grab my keys and my phone. Do
you want me to drive?”
“Get some water too. You’ll need it. And you can
drive, I’ll navigate,” she said.
“No way, you’re a terrible navigator,” Dallas
said, appearing behind her. “I’ll tell her where to go.”
He was dressed in long black running shorts and a
T-shirt with cutoff sleeves. I hadn’t known that he planned on coming with us,
but I was grateful he was. And glad I’d chosen an appropriate outfit. My pink jogging
shorts and purple tank seemed to almost coordinate with Callie’s green shorts
and blue tank.
People are going to think we planned this.
“Fine, but I’m still sitting in the front,” Callie
conceded.
“Navigators always sit in front,” Dallas argued.
“Kids! Kids!” I laughed. “Dallas, you get shotgun
on the way there, Cal, you get it on the way back.”
“Yes, Mom,” both muttered simultaneously and then
laughed.
“You two suck,” I said with a grin.
“You’re right,” I heard Dallas whisper to Callie.
“She is nicer.”
“I told you,” she muttered back.
I walked over and held the door open for them to
leave so I could lock up. “You know I can hear you, right?”
“Do you think we care?” Dallas teased. “C’mon,
let’s go.”
The first half of the drive was spent listening to
Callie and Dallas argue about which one knew the shorter route. Dallas insisted
that since he’d lived there longer, he was right, while Callie reminded him
that he was just plain wrong. I opted to override them both, and plugged the
address into my phone and let it tell me where to go.
“Just park over there,” Dallas said, pointing to a
line of cars on a sloped driveway.
“Where do we go?” I asked, grabbing my water from
the holder in the car.
My hair was pulled into a ponytail and I was
thankful I’d remembered my sunglasses. The sun was blazing down on us and I
wished I’d brought another bottle or two of water.
Callie adjusted her hat and smoothed her shirt
when she stood next to me. Dallas pointed to a trail and smiled. He looked like
he was about to model for athletic wear or something as he flexed his arms.
“We get it, you have guns,” Callie said with a
huff.
“What are you talking about?” Dallas asked. “I was
merely pointing where we need to go.”
“Do I need to separate you two?” I laughed.
Dallas flashed a toothy grin and started walking
away. Callie grabbed my arm so we could follow and she was practically skipping.
“You two are so weird,” I told Callie. “You argue
like brother and sister.”
“You think?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“He’s seriously my best friend out here…maybe
ever. We met a week or so after I moved in. He took one look at this scared
country girl and made me his pet project.”
I stopped walking and looked at her. She turned to
face me and cocked her head to the side.
“What’s wrong?”
“Please tell me I’m not your pet project.”
“Even if I wanted you to be, I think you’d be more
trouble than I could handle.” She laughed.
“Will you two hurry up?” Dallas called out.
“Coming,” we said, picking up the pace.
It was quiet and I liked it. Sure, there were
people around and the sounds of birds could be heard overhead, but it was nice
and peaceful. I’d never really been one to do the whole nature thing, but it
felt good to be outside.
“Dallas went to get some coffee this morning and
saw Wyatt,” Callie said.
I knew there was more to her statement, and maybe
she was waiting for my reaction, but I remained quiet.
“He said that they got to talking and Wyatt
mentioned that he was looking for a new apartment. Did you know that he’s been
staying with his parents to help with his mom?”
I remembered Wyatt talking about his mom and her
needs. But he never mentioned where he lived. Then again, I never asked.
I’m a terrible person.
“I had no idea.”
“Dallas told him that he should talk to Bethany to
see if
you want me to drive?”
“Get some water too. You’ll need it. And you can
drive, I’ll navigate,” she said.
“No way, you’re a terrible navigator,” Dallas
said, appearing behind her. “I’ll tell her where to go.”
He was dressed in long black running shorts and a
T-shirt with cutoff sleeves. I hadn’t known that he planned on coming with us,
but I was grateful he was. And glad I’d chosen an appropriate outfit. My pink jogging
shorts and purple tank seemed to almost coordinate with Callie’s green shorts
and blue tank.
People are going to think we planned this.
“Fine, but I’m still sitting in the front,” Callie
conceded.
“Navigators always sit in front,” Dallas argued.
“Kids! Kids!” I laughed. “Dallas, you get shotgun
on the way there, Cal, you get it on the way back.”
“Yes, Mom,” both muttered simultaneously and then
laughed.
“You two suck,” I said with a grin.
“You’re right,” I heard Dallas whisper to Callie.
“She is nicer.”
“I told you,” she muttered back.
I walked over and held the door open for them to
leave so I could lock up. “You know I can hear you, right?”
“Do you think we care?” Dallas teased. “C’mon,
let’s go.”
The first half of the drive was spent listening to
Callie and Dallas argue about which one knew the shorter route. Dallas insisted
that since he’d lived there longer, he was right, while Callie reminded him
that he was just plain wrong. I opted to override them both, and plugged the
address into my phone and let it tell me where to go.
“Just park over there,” Dallas said, pointing to a
line of cars on a sloped driveway.
“Where do we go?” I asked, grabbing my water from
the holder in the car.
My hair was pulled into a ponytail and I was
thankful I’d remembered my sunglasses. The sun was blazing down on us and I
wished I’d brought another bottle or two of water.
Callie adjusted her hat and smoothed her shirt
when she stood next to me. Dallas pointed to a trail and smiled. He looked like
he was about to model for athletic wear or something as he flexed his arms.
“We get it, you have guns,” Callie said with a
huff.
“What are you talking about?” Dallas asked. “I was
merely pointing where we need to go.”
“Do I need to separate you two?” I laughed.
Dallas flashed a toothy grin and started walking
away. Callie grabbed my arm so we could follow and she was practically skipping.
“You two are so weird,” I told Callie. “You argue
like brother and sister.”
“You think?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“He’s seriously my best friend out here…maybe
ever. We met a week or so after I moved in. He took one look at this scared
country girl and made me his pet project.”
I stopped walking and looked at her. She turned to
face me and cocked her head to the side.
“What’s wrong?”
“Please tell me I’m not your pet project.”
“Even if I wanted you to be, I think you’d be more
trouble than I could handle.” She laughed.
“Will you two hurry up?” Dallas called out.
“Coming,” we said, picking up the pace.
It was quiet and I liked it. Sure, there were
people around and the sounds of birds could be heard overhead, but it was nice
and peaceful. I’d never really been one to do the whole nature thing, but it
felt good to be outside.
“Dallas went to get some coffee this morning and
saw Wyatt,” Callie said.
I knew there was more to her statement, and maybe
she was waiting for my reaction, but I remained quiet.
“He said that they got to talking and Wyatt
mentioned that he was looking for a new apartment. Did you know that he’s been
staying with his parents to help with his mom?”
I remembered Wyatt talking about his mom and her
needs. But he never mentioned where he lived. Then again, I never asked.
I’m a terrible person.
“I had no idea.”
“Dallas told him that he should talk to Bethany to
see if
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