Have You Met the Rowan Boys?

03 - Beach Blanket Bingo

Later that night I was exploring the food table with much gusto.  So, it turned out that Mrs. Rowan’s potato salad was heaven in a dish, and I was thoroughly obsessed. I admit that I was a bit overzealous with food, but I just couldn’t understand why girls wanted to starve themselves to be thin. A little extra weight doesn’t exactly bother guys.

Anyway, I was standing there, filling my plate with Lorie’s potato heaven when a large figure arrived beside me. I looked up at him, smiled, and continued on my way. He stared down at me for a second before taking a glance over his shoulder. He then leant down to my height.

“She makes an amazing potato salad, doesn’t she?” He asked; letting a smile grace his face before he gently took the bowl off of me. I nodded, staring at my plate that was so overly stacked that it was almost unstable. He grinned, dipping his fork into the bowl leisurely. “So, you must be the Smith’s daughter.”

“You’re correct.” I watched him take a large scoop straight out of the dish, shoveling it into his politely smiling mouth. “What’s it to you?”

“I guess that makes us neighbors then.” He grinned down at me with a full set of teeth. “I’m Pete. I’m the oldest Rowan.”

“That’s nice to know.” I grinned back coyly. “I’m Sanchi, the oldest Smith.”

“Lovely.” He crooned, leaning back onto the balls of his feet. I took in his face; well set jaw with light blue eyes that were thinned by his choppy brown hair. “So Patrick tells me you’re staying for the entire summer.”

“I believe I am.” I placed my plate down to cross my arms – staring up at him with a curiosity I’d never felt before. His lips quirked into a smile and he placed his hands by his side, discarding the molested potato salad dish.

“My brothers and I were going to go to the beach tomorrow. Wanna tag along?” He asked, leaning in closer to me. I felt my personal space being invaded by his soft smell of cologne. Breathing out through the smallest gap in my lips, I stared up into his wide blue eyes and smirked back.

“I suppose I can.” 

My mother seemed a little upset that I decided to bail on our ‘lounge around the house’ plans, but I had gotten a better offer. It wasn’t every day you were invited to hang on the sunny sands of Florida with six gorgeous guys that just wanted to show you a good time.

The only downside to the story was the decision I had to make about swimsuits. I literally had about twenty pairs, which was ridiculous but I did grow up in Florida. If you weren’t growing old and dying, you were out enjoying yourself in the tourist sun.

I ended up deciding on something retro and spotty – something off the Internet that I had ordered a long while back but couldn’t exactly use in Colorado.

“Hurry up, Sanchi, Pete’s in the driveway and I’m ready.”

“Shut up, dummy.” I huffed, pulling a sun-dress over my half naked body before grabbing my purse, running my fingers through my amusingly short hair.  Tromping down the stairs in a race with my idiotic brother, I burst out the door two seconds before him and whirled around to give him the finger.

He poked his tongue out at me as I turned back around, taking in the two cars that sat in my driveway. Pete waved from the driver’s seat of the black jeep that glistened in the summer sun, causing my brow to quirk.

“It’s a whole family thing.” I mumbled to Xavier, who simply shrugged; toddling off with his bag towards the red convertible behind it. Pippin was in the drivers seat, cocking his head at me in a greeting. I grinned nervously.