Page 94 of Off Season

Me: I’ll do my best. Let me run. They’re getting off the phone. I’ll keep you updated.

I tuck my phone away and look at Kam. She takes a sip of her drink and calmly says, “Anyway, like I was saying, I’mlooking forward to going to the waterfall. It’s supposed to be a huge high. We’ll need lots of pics.”

I blink my eyes a few times. Am I in a bizzarro universe? “Babe, your mom just died. I think we need to fly out tomorrow morning so you can be there.”

She shakes her head. “No, we need to enjoy our vacation. Funerals are about paying respects to someone who has passed. I have no respect for her whatsoever. And I won’t go back to my hometown. I can’t step foot in that house.”

“Tanner got us a hotel. You don’t have to go to the house if you don’t want to, but I think you should attend the service.”

“Why would I go to her funeral? I had nothing to do with her in life. Why would I mourn her death?”

“Because of your father and Bailey. You love them. You need to go for them. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

She’s silent.

I take her hand again. “How about we make a deal? Your sister and Tanner are coming from across the country. They won’t get there until later in the day.”

“I can’t believe Tanner’s coming. It seems excessive.”

“I’m sure he wants to be there for Bailey. The same reason you should go. It’s a shorter flight for us. I’ll book us on a late afternoon flight. We’ll do the waterfall thing in the morning. I know you were looking forward to it. Then we’ll fly out.”

Her face falls. “It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow night. I’m not going to ask you to miss out on partying here.”

I squeeze her hand. “You’re the party, Kam bam. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”

Her eyes finally fill with tears, but I have no idea whether it’s for her mother or something else.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHEETAH

“This is fucking nuts. We’re way too high.”

Kam lets out a laugh. “Don’t be a pussy cat, kitten.”

Odean lets out a big laugh. “God, I love you Kamryn. Marry me.”

She smiles at him, looking gorgeous in her pink and white striped bikini. “I’m not the marrying type, Odean, but if I were, you’d be number one on my list.”

Odean grins and elbows me. “You hear that, mon? The queen is picking me to be her king.”

“It’s because you’re an enabler.” I look down at the waterfall. We must be thirty-five feet in the air. I thought this was going to be ten feet up. “I’m pretty sure making this jump is an act of unnecessary danger, against both our contracts.”

Kam shrugs. “Suit yourself. I’m jumping.” She turns to Odean. “If my top falls off, will you help me?”

Odean nods enthusiastically.

I sigh. “Is there anything I can say right now to change your mind?”

“Hmm. That you’ll cancel our flight tonight so we can stay here instead of going to Amityville.”

I’m silent. I believe she’ll eventually regret it if she doesn’t go. She needs to be there.

“Cheetah, grab those elephant-sized balls of yours, and let’s do this together.” She holds out her hand in invitation of me taking it.

I simply stare at the craziest woman on the planet.

She sighs. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

---