Once everyone is piled in to the boat, Charlie steers us toward the bridge. There’s a line of kids waiting to jump.
“Let’s do that another time,” I say to Charlie.
“Why not now?” he asks.
“Well, this I’ve got to see,” Heather says.
Charlie drops the anchor, and we swim to shore, climbing our way up to the bridge and taking our place in line behind two tan girls who are probably eighteen or nineteen.
“You guys go first,” they tell us. “We’ve never jumped before.”
“Me neither,” I say, giving Charlie a nudge.
He shrugs and climbs over the railing to the top of a concrete pillar. I hear one of the girls asking her friend whether she thinks he’s too old for her.
And then Charlie turns around so he’s facing me, winks, and then springs backward off the platform, flipping in the air before slicing into the lake.
“Whoa,” I hear the girl say.
I climb over the railing, and before I jump, I look at her over my shoulder and say, “Sorry, that one’s mine.”
39
“Okay, tell me everything.” Heather stares at me as she takes a sip of her martini. “And I’ll smell it if you hold out on me.”
I knew this was coming. That’s why I suggested we sit out on the screened porch, even though Nan and Bennett have already gone to bed. It’s also why I’m drinking a strong cocktail from an old-fashioned juice tumbler—the cottage has fifteen mismatched mugs but not a martini glass in sight.
I take a sip and cough. “This tastes like hellfire.”
“Stop delaying.” Heather pulls her legs up, facing me with them crossed beneath her. I do the same. We’re wearing similar pajamas, except mine are blue and hers are pink. It feels like we’re kids again, sharing a bedroom, though back then, it was Heather describing her latest crush.
“Umm…” I don’t know where to begin.
“Fine,” she says. “I’ll tell you what I like about him.” She holds up a finger. “One, he threw himself into the middle of three generations of Everly women like a champion. He got Bennett to talk to him at lunch, and he carried Nan like the precious cargo she is.” A second finger rises. “Two, it takes balls to hang up on Dad and me the way he did last month. I respect that. And three, he kept his shirt on.”
I sigh, remembering how on the boat ride back, Charlie cutthe motor in the middle of the lake so we could jump off. Heather went first, and I followed. Bennett was hesitant, so Charlie offered to jump with her. They stood on the end of the boat, both in their T-shirts, and cannonballed into the water. Charlie rarely wears a shirt on dry land, let alone in the water.
Heather clears her throat. “And four, well, look at him. The way that shirt stuck to his abs. Give me another martini, and I might fight you for him.”
I laugh.
“And five…”
“Wow, this is a long list.”
She gives me a meaningful look. “He adores you.”
I study my drink, feeling the blush creep across my cheeks.
“And he makes you laugh. Like really laugh—that scary witchy cackle of yours.”
“Yeah,” I murmur.
“Have you had sex?”
“What?” I squeak. “No.”
“Lie,” Heather says, voice flat. “Your face is bright red.”
