“My books are more fun.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Her mom’s the same way,” Russ interjected. “I practically had to force her to go cross-country skiing yesterday.” He looked down at my mom. “And what did you say about it again, hon?”
My mom blushed. “It was fun,” she conceded.
“She’s spent the last thirty years hardly leaving the house. Not anymore,” Russ said. “It’s time to get out and see the world. We’re hoping for a scuba-diving trip to Jamaica this year.”
My nostrils flared with rage at his words. Just because my mom didn’t cross-country ski, that didn’t make her boring. It didn’t mean she wasn’t living life. She and my dad had just been that way. They preferred a quiet evening at home to the crowds and the busy restaurants. As a child, when my dad got home from work, he loved to sit in his office and read. He went golfing with friends a few times a month, and my mom had her book club. But other than that, they were quiet people happy to live a quiet life, and my mom didn’t need Russ to come in and change that. Change her.
“Some people are perfectly happy to be at home. They don’t need to prove themselves to anybody,” I clipped, smiling smartly at Russ.
His face dropped, and he nodded. “I know, kiddo. I just…want your mom to experience some fun, is all.”
Fun. He thought my mom’s past life hadn’t been fun. He was trying to makeherthink it hadn’t been fun. My toes and fingers curled tightly in a clenched ball.
Miles was watching me curiously, and I expelled a rigid breath, hoping to release my frustrations. My mom could do what she wanted. She was a grown woman. If she wanted to plaster her face in makeup and turn herself into some sort of outdoorswoman, so be it. I just hoped that she didn’t allow her new husband to make her think that the past thirty years hadn’t meant something.
Because they did.
THIRTEEN
“I'm in the depths of despair!"
L.M. Montgomery -Anne of Green Gables
In casethere was any confusion, pulling on an old swimsuit in the middle of winter to go jump in a frozen lake was my personal version of hell on earth. How did one dress for that? Miles insisted on picking me up at the cabin because he knew, with certainty, I’d never meet him on my own (points for being correct). After lunch, we’d met up with Chloe and Ben and the girls outside of the lodge and built two epic snowmen. Ivy and Holly’s snowman was of the Picasso variety, parts and sticks poking out everywhere. Miles and I went with a more classic look, with rocks and carrots, complete with an old scarf. We didn’t end up winning the competition, but one square of the bingo card got crossed off, which was enough for me. The crisp air had been surprisingly refreshing, and if Chloe had been on the fence about me and my supposed boyfriend, watching Miles chase her girls around the snowmen, tossing them into the air and catching them, definitely had to sway her in our favor. I even caught myself smiling at the non-stop giggles I heard from the girls and Miles.
It was only when my mom and Russ showed up that I feigned a headache and made my way back to my quiet cabin for a cup of hot chocolate and a book.
By the time the knock at the door sounded later that evening, I had pulled on Miles’s sister’s old swimming suit (the one he had kindly dropped off earlier), but it was now covered by my joggers, my flannel pajamas, and my white parka.
When I opened the door, Miles stood leaning against the door frame, a duffel bag strapped across his shoulder. He wore tan, insulated coveralls, his blue coat, and his gray beanie. There were bits of straw in the part of his hair not covered by the hat. He must have come straight here from doing chores.
“Broccoli.”
“Miles.”
“You skipped dinner.”
“I had a headache.”
“That sounds like something your boyfriend should know.”
He was probably right, but I hadn’t cared. “Sorry.”
I scooted back to make room for him to come in while I pulled on my boots. He stepped forward, but to my surprise, he headed toward the bathroom.
“I’ve got to change really quick.”
As he walked farther away from me, I contemplated a quick escape somewhere. Outside, a sky full of clouds covered the moon, resulting in a pitch-black evening. If that didn’t give me pause, the stiff breeze wafting into my cabin definitely did. But it had to be better than—
“I will hunt you down if you run,” Miles called cheerfully as he stepped into the bathroom.
I scowled at his back and closed the front door. Before I could put on my boots, Miles poked his head out of the bathroom.
“Quick question. How do you like your ham? Board shorts or Speedo?”