Still sorting, Brook mumbled, “It’s for the best. That thing looks like you got it in seventh grade. The elastic is dry-rotted.” She infused each syllable with industrial-grade sarcasm. “Nobody wears Speedos in real life, you know that, right? They look like the skin of a dead seal. Not the least bit flattering.”
Anna came jogging up the hall, a wad of cloth in her fist. “There you go.” She tossed it at me. The fabric hit my stomach with a soft thud, falling onto the bed in front of me. I lifted the bundle to find a black bikini that would cover almost nothing. She broke into a crooked smile. “Aren’t you glad I brought a spare?”
“No.” My laugh was defiant. “Absolutely not.”
“Yass.” Brooklyn nodded. “You want Ashton to be all over you? Put that baby on.”
Anna covered her ears. “He’s my uncle. He’s my uncle. He’s my uncle.”
Brooklyn smacked her in the shoulder. “You gotta change your mindset. He’s Tally’s boyfriend now.”
She shivered. “No. He’s my uncle until the day I die.”
Brooklyn held up her hands. “I’m just sayin’. I can guarantee he is over at that lake right now, biceps glistening in the sun, pecs popping with the simple effort of breathing. You know I’m right.” She cocked her head at me. “Now put that teeny little bikini over your hot little body and go show him you’re gonna give him a run for his money.” She pointed. “You know you’ve got a hot body too, so don’t try to argue the point.”
“I have stretch marks,” I hissed. “On my stomach.”
Anna pursed her lips. “You have two tiny stretch marks. I have more than that on my butt and Blue couldn’t care less. Hasn’t stopped him from putting his hands all over me every day of our marriage.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands shaking. But then I pictured adorable little Charlie who was just becoming a decent swimmer, over at the lake without me. I needed to get my butt moving.
“Yeah. Fine. Whatever.” I went into the bathroom. Then I slipped out of my graduation dress and pulled on the bathing suit which was even tinier than I’d originally thought. I turned and checked myself out in the mirror. “No. No way.” I covered my eyes, hiding from my own reflection. It wasn’t that I looked bad. I didn’t. I looked good. Really good. But there was way too much of me showing. “Guys!” I called. “I can’t.”
My bathroom door opened and they stood there, eyeing me like I was a scandalously dressed mannequin at the mall.
“Oh girl,” Brooklyn said. “Yes, you absolutely can.”
Anna looked impressed. “You can keep it. It looks better on you.”
Brooklyn waved her hand up my body. “You could be one of those J. Crew models. All thin and willowy.”
“I have no boobs.”
“You have boobs,” they said in unison.
I pushed past them into the bedroom. Then I dug through the box, searching for the jean cut offs I’d seen a moment earlier. I slipped them on and grabbed a baggy Seddledowne PE shirt to cover my top half.
Brooklyn shook her head in disapproval. “Tally.”
Now I was the one holding up my hands. “Just…let’s go.” I hurried down the hall, tying the T-shirt in a knot at my hip.
Brooklyn was right at my heels. “Please tell me you’re taking that off when we get there?”
I shook my head.
“Tally.” Brooklyn sighed.
“Leave her be,” Anna said.
Five minutes later, we hopped out of Stella and hurried around to the back of Ford’s house. Lake A, as Ford called it, was at the bottom of the hill. Everyone was there, including Blue’s mom and Anna’s other grandma, Miss Lisa, as everyone called her.
My stomach unclenched when I spotted Charlie on the huge water slide. Ashton was at the bottom, hands resting on top of the water, waiting to catch her. I pressed a hand to my heart as I watched her slip off the end and float into his arms. Theo was on the beach, building a sand castle with James, Griffin, and Cash, Peyton’s boy. The rest of the kids were fifty yards out, jumping on a huge inflatable trampoline, doing cannonballs into the water. Silas and Lemon were hanging on the edge. He had an arm wrapped around her. It made my heart swell. The way they still looked at each other, you’d think they’d just fallen in love. I hoped Ashton would look at me like that a decade from now.
My gaze flitted to Ashton. Brooklyn was right, his muscleswere bared for the world to see. So were his brothers and Blue. But I didn’t care about any of them.
“Take it off.” Brooklyn smacked me on the butt as she ran by. “I dare you.”
Anna laughed, hurrying behind her. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Trust us.” Then they were both gone, peeling their clothes off and sending them flying into the air behind them, squealing as they raced to the water.
