Page 33 of Nothing But It All
“Oh no, Pops. Don’t blame this on me. This was you and Maddie.”
We all laugh. Lauren, meanwhile, moves toward me with enough hesitation that I notice. I want to reach for her, pull her against my side, and assure her everything will be fine.
But I don’t. I’m not a liar.
“I just looked at the food you all packed,” she says, stopping a few feet from me. “It looks like a couple of teenagers picked the menu.”
“Um, that’s because we did,” Michael says.
“What were you going to eat, Harvey? You can’t survive on nuts and Twizzlers.”
“I had it covered. I had someone bring me a charcuterie board and some groceries tonight.”
Lauren points at Dad, making us laugh again. “I’ll go to the Cupboard and see what they have, food wise. One of us might have to make a trip into town, though, for more supplies.”
Dad leans back. “Not me. I’m here to relax. You two can do the runnin’.”
“Gee, thanks,” I say. “Can we do anything else for you while we’re here?”
“Yeah. You can stop openin’ all my damn windows. The mosquitoes will get in here as soon as the sun goes down, and I’ll be itchin’ all night.”
“Not if you close them,” I say.
He rolls his eyes, grumbling.
“I’ll come over tomorrow and get this place cleaned up,” Lauren says. “And I don’t want to hear a word about it.”
Dad smiles. “Okay.”
I throw my hands up.
“What?” Dad asks, grinning.
“Nothing. Not a damn thing.”
“I don’t argue with her. She’s prettier than you,” he says.
I look at Lauren. She’s watching me, her eyes sparkling.
My lips part into a small smile. “I can’t deny that.”
I don’t know if it’s the heat and I haven’t noticed it yet, or if she blushes. Either way, she looks down and clears her throat.
“I’m going back over to get the kitchen in order and the beds made,” she says. “Good thing you all brought fresh sheets and blankets. The ones in the closet here need washing.”
Harvey taps the side of his head. “The kids and I made a list, and I packed my truck before Jack got there. I was prepared.”
“Do you need help with your bed?” Lauren asks Dad.
“Yeah, if you can come over later and help me get the sheet on. I don’t do the top sheet anymore. I’m too old to fool with that nonsense.”
She smiles. “Okay. We’ll eat in an hour or so.” She motions for Michael to follow her. “Come on, kiddo. We need to have a chat on the way back to the cabin, and then you’re going to help me.”
“I wanted to go to the lake,” he whines.
“I don’t care. Let’s go.” She sweeps her hand toward the door. “Move it.”
“This is not how I saw this going,” Michael says as he exits the cabin.
