everything they needed, whether it was for a beach day or for a new guest coming to one of the properties.
She could still remember how he’d shown up at the beach house she’d rented when she’d come to Hilton Head Island for the first time with the ice cream she loved most.
“Back in the car,” Grant boomed. “Let’s load up, people. We have a National Park to get to!” He met Bea’s eyes, his smile only growing. “Thanks, Julie.” He opened the door as Bea rounded back to her side of the car.
Once they were all back in the car and buckled, Grant glanced over to her. “Ready, sweetheart?”
She nodded and leaned toward him. “Ready, baby.”
He kissed her quickly, and then they got back on the road toward their first National Park. This was going to be an epic road trip, and she couldn’t wait to get to Congaree.
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