Page 11 of The Perfect Deal
“Why not? It’s not like I love my work here, Landon. Some temps are really good at their jobs, you know?”
“I guess,” he said, mulling that over. “But you’ll have to get them in here and train them. I’ll need to approve it.”
“Yes, I can do that.” I decided to let my enthusiasm carry me right through his decision. Hopping up, I clapped my hands together. “Oh, thank you so much, Landon. You’re the best big brother a girl could have.” I ran around the desk and hugged him. It took him a moment to hug me back, but when he did, I knew I was golden.
“All right, Liberty. Keep me posted on the progress,” he said.
“I will,” I told him, smiling as I headed back to my desk. Instead of working on the ridiculous slogan, I was about to start trying to find a temp.
The idea that I would get to spend my summer with just my camera and Joshua made me giddy with excitement. Back at my desk, I sent Poppy a quick text. “Can’t wait to tell you what I’m going to do this summer!” Then, I fired off a text to Joshua, “I’m all in!”
7
JOSHUA
Golfing was one sport I didn’t usually feel confident in. That was probably because it took more skill than muscle. And a lot of practice, which I didn’t usually have time for. But when Landon called and asked me to meet him and some of the other neighborhood guys out on the golf course a few miles from our homes, I switched around my schedule so I could be there. I’d had so much fun hanging out with them at the barbecue, but I’d also been distracted by Liberty. This would give me a chance to hang out with some of the guys I hadn’t gotten to.
On my way to the course, I stopped by my parents’ new house, which wasn’t far from my own, and picked up my brother William. I would’ve gone in and said hello to the folks, who’d been out of town and missed the barbecue, but they weren’t home at the moment either. Ever since my parents had bought this empty lot and built their dream house, they’d been preoccupied with all sorts of things, including decorating the house, traveling, and visiting friends who had moved out of the neighborhood. My mom had always been one who loved going on different trips. They’d both retired a couple years back, but it seemed like they were busier now than ever.
I pulled into the driveway and sent William a text. He shot out of the house a few moments later, empty-handed except for his phone. Puzzled, I waited for him to get into my truck before I asked, “Where are your clubs?”
“Good morning to you, too,” he said sarcastically. “Luke is going to let me borrow a set of his. I don’t have my own.”
“Oh.” I backed out of the drive and headed toward the golf course. “I guess you should ask Santa for some for Christmas.” Since William and the rest of my siblings were younger than me, I’d spent years trying to make sure I didn’t spoil that for them.
Now, of course, he was way too old for that. Laughing, he said, “Can you imagine Mom trying to pick out golf clubs?”
“No,” I admitted, sharing in the chuckle. “Send her a link.”
We chatted as we made the short trip to the golf course. When I pulled into a spot, I saw Luke and Landon standing nearby talking. William and I hopped out and headed over to join them. “Who are we waiting on?” William asked after we all greeted one another.
“Austin and Arlo are on their way,” Landon replied.
“Why didn’t you just give them a ride?” I asked. They were Poppy’s younger brothers who lived across the street from Landon.
He shrugged. “I asked them if they wanted to drive together, but Arlo said they were going to get breakfast first.”
That made sense to me. “We could go ahead and get the carts going,” I recommended.
“I’ll help,” Luke volunteered, and the two of us went off to get the carts while the others waited for the Briar brothers.
About ten minutes later, we were all there, and our golf bags were loaded onto a couple of carts. Landon drove one, and Luke drove the other as we headed out to the first hole. It was early enough in the morning that the sun wasn’t blazing down on us yet, but we all knew it would be hot later, so we wanted to play through as quickly as we could while still enjoying the day.
I watched as Luke nearly hit a hole-in-one at the first hole, followed by Landon getting super close as well. When it was my turn, I pulled the ball to the left, barely avoiding a sand trap.
“Damn, brother.” William laughed, getting ready to take his first shot. “That was pretty awful.”
Embarrassed, I ran a hand through my hair. “Guess I’m a little rusty.”
“I take it golf isn’t one of the sports you teach the kids at the complex?” Arlo joked, making everyone laugh.
I wanted to say something smart in return, but instead, I said, “Actually, no. It’s not. It’s been a while since I’ve been out here. But I’ll get better.”
“Joshua’s a quick learner,” Landon said, stepping up for me. “He’ll straighten it out.”
I looked at my best friend appreciatively. I remembered a time when he would have been the one making fun of me, not sticking up for me. The other guys were being good-natured about it, too. They just needed a good laugh, and at the moment, I was the one providing it.
By the fourth hole, I had myself together and was able to get the ball within five feet of the hole with just a couple of shots. I was still losing, but I was gaining on Austin, who was in second to last place. I’d be able to pull myself out of this bottomless pit eventually.