wondering if it was too late to suggest we all go there, too. Knowing my mom, it was planned for a specific day and time, down to the minute. An impromptu sprint to the ferry—on Fiesta! Night—wouldn’t cut it.
“So, see you tonight? How about if we meet y’all on the beach at eight, like, at the bottom of the steps?” Blake suggested. “If anything changes, just drop by, okay? If we’re not home, leave a note on the door. Hey, have a great day!” He smiled and waved good-bye.
I felt my life changing in that exact moment, right by the cans of black olives.
When I got back to the line, in a complete and utter daze, Mom was already through and standing with the cart full of grocery bags, looking around impatiently for me. I smiled when I saw her and waved. I sort of drifted into line. I had to pay for a couple of cans of black olives, but it was well worth the two dollars.
“You’re in a good mood,” Mom commented as I loaded all the paper bags into the trunk of the car.
When I closed it, the Rustbucket gave up afew pieces of rust, flaking off onto my hand. “Oh, you know. Just glad we got this done, so we can go enjoy the rest of the day,” I said.
“Me too. Now I have two more errands before we head home…”
I wanted to get back to the house and share the good news with Heather. “But Mom. The meat—shouldn’t it go in the fridge?”
“Yes, but it should be fine for a little while.”
“Really? Because it’s like eighty-nine degrees out. And didn’t you get some frozen stuff, too?” I couldn’t believe I had to point that out to her. She was usually the queen of food safety.
“Well, true. Would you mind if maybe I stop by the house and drop off you and the groceries—then go back out on my own?”
“Sounds great,” I said. “I’ll get the guys to help unload stuff.”
My mother snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“What do you mean?”
She slid into the driver’s seat. “You have a lot to learn about boys.”
Well, whose fault is that, Mrs. Overprotective? Iwanted to ask, but didn’t. I needed to stay on her good side—on all her good sides.
As she turned out of the parking lot, the car made a high, squealing sound as if we’d just run over a piglet. “What was that?” I asked.
“Don’t ask,” she mumbled.
I sat back and thought about Blake’s kisses in the canned vegetables aisle. Who would have thought that I’d have the most romantic encounter of my life at a grocery store?
After I put all the food away, I went outside and found Heather on the beach, flying a colorful kite with Adam and the twins, Tim and Tyler. I managed to pull her away for a few minutes so we could dish in private.
“I saw Blake at the grocery store. I mean…I saw him, saw him.” I quickly told her the story and how he’d mentioned going to the club together that night. “It was the weak-in-the-knees type kiss.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. And also? Plural,” I said. “Then again, I don’t know. I could’ve been weak-kneed because I didn’t have breakfast yet. But still, it was shocking. And nice.”
“That’s so awesome!” She squeezed my arm. “For me, last night’s party was kind of a bust. Didn’t you think? I kept trying to hang out with Trevor, but there were so many people. He’s really popular.”
“He definitely seems to be,” I agreed. “What about some of the other guys?”
“I’m not sure any of them even noticed me—there were so many other girls around.” She shrugged.
“Not notice you ? Impossible.”
“I’m short. And then I went outside onto the deck for some air, and I saw my mom sitting over here by herself,” Heather explained. “I had to go see if she was all right. We went for a walk, got some ice cream.”
“Did you guys…have an okay time? Good ice cream?”
She laughed. “We bond over ice cream. So, yeah. But I totally missed anything happening for me at the party. But you—wow! Last time I saw you, you took off with
“So, see you tonight? How about if we meet y’all on the beach at eight, like, at the bottom of the steps?” Blake suggested. “If anything changes, just drop by, okay? If we’re not home, leave a note on the door. Hey, have a great day!” He smiled and waved good-bye.
I felt my life changing in that exact moment, right by the cans of black olives.
When I got back to the line, in a complete and utter daze, Mom was already through and standing with the cart full of grocery bags, looking around impatiently for me. I smiled when I saw her and waved. I sort of drifted into line. I had to pay for a couple of cans of black olives, but it was well worth the two dollars.
“You’re in a good mood,” Mom commented as I loaded all the paper bags into the trunk of the car.
When I closed it, the Rustbucket gave up afew pieces of rust, flaking off onto my hand. “Oh, you know. Just glad we got this done, so we can go enjoy the rest of the day,” I said.
“Me too. Now I have two more errands before we head home…”
I wanted to get back to the house and share the good news with Heather. “But Mom. The meat—shouldn’t it go in the fridge?”
“Yes, but it should be fine for a little while.”
“Really? Because it’s like eighty-nine degrees out. And didn’t you get some frozen stuff, too?” I couldn’t believe I had to point that out to her. She was usually the queen of food safety.
“Well, true. Would you mind if maybe I stop by the house and drop off you and the groceries—then go back out on my own?”
“Sounds great,” I said. “I’ll get the guys to help unload stuff.”
My mother snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“What do you mean?”
She slid into the driver’s seat. “You have a lot to learn about boys.”
Well, whose fault is that, Mrs. Overprotective? Iwanted to ask, but didn’t. I needed to stay on her good side—on all her good sides.
As she turned out of the parking lot, the car made a high, squealing sound as if we’d just run over a piglet. “What was that?” I asked.
“Don’t ask,” she mumbled.
I sat back and thought about Blake’s kisses in the canned vegetables aisle. Who would have thought that I’d have the most romantic encounter of my life at a grocery store?
After I put all the food away, I went outside and found Heather on the beach, flying a colorful kite with Adam and the twins, Tim and Tyler. I managed to pull her away for a few minutes so we could dish in private.
“I saw Blake at the grocery store. I mean…I saw him, saw him.” I quickly told her the story and how he’d mentioned going to the club together that night. “It was the weak-in-the-knees type kiss.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. And also? Plural,” I said. “Then again, I don’t know. I could’ve been weak-kneed because I didn’t have breakfast yet. But still, it was shocking. And nice.”
“That’s so awesome!” She squeezed my arm. “For me, last night’s party was kind of a bust. Didn’t you think? I kept trying to hang out with Trevor, but there were so many people. He’s really popular.”
“He definitely seems to be,” I agreed. “What about some of the other guys?”
“I’m not sure any of them even noticed me—there were so many other girls around.” She shrugged.
“Not notice you ? Impossible.”
“I’m short. And then I went outside onto the deck for some air, and I saw my mom sitting over here by herself,” Heather explained. “I had to go see if she was all right. We went for a walk, got some ice cream.”
“Did you guys…have an okay time? Good ice cream?”
She laughed. “We bond over ice cream. So, yeah. But I totally missed anything happening for me at the party. But you—wow! Last time I saw you, you took off with
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