I put the car in park and shrug. “When?”
“When you actually take action, for one. And you know what wouldreallyconvince me that you’re serious about saying yes?”
I cringe in preparation, somehow knowing I’m not going to like it. “What?” I catch myself flinching like I’m about to get slapped.
“If you come to the campout with me.”
I gasp. Now, she’s just not playing fair. “Annica, why did you pick the one thing I told you sounded like my definition of hell?”
“Because I want to go, Ashley, but I don’t want to go with just anyone, and I most definitely don’t want to go alone.”
My insides start to ache from the dilemma. “Anything but that,” I say.
“I bet if Ross wanted you to, you would.”
My eyes nearly bulge out of my face. That was below the belt. I’m orchestrating a rebuttal when a slight tap comes to the passenger side window. I throw a hand over my startled heart and shake my head; it’s Ross. He’s probably going to offer to put the bumper sticker on right now.
“Just a second,” I tell Annica, and tap the window down an inch.
“You bet Ashley would dowhatif Ross wanted her to do it?” Ross asks my sister through the speaker.
“Hi, Ross. We’re talking about fetishes. I told her that—despite the fact that you guys are divorced—she’d probably spit in your face if you asked her to. Do you want her to do that?”
Ross cringes and backs away from the car. “You two are sick. Oh, and get that bumper sticker on there, would you, Ashley?”
This is my chance. My heart spikes wildly out of beat as I tap the window down another inch. Ross is already a few feet away, so I holler to make sure he hears. “I’m selling the Camry, so the bumper sticker is a bad idea.”
I watch, half horrified, half amused, as Ross freezes like he just hit an ice block. He takes three backward strides. “Say that again?”
“We’ll talk about it inside, Dr. Brynn,” I say. “Looks like Brenda just pulled up.”
He does a double take toward the north end of the lot where she parks her Band-Aid colored VW. “Yes,” he assures me, “we will.”
Annica bursts into laughter. “Whoa, you really are serious, aren’t you?”
My breaths come out jagged and hitched. “I really am,” I say proudly. And because I’m so high on the feelings of empowerment, the sheer, liberating joy of doing something I’ve wanted to do for so long, I decide to accept Annica’s challenge. “And you know what?” I say, not giving myself the chance to change my mind. “I’ll do it.”
“You’ll do what?”
“I’ll go to the campout with you.”
Annica squeals. “You really will?”
An image of Liam bobs in my mind like a buoy. As terrified as I am about the idea of seeing him after all these years, I’m excited about it, too. I want to make sure he goes, but I also don’t want him to know that I’ll be going, too. Already, a new fear spikes up—what if he’s dating one of the single moms, and I have to watch them cuddle and kiss the whole time?
Nope,I tell myself, remember what Venessa Kaylee said. I won’t psych myself out. “Really,” I say. “I’ll do it.”
CHAPTER NINE
Liam
When I'm wrong, I'm not too proud to admit it.
I’m only three chapters into the book, but already I’m starting to see that my brothers and Cam were at least partially right. I haven’t been that confident Liam Wheaton, a highly acclaimed real estate broker and proud father of two; I’ve been Liam Hurt Heart, a whiny, paranoid punk.
For almost two years, I played that role. A role that makes me cringe now that I see it. Sure, people can’t just change overnight, but awareness is key. Awareness is power. And I plan to use this power to regain my mojo, baby!
That’s why I am currently at the Fortysomething Singles campout with Cam. And get this—Callie is coming, too, not to all of it, but to some. Yes, her boyfriend Link is coming, too, and yes, I’m reimbursing him for the gas money. I also may or may not have bribed Callie with a Doordash gift card for taking tomorrow off work, but hey—she’s coming, and my dad heart is whistling a happy tune because, dang, I miss her.
