Page 76 of Love is Grand

My words ran into each other. If you’d told me when Cal and I had our first passionate night together that I’d someday be thinking about moving to the States with him, I would have howled with laughter.

Yet, here we were talking about it.

“One more thing,” I said, giving him a serious look. “You can’t buy Weezie every American Girl doll in the store.”

This broke the tension, making Cal laugh before he leaned over my center console and kissed me. We were like two teens in a parked car, except we weren’t in a private location. It wasn’t long before a horn dragged us from our stupor.

Cal started the car, and before he drove off, glanced at me with a grin. “Maybe just half the dolls in the store.”

I looked out the window, wondering what the heck had just happened.

Cal

Shell dropped me off at the house, and I wanted her to come inside and get naked.

“We have to stop kissing in cars like this,” she said, disentangling herself from me. She leaned back in her passenger seat, but made no move to switch to the driver’s side.

“We don’t have to stop kissing at all. Come in, and we can kiss and more,” I said, running my nose along her cheek. The box with the band sat in her lap, under her belly.

When she caught me glancing at it, she said, “I didn’t know whether I should put it on or not.”

“No pressure. This is up to you. You’re charting our course.”

“When I don’t even know the route,” she said, a smile forming on her face.

“You will soon enough. Now, go do your work before I drag you inside and then outside for some skinny-dipping.”

Shell snorted out a laugh. “With my belly getting in the way.”

“I love that belly, and I love you,” I said, which made her mouth drop open. When she gave me a confused look, I asked, “What?”

She shied away from looking at me, her loose hair falling in front of her profile. “We haven’t ... we haven’t said it again since we did the first time.”

“I’m sorry. I thought it was implied. I’ll do better.”

“No, I was letting my mind get the best of me. Okay, we have to stop making out in cars,” she said, changing the subject. “Get out.”

I did as I was told, and as she walked in front of the car, I grabbed my other box from the backseat. “What time are you getting Weezie?”

“Three.”

“Good. I’ll be at your house a little after two, and maybe we can go get her together.”

Shell grinned at me. “I’m not going to turn that down, because my daughter may stab me if she found out.”

“Go sell some syrups, babe,” I said with a wink, then helped her get in the car and watched her drive away.

I had shit to do after I called Adam and thanked him for setting me straight.

“Cal, watch! Look what I learned.” Weezie stood at the side of the pool, hands in the air, Shell eyeing her from a nearby chair.

“I’m watching,” I hollered back.

“Woo-hoo,” she yelled before cannonballing into the pool.

It had taken some time, but I no longer felt as if I had to jump in after her. She broke the water’s surface and swam to the side, then climbed out.

“That was a ten,” I told her. “Now grab a towel. I have a Coke for you.”