Page 27 of The Summer of ’98

“Now that sounds good,” Cass said.

We all headed outside, and Leroy called up to Noah that we were heading out before he closed the door and locked it. He took my hand and glared at Cass with disapproval. “Is it worth the stomach upset after? Think about it.”

“It is.”

“You never seem to think so when you’re locked in a stall ten minutes later.”

I laughed but felt bad for her. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t have ice cream or cheese.

Cass ended up ordering a peppermint thick shake.

Ellie

I’d been in Colorado for a week and it was the Fourth of July. It felt a bit strange to be here, rather than at home with Momma. Not that we ever had big plans. Sometimes we’d go and spend it with her uncle and aunt on their farm. Her cousins were strangers to me—we’d never been the sort of people who were close to the extended family. Most of them were racist, obnoxious assholes, so I didn’t envy Mom when she told me over the phone that that was where she would be spending the weekend.

Celebrating with the Laheys sounded far more appealing.

“It’s like a community gathering at the lake,” Leroy said, holding my hand in the car as he drove. His mom, dad, and Noah had gone separately because we’d had to go into town so I could get a bathing suit first. As organized as I claimed to be, I stupidly hadn’t brought swimwear. “Families go down and have barbecues and fireworks and football. It’s cool. You’ll have a good time.”

“Sounds fun,” I agreed.

Chatfield State Park was a half-hour drive from where we were, and when we arrived, the afternoon summer sun was at its peak, shining straight down on the lake. It was a beautiful spot—open, surrounded by green rolling land and flat fields. It seemed to stretch on for miles. There were boats and jet skis on the water, campsites set up along the waterfront, and people engaging in various activities around the place.

We drove slowly for a while until we came to a semi-vacant spot where Noah, Eleanor, and Jacob were parked, the trunk open while they unloaded the car. They were on the edge of the grass where it transitioned into sand, and in another six feet, it was water.

“Hello,” Eleanor said as Leroy and I got out of the car with our bags. We went straight over and started helping.

“Did you find a swimsuit, honey?” Eleanor asked, and I nodded.

We unloaded the portable barbecue and coolers filled with food and drinks. They had brought foldable chairs, a table, blow-up beds, and a picnic blanket. We left the blankets and bug spray in the car—they wouldn’t be needed until later in the evening.

“This place is so nice,” I said, standing in front of the lapping water, my toes close to the edge. Leroy and Noah stood beside me. “Is this place a tradition? Do you come every Fourth?”

“Not every Fourth,” Leroy said. “Sometimes we hang out at home. It was my idea to come this year. I wanted to show it to you.”

My heart melted until Noah snorted.

“We could have gone to Robbie’s and got ripped, but we have to hang here with Mom and Dad and pretend we don’t want to drink.”

“You could have gone to Robbie’s,” Leroy muttered, taking my hand in his.

“No, I couldn’t. I’m not invited unless you are.”

Leroy was trying not to laugh, but I felt sort of bad for Noah at that moment. “Where’s Cass?” I asked. “How come she didn’t come?”

Noah gave me a flat stare. “Why would she?”

“Oh . . . I don’t—never mind.”

“Should we swim?” Leroy pulled my attention from his brooding brother. “Before we start cooking dinner?”

“It’s certainly hot enough,” I agreed.

We stripped down to our bathing suits, Leroy in his blue-and-white pinstriped trunks and me in the brand-new bikini we’d found at the mall. It was pastel pink with string ties at the hips and a halter-neck bikini top. Leroy watched me while I folded up my T-shirt and set it down with the rest of my clothes, his eyes ravishing me. My heart rate accelerated.

The water was cool but warm enough not to hesitate when submerging our bodies. We walked out until the water came to my chest and then Leroy swept me up, hooking my legs around his waist so that we could keep going without me drowning.

“I really wish my family wasn’t twenty feet away from us right now,” he said, the light reflecting off the water and shimmering on his sun-kissed skin. “You look so damn good.”

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