“Trail mix!” Lexi blurted out. “My mom made trail mix.”
“It has my special supersecret spice blend. It’s ranch powder,” she whispered to me, “but don’t tell Mary Louise. You’d think ranch doesn’t go well with chocolate chips, but you’d be wrong. Try some. Oh, and sunscreen. You need sunscreen.”
I let her smear sunscreen on my face and neck and arms.
“Mom, stop being so awkward. He’s a grown man. He doesn’t need you to help him.”
“He still needs someone to fuss over him. Lexi, why don’t you put his bags in the car? Grayson, I hope you brought a swimsuit. The water has been extra beautiful and blue lately. We’re on the Gulf of Mexico side, and I don’t want to insult anyone, but our water is much nicer here than on the Atlantic side. And Barry saw dolphins out, didn’t you, Barry?”
“Lexi was very insistent I bring a swimsuit.” I walked behind Lexi and picked up the bags easily to throw them in the trunk.
“I’m sorry about my parents,” she said out of the side of her mouth.
“Your parents are amazing,” I whispered to her.
She reached up. “You have sunscreen in your ear,” she said, stroking my face.
“Grayson, you can sit in front,” Barry called jovially. “That way I can give you the full Dudley Grove tour.”
Cindy and Lexi climbed in the back of the brightly painted van. The giant bag of trail mix was shoved in my lap, and Lexi’s mom handed me orange slices as Barry drove us through town. My heart clenched at how warm she was being.
“And that’s where Lexi used to take dance lessons. And that’s the local farmers market. We’ll take you there tomorrow. Lexi was crowned Little Miss Orange Grove three years running.”
I looked over my shoulder at her. “I can see it.”
“And this is the diner where Lexi had her first job. They have amazing cherry pie.”
Lexi made a strangled noise behind me.
“I do love cherry pie,” I said blandly.
“He’s so charming, isn’t he, Lexi?” her mother said to her.
“Mom, he can hear you,” Lexi said, carefully enunciating each word.
“Are you hungry, Grayson? I have baked ziti for lunch,” Cindy asked. “Do you like ziti? Lexi wasn’t sure.”
“You don’t have to eat it,” Lexi said desperately.
“If your mom cooks as well as you do, I’m sure it’s wonderful.” I turned back to smile at her.
Barry pulled the van up in front of a squat bungalow. The yard was overflowing with flowers, fruit trees, and a garden.
I climbed out of the car and helped Gizzy out. The iguana disappeared into the lush flowerbed.
“Where do you want me to put these?” I asked Lexi as I easily hefted the bags out of the back of the van.
“I can get it,” she said in a rush, practically yanking the bags out of my hand.
“I’ve got it.”
“Lexi, the man wants to help,” Cindy chided.
“Mind your manners, Squeaky,” Barry said to his daughter as I picked up the bags.
“Thank you so much, Grayson,” Cindy gushed as I trailed her up the narrow stone walkway to the bright-yellow front door.
The Collinses ushered me inside.
