Page 24 of Liberty

“I can’t leave my friend behind. She’s been such a support. Can she come with us?”

“It would be pretty crowded,” he said, “but I can probably arrange a date for her, too.”

I could just imagine Kylee’s squeal of delight when I told her she’d get to be in a parade. “She’d love that. When do we meet up?”

“Three, in the lobby. You won’t be able to miss it. It’ll be a bunch of pinup girls and guys in vintage-style clothes.”

I grinned. That sounded perfect. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you, Libby. Have a good one, okay?”

“I will. Promise.”

Chapter Ten

Cooper

Libby belonged in the passenger seat of the Chevelle.

Maybe she wasn’t as polished as some of the more lifestyle pinup girls, but she looked beautiful.

And she was better company than anyone else I could have imagined.

She got into it, too, waving out the window and singing along with the music playing on the radio. She drank beer from the cooler in between us, giving me a few sips as we cruised down the coast in a line of other classic cars.

Along the streets, people decked out in red, white, and blue cheered, waving and shouting at the cars that they liked the best. Mine got a lot of attention, but it was my pride and joy, lovingly restored and kept in a garage off-site most of the year so the salt in the air wouldn’t damage it. I’d seen other cars lose their paint to the weather down here, and I wasn’t going to let that happen to mine. The glittery cherry-red finish was here to last, as far as I was concerned.

Libby leaned her head on my shoulder, taking a sip of beer. “This is way more fun than I thought it would be! And thanks for getting Kylee a ride with one of your friends. She was so excited about it this morning.”

I nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t want her to be left out. She seems nice.”

“She is. A little bit of a troublemaker sometimes, but she’s great.”

I laughed and wrapped my arm around Libby’s shoulders.

The sun was starting to go down as we turned into the lot of the resort again, having finished the loop. The entire beachfront was set up for our Fourth of July bash, the biggest party we had all year.

I parked in my spot, near the front of the resort, and hurried to get Libby’s door for her. She smiled and took my hand as she got out of the car.

I was hooked on her.

But still, I wasn’t going to move too fast. It wasn’t what she wanted.

Together, we walked around the party. A dance floor had been set up on the sand; caterers were making cookout food, and the resort’s bar staff had moved outside to a bar we’d built with a few cabanas.

Libby smiled at me. “What do you want to do first?”

“Eat,” I replied. “And then I think I’d like to dance with you.”

She smiled. “Let’s get a plate, then. Oh, but can we run up to my room? I want to put my sunglasses away. I don’t think I’ll need them anymore.”

“Of course. Want me to go with you?”

“Sure.”

I squeezed her hand, and we walked back toward the hotel together.

I turned toward her, about to say something silly, when she stopped.

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