The Tourist Trap

Chapter 8

Knowing better than to try and shimmy myself into my one piece with my skin covered in sticky sweat (I hadn't worn a bikini since that Fourth of July debacle), I blasted myself with the shower and quickly dried off. Bonus? I also got rid of the dirt streaks and stray flecks of manure. All little perks of being a horse nut.

I quickly brushed my hair and fastened it up in a messy bun, then raced to my room to slip on some shorts and throw a few things into my backpack. A brush. A couple of towels. It took at least five minutes just to locate my sunglasses. Somewhere in the middle of all my opening and slamming drawers, both of my parents were drawn to my bedroom by the commotion.

"Why the whirlwind?" My mother asked.

I put my sunglasses on my head, out of breath. "I'm going to the lake."

"With Donna?" my father asked distractedly.

I gulped and looked at my mom. How, exactly, were they going to react to this?

"Um, no. With Jared Kent," I said, holding a breath.

Suddenly my dad was anything but distracted.

"Jared Kent?" he repeated, slack-jawed.

"Cassie met him the other day when she was out for her morning ride with Lola," my mother explained.

"Let me get this straight. Robert Kent's boy is here? Now?" he asked, pointing at the floor.

Please tell me he's not going to go out there and throw him off the property of something. Don't let him embarrass me. I thought

"Yeah. He's right outside."

My father turned on his heel and was down the hall in two seconds flat. My mother and I both scurried after him. Dad was generally and enlightened kind of guy. He helped with the dishes and cleaning around the house when there wasn't something pressing to be done on the ranch. He had taken me dress shopping when I was a little kid. He had even handled it perfectly when I got my first period and my mom was at parent/teacher night half an hour away. Well, as perfectly as a six-four man with four brothers could have handled it. But he did love to be a manly protector when he was given a chance. That was why part of me was glad I never met a boy worthy of bringing home. 

Who knew how dad would react? Apparently I was about to find out.

"Dad! Come on! We're just going to the lake!" I called after him, my bad slapping up and down on my back. 

"Thomas. Don't make a scene." my mother said in a much softer tone.

My father paused at the front window and looked out. Both my mother and I assumed he was going right out the door to give Jared the third degree.

"I hope you don't think you're going anywhere on that death trap he's got," my father said.

"Dad!"

I was indignant, but also secretly relieved to have an excuse not to get on the motor cycle. After experiencing the way Jared drove his car, I wasn't sure I was ready for a two wheel ride with him.

"Cassie, you'll take the truck."

"Dad, I am eight teen years old over here," I said, feeling I needed to take the opportunity to make my point, even though I agreed with him.

"No daughter of mine is ever getting on one of those things," he said, holding out his truck keys.

Okay, now the indignation grew. 

I mean, I loved my dad, but did he really think he was going to be able to tell me what to do forever? 

We stared at each other over the keys, and for a second, I thought the stalemate would never end, but then my mom dropped on the couch, knees first like a little kid, and peeked around the curtains.

"So that's Susan's son. Wow. He looks just like his father."

I groaned, took the keys , and glanced past his shoulder. Jared was standing at the open door of the stable, clearly gauging whether or not he should go in and check out the horses.

"Nosey little bugger, isn't he?" my dad said. "Does he not realize he is on private property?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, I'm going!" I said, jingling the keys.

"Have fun!" my mom called

"I will!" I replied. Then I may have slammed the door extra hard just to prove some unknown point. Never hurts to slam something every now and then when you've lost a standoff. Unless, of course, there's a finger in the way.

I walked out to the truck and stared the engine. It sputtered and bucked a bit as I made my way down the drive toward Jared and I was sweating all over again by the time I got there. This time out of humiliation.

Jared laughed when he saw me. "We're not taking that thing."

"Yes we are. I don't do motor cycles." I said out the window.

"Give me a break." he said.

"Look, my dad will freak if I get on your bike. He'll either have a heart attack or ground me. I'd rather not have either of those things happen."

"Oh. Baby still listening to daddy?" he said with a high pitched voice.

My cheeks turn crimson. "You know, I'm starting to really not like you," I lied. It wasn't him I was irritated at, even if he was being irritating. I was more irritated at myself for letting my father card slip and for not having the guts to just get on the damn motor cycle.

"It's the truck or nothing," I told him.

"Wow. You are seriously repressed," he said, walking over to the passenger side. Thanks to his comment, I let him sit right down on the bad spring. "Ow," he complained, sliding aside to check the butt of his shorts for tears.

"Sorry," I said casually. "And I'm not repressed. I just like my body in one piece."

His ran his eyes over my unrevealing bathing suit, some how making me feel like I was wearing a string bikini.

"So do I," he said, waggling his eyebrows in a joking way.

Yeah. I guess I set myself up for that one.

" Do you want to go to the beach or not?" I said, trying not to smile.

"Dive on," he said, leaning towards the door. "But I will get you on my bike before the end of the summer."

I shoved the truck in gear and bucked us forward, knocking Jared's head against the door. At that moment I understood why he wanted to be the one driving everywhere. There is a certain power being the one behind the wheel.

"Yeah," I said with a grin. "That's what you think."

*   *   *   *   

Hello all!!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I certainly did. Yes, I promise Jared and Gracie are going to the beach and you will get to read all about it next chapter. I hope this chapter wasn't too short. Next chapter will be much longer. I would love to here y'all's opinions of the book so far!!

Chapter 10 will becoming shortly, I promise.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE

Much love, Kylie < 3