Get Lucky: A YA Anthology Page 20

  “The frog thrower,” I groaned.

  “That was five years ago,” Mom said. “I’m sure he no longer throws frogs at girls he likes.”

  “Likes,” I scoffed. “I’m sure that’s what it was, and not the fact that he was a little brat.”

  “Hunter’s awesome!” Joey added his two cents. And, coming from someone who thought bugs were awesome, I didn’t put much faith into his opinion.

  I opened my book and rested back onto the seat. “I bet he is,” I mumbled, before bringing my attention back to Heathcliff and my bad boy fantasies.

  Joey slapped the back of my book. “Don’t touch my book.” I grimaced through my teeth as I pulled the book closer to me.

  “Stop being a nerd, then.”

  “I’m not a nerd,” I exclaimed.

  “Nerd. Nerd. Nerd.” Joey taunted me and, just as I latched onto his curls, the car came to a stop.

  “We’re here!” Dad said, releasing the steering wheel and stretching his arms into the tan liner above him.

  Hovering over Joey, curls still in hand, my attention quickly diverted as I caught sight of the most beautifully tanned abs. My gaze roamed over the defined ridges slowly moving upward before settling on a set of gorgeous blue eyes. Feeling awkward staring at Mr. Hotness, I moved my eyes downward past those amazing abs and took in his tan shorts that sat low on his hipbones. I forced myself to swallow, afraid I might drool.

  “Charlotte, let me go!” Joey yelled, and that was when I realized I froze in mid-attack. I quickly released my grip on Joey’s hair, and climbed back to my side of the car, cheeks so hot I could probably roast marshmallows on them.

  “Who is that?” I asked Joey, who was rubbing at his head. I nodded to the hot guy coming down the porch.

  Joey didn’t answer me. Instead, he jumped out of the car and yelled, “Hunter!”

  My mouth practically dropped on the floor as the realization set in that frog thrower had turned into a total hottie.

  Chapter 2

  Everyone got out of the car, and it took me a minute to get my bearings together before pushing out into the warm North Carolina air. It was beautiful, I’d give Mom that, with lush trees surrounding the property and leading to a massive lake. The lake reminded me of the Great South Bay, back in New York, on a calm day and nothing like what I remembered from my time spent here years ago. It went on for what looked like miles, and I wasn’t exactly sure where it ended and the sky began. It was lined with trees and houses. Boats stood idle in some spots while others whizzed around the glasslike surface, leaving a trail of white foam in their wakes.

  Guys and girls on water skis maneuvered the small wakes from the moving boats while birds flew overhead. I didn’t plan on doing much swimming, it wasn’t exactly my thing, and I preferred the comfort of a nice reading nook to any physical outdoor activities, but watching the way those skiers glided so easily across the water, it made me crave a bit of a change. Maybe mom was right about putting my books down and getting out to actually experience life instead of reading about it.

  “You must have grown a foot since last year,” Mom said, and gave Hunter a hug.

  The corner of his lip tugged up into a cute smile as he reached for her bag. “I got this.”

  “Such a gentleman,” Dad said, coming over and giving Hunter a nice man tap on the shoulder blades. Hunter nodded back in acknowledgement as he swung the bag over his shoulder.

  Just then, a mini Hunter with a lanky frame and dark hair swept to the side took a running jump off the porch. “Joey!” he yelled. “Come with me! I have to show you something!”

  “Can I, Mom? Please?” Joey begged, and Mom nodded her head. The two boys took off in a whirl of hyper excitement, and disappeared behind the back of the house just as Mom had predicted.

  “Mom and Dad are inside still unpacking,” Hunter explained, and I did my best to keep my eyes on the ground and away from his. His voice was deep and charming, just as I imagined Heathcliff’s would be and I found myself responding to the cool casual air he had about him. Heat crawled up my neck as I wondered what this new version of Hunter was really like. The more I milled it over in my head the less I wished to go back home. I was actually looking forward to reacquainting myself with all things Hunter.

  “Let me go see if Janice needs help,” Mom said and, when I looked up, I expected to see Dad still here with us, but he abandoned ship, following Mom into the house, and leaving me here alone with Hunter.

  I was never good with small talk, and I searched my brain for something to say to end this horrible moment of awkward silence.

  “I’m Hunter,” he finally said, bending his head to try and see my face since my eyes were still having a love affair with the ground. “I don’t know if you remember me.”

  “The frog thrower,” I blurted out, and finally looked up catching his gaze. I didn’t know which blue was prettier, his eyes or the sky.

  He rubbed at his chin and that cute smile that I had only half witnessed, stretched to its fullest potential. “You remember that, huh?” he asked. “I promise.” He rested Mom’s bag against his leg, and held his hands up in front of him. “I no longer throw frogs.”

  “You found other ways to let girls know you like them, then?” The words flew out of my mouth like a dog who just found his way out of a fenced yard. Barreling through and taking off at full speed. Heat flared in my cheeks, and I cursed Mom for putting that idea in my head.

  He stared at me like he was waiting for me to say more, but I didn’t have anything to say. My mind went blank, and there was nothing up there except for blackness. Typical traitor. Release the goods, and then disappear into hiding.

  He shrugged. “Turns out, girls aren’t really into frogs unless they’re ceramic or sewn into something. Who would have thought?”

  I knew he was joking, and trying to change the mood, but I had shoved my foot so far in my mouth I couldn’t seem to un-wedge it.

  “Yeah,” I said, with an ungodly laugh that was a mix between a goat and a snorting pig. “Who would have thought?” I repeated, darting my eyes back to the ground. It was a lovely ground, and it didn’t talk back either. Now, if Hunter would just leave us, I could recover from my most recent blunder.

  “How was the drive?” he asked. I appreciated his attempt at small talk, but I just wished he would leave me alone and let me suffer in my embarrassment on my own.

  I blinked up and, when I looked into those pretty eyes, I felt as if my insides were going to melt. Any control I had over my mouth was lost and a string of girly giggles tumbled out. “It was good. Long. We only stopped once because Joey wouldn’t stop whining that he had to pee and my legs hurt a little from sitting so much, but they’re getting the feeling back in them now. And I got to read. Do you read? I love to read. I could read all day every day, and be a happy girl. Just leave me to it, and I won’t bother a soul.” I smiled, willing the words to halt. His eyes were fixated on me, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember what his question was that turned me into a bumbling mess. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember what you asked me,” I muttered as I looked at him through squinted eyes.

  His eyebrow cocked, and he laughed in amusement, or at least I think it was. “I asked how the drive was.”

  “Oh, right. “I tucked a dirty blonde wave behind my ear. “It was good.” Mentally, I rolled my eyes at myself. I needed to get away from him before he asked me any more questions and I went into a twenty-minute embarrassing rant about my love of the classics. Or, even worse, how his voice reminds me of my favorite leading bad boy.

  I always made fun of those girls who got all hot and flustered by a cute boy. I had just assumed it was part of the whole flirting thing, but now I got it. It just happened. It was something I couldn’t explain any more than why the sky was blue. Thinking of the blue sky made me think of his eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Me? Fine. Great. I’m fantastic. I have to go,” I babbled as I pushed past him. I had no
idea where I was going. All I knew was that I was one cute smile away from completely turning into the most pathetic girl I had ever known.

  Chapter 3

  I had my feet on North Carolina soil for all of five minutes, and already managed to make a complete and total fool of myself. It had to be a record, definitely Guinness worthy for sure. I walked past Joey and Parker, who were poking sticks into the water’s edge, and strolled down a dock that jetted out into the lake.

  When I got to the end, I plopped down and hung my feet over the edge, wishing I could dive in and disappear forever. Maybe there’d be a mystical land of mermaids and merman who I could join. Since we’d be under water, and probably unable to talk I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. What was I talking about? Joey was right. I was a nerd.

  I glanced out across the water, and focused on a swooping bird. I’d even settle for the ability to fly away. At least, then, I could go back to New York and spend my Spring Break with my friends. I slipped my phone out of my pocket, and went to send a text to Caitlin, my best friend, but was quickly reminded of Dad’s warning of no cell service. I let out a rush of air as I pushed my phone back into my pocket.

  I knew I had to go back to the house, and say hi to everyone. My parents had been best friends with the Davisons since college, and I had known them all my life. More or less through phone calls and Christmas cards, but, still, it would be rude if I continued to sit here brooding and didn’t go in to greet them. This was their vacation house after all, and I didn’t want to appear to be ungrateful for their generous invitation even if I didn’t want to be here.

  I pushed up from the dock, and made my way back to the house. Now that the embarrassment had faded from a boil to a simmer, I was able to focus on things more clearly. I had been here once before, back when Hunter was a frog thrower and not a gorgeous human being. The house was a good size, with an upper level balcony that looked out over the lake. Below the balcony, across the lawn, Adirondack chairs sat in a circle around a fire pit. Joey had mentioned a few dozen times how much he loved making s’mores and telling ghost stories around a bonfire.

  My eyes lingered on it for a moment, remembering the last time I was here. Hunter had gathered sticks from the yard and brought them back. He had handed me a long stick with a smile, and told me he always found the best ones for roasting marshmallows. He then helped me skewer the white puff ball while our parents set Joey and Parker up. We sat in silence, neither one of us saying anything, but I remembered, feeling content and not awkward, even in the silence, I was having fun. Funny how that memory slipped my mind, and all I could recall were the bad.

