Page 4 of Summer Love

"Night, Elena."

Her eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn't place as I carefully shut her door and stepped back. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I watched her back out and drive out of the lot, gravel spewing from her tires.

I couldn't believe Dad signed me up to be shadowed by a journalist for a magazine. I locked up, then headed to my parents. So much for a quiet night on my deck. I had to talk to my father.

I parked in the driveway of the Cape Cod that I grew up in along with my six siblings: five brothers and one sister. It was a small house for all of us, but my parents didn't have the heart to move into something bigger, not when this one held so many memories.

Inside, I toed off my boots and washed my hands in the sink.

My parents sat at the table.

Mom rose to greet me. "I didn't realize you were coming for dinner."

"I just stopped by to talk to Dad," I said to her.

"I'll grab you a plate," Mom said as I kissed her cheek and sat at the table.

"You're not happy," Dad said simply.

"You think it's a good idea to have a journalist shadowing me at work? We've never done anything like this."

"I thought it would be good publicity," Dad said.

Mom placed the plate of burritos in front of me. "What's this about a story?"

"A journalist wants to feature me as one of the most eligible bachelors on the island.”

"That sounds lovely," Mom said as she resumed her seat.

"It's not safe to have her on site. She'll probably wear a dress and heels," I grumbled as I bit into the burrito.

"I'm sure you can tell her what to wear so she knows what to expect," Mom said.

"I don't want her there at all. What if she gets hurt?" I asked, appealing to Dad's logical side.

Dad shook his head. "This will be good. You boys will be taking over the business sooner rather than later. The public should get to know you."

"I don't think they need to know anything about me for us to run a successful business. All they need to know is that I show up on time, we do good work, and we don't leave a mess."

Dad inclined his head. "I'm still the boss, and this is what I've decided."

I ground my teeth.

"Will she be following you around outside of work too? Maybe we could have her over for dinner?" Mom asked us.

I groaned.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Dad said as he ate a bite of burrito.

"We'll invite the whole family," Mom said, excited about the prospect of hosting a dinner.

"Don't you think that she'll get a bad impression of the family if it's all of us?" I asked her.

Mom gave me a look. "If you could manage to act like men and not savages, you'll be fine."

"I'm not the one anyone should be worried about. It's Shep and Coop," I mentioned my wildest brothers, hoping Mom would see the light.

"They're good boys," Mom said, patting my hand.

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