The back screen door swung open with a bang. We both jumped about a foot off the ground.
“What in the—” Becca appeared on the back step with a broom held up at shoulder height like she was prepared to bring it down on something. Her hair was piled on top of her head. Her eyes found us. She blinked and lowered the broom.
“Summer,” she said.
“Becca,” Summer replied.
A long pause. Becca looked at me and then her sister. We both looked like we’d been through hell. A good hell, but the whole rode hard thing was very real. We were fried.
“I thought you were a raccoon,” Becca said.
“I’m not a raccoon,” Summer said with a laugh.
“No,” Becca said slowly. “You are definitely not a raccoon.” She tilted her head. “You’re something else entirely. You’re more like what a raccoon would drag out of the trash.”
“Go to bed, Becca,” Summer said.
“I came out here with a broom,” Becca said. “I was ready to do battle. Prepared to face whatever manner of creature was lurking on my porch to protect my children. And look at that, it’s my sister making out with her boyfriend. I guess it’s better than finding you hanging off the lattice.”
“Becca,” Summer groaned.
“Colt.” Becca nodded at me.
“Becca,” I said. “Sorry about the raccoon confusion. And the lattice. I’ll fix it.”
She laughed.
“We were just saying goodnight,” Summer said.
“Oh yes,” Becca said. “The standard dueling tongue goodbye.”
“Go away,” Summer said.
“Alright, alright. Don’t let me stop you.” She pulled the door open, paused, looked back over her shoulder at us both. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” I said.
She disappeared inside. The screen door bounced shut behind her. I heard her laughing all the way down the hallway before it faded.
Summer turned back to me. “She’s never going to let me live this down,” she said.
“She’s got two kids,” I reminded her. “I think she has an idea what two people might do together.”
“I should actually go inside,” she said. “I’m dead on my feet.”
“I get it. Me too. I’ll text you tomorrow.”
I kissed her again and watched her disappear inside. And then with every ounce of energy I could muster, I dragged my ass next door. I was drained. I climbed the stairs to my room and thought about falling into bed, but the sand between my cheeks was promising a lovely rash if I ignored it.
It took me all of three minutes to rinse the salt and sand away. I put on a pair of briefs and fell face first into my bed.
The alarm on my phone went off at seven thirty. I wasn’t getting up. I silenced it without opening my eyes. I needed to sleep for another hour. Every muscle ached in the best possibleway. I closed my eyes and had started to fall asleep again when there was a loud pounding on the door.
“Colt. Get up.”
“Go away.”
“I’m serious. Get your ass out of bed right now.”