Page 77 of New River Gorge(ous)
I reach my hand out to try to pull myself over the wall, but I can’t, so Logan helps me in.
“That’s barbaric,” Melanie says, shuddering.
I slump onto a seat and turn to see that Beck has pushed Ben under, but at the last second, Ben pops up and pushes Beck under. I know how this goes. I put two fingers in my mouth and whistle at the loudest, shrillest decibel I can.
Beck and Ben break apart and turn toward the boat.
“Boys,” I say, putting my hands on my hips, although it’s difficult over the personal flotation device. “That’s enough.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Beck calls back, laughing with Ben.
“Our ride’s picking us up in ten, so everyone back in,” Logan yells.
Beck and Ben look at each other for a half beat before they launch into a race, swimming as fast as they can over to us.When they get to the raft, they both swing in like they’re some sort of water cowboys.
Beck situates himself across the boat from me, and when he catches my eye, it’s the unbridled joy in his gaze that has me feeling like I’m about to go over a Class V rapid.
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Beck
Lynette picks us up from just before the bridge in one of Logan’s family’s company buses.
“So,” Lynette says once we’re all situated. “Who’s going to the dance tomorrow?”
Melanie immediately perks up. “Dance?”
Logan releases a sigh. “Lynette. C’mon, you know better.”
“Whoopsies,” she says, sounding not sorry at all.
“Dance?” Brooke asks me, her tone much quieter than Melanie’s.
I knock my knee into hers on the bench seat as I grab her hand. “Billy’s holds a dance every September for the locals. They keep it quiet because they don’t want it to become a tourist attraction. If you come with a local, then you can get in, but it’s not something they advertise.”
“Oh.” Brooke’s shoulders slouch a little.
“You do know that you’re a local now, right?” I ask.
“I am?” Brooke brightens, then, like a flash, it’s gone. “I guess I am.”
“Can we go?” Melanie blinks big brown eyes at me. “You’re a local, and I’d love to go to a dance. Wouldn’t you, Matt?”
“Uh…” Matt flounders.
“It’s very, very casual,” Ben cuts in. “Like line-dancing-in-your-boots casual.”
Melanie frowns, but at the wordsline dancing, she perks back up. “That sounds fun. Can we go? Can we?”
Matt looks at Logan, who’s scowling at Lynette, and then at me. “I think we need someone to vouch for us.”
Brooke swallows. “I’d like to go to the dance. But only if I’ll know someone there.”
I bite back a laugh at her obvious attempt to find out if I’m going. I slide my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to my side. “Would you like to go to the dance with me, Brooke?”
She turns wide, serious blue eyes my way and nods.
“Can we come too?” Melanie’s head pops up over the seat in front of us. “You said if there are locals with you, then uslametourists get to come, right?”