  Joey and Parker ran past me, knocking into my leg as they went. “Where’s the fire?” I called out after them, but I might as well have been invisible.

  I followed them around the front of the house, and finally made my way inside. It smelled like I imagined all lake houses smelled: oak and pine. The ceilings were high with skylights, letting in the midafternoon sun. Couches surrounded a fireplace and, beyond that, there was hallway that I remembered led to the kitchen.

  I heard voices pouring down the hallway, and made my way toward them. Mom was helping Janice put things into the cabinet while Dad and Mitch leaned against the counters each holding a bottle of beer. They clinked them together and Dad said, “I’m on lake time now,” which caused everyone to laugh.

  I stepped into sight and Mom turned from the counter, spotting me. I gave a wave, just as I noticed Hunter sitting on a stool. He offered me a crooked grin and, since he was far enough away where we didn’t have to exchange words, I smiled back.

  “Oh, sweetie, there you are! Where’d you run off to? I thought you had to go potty?”

  “Um… What? No,” I muttered, as the roaring fire crawled up my neck reigniting my cheeks. I loved my mother, but God, she seriously needed a filter.

  “The bathroom?” she said again as if I had completely lost my mind.

  “No, I know what you said,” I blurted out, trying to stop her from talking. “I just don’t remember saying that. I’m good. Thanks.” I quickly shifted my attention to Janice. “Hi, it’s so good to see you.”

  “You are just as beautiful as ever,” Janice said, taking my face in her hands before pulling me in for a hug. She was tall and slender with dark hair. Her skin was tan, one of the perks of living year round in sunny California.” Her smile was contagious, and I couldn’t help offering her one back as her blue eyes roamed over my face. “It’s been too long. I know your mother said you were upset that your Robotics camp was cancelled, and I’m sorry about that, but I’m happy you’re here.” She pulled me in again for another hug, this time squeezing tight.

  “Me too,” I said, the lie easily rolling off my tongue. Thanks for inviting me” My parents raised me to be polite and that was exactly what I was doing by offering up this little white lie.

  “Janice, before you squeeze the girl into nothing, let her go,” Mitch joked. “Hey, kid,” he said, and I offered an awkward wave. “We’re going to have to get Charlotte here out on the boat. Give her a real taste of lake life.” He held up his beer, and gave me a wink, before swinging his gaze to his son. “I bet Hunter here would be more than happy to take you out.”

  Going out on a boat with Hunter into the middle of the lake with no one around sounded like a horrible idea. Did he even know how to drive a boat? Of course he did. He grew up coming here every Spring Break and summer. I’m sure he was a master behind the wheel. Still…What if he stopped? What if I had to talk to him? No, that didn’t sound like fun. That actually sounded more like a slow torture and I couldn’t let that happen. I would have to find a way out, especially after the way I acted when we were alone earlier. I made a total fool of myself and I didn’t need a repeat performance to remind me of my inability to socialize. It would be better for everyone if I stuck to my books and left the social niceties to those who understood them better.

  Hunter’s jaw tightened for a second, but then it was lost to his charming smile. “Absolutely. I was probably going to go tubing tomorrow. You should come,” he offered, and I wondered if he really wanted me to, or if he was just asking because we were currently being watched by our parents.

  “I don’t know,” I said, fidgeting with my hands. “I’ve never gone before and…”

  “You don’t have to make up your mind right now. Think about it,” Hunter said, and stood from the stool. As he walked by me, he stopped. His mouth was just shy of my ear as he whispered, “That way, you have an entire day to come up with excuses.” He lingered for a second, surrounding me in the amazing combination of coconut and spice, before he continued on his way.

  Chapter 4

  I dragged a lounge chair out to the edge of the dock, and propped myself up with my book. I didn’t care if a boat exploded in the distance, or a kid was drowning. I had no intention of moving for the rest of the day. Okay, maybe if a kid was drowning I would throw them something to hold onto until someone else could rescue them. I mean, I wasn’t heartless after all.

  Mom told me she didn’t want me cooped up in the house reading, so technically I was still obeying her wishes. I was outside, and enjoying this beautiful day. The sun was shining bright above me, and I had enough sunscreen on to protect a small army of children. It was going to be a good day.

  I flipped open my book to my favorite part, the one that I had read a thousand times over and began to read. A smile spread across my face as I envisioned the story unfolding in my head. A dark shadow loomed over the pages just as it was ripped out of my hands.

  “Hey!” I jumped up, tripping over the lounge chair, and almost falling head first into the lake. A warm hand reached out to my elbow, steadying me, and preventing such a disaster. I looked down at the hand, and instantly knew who it was. “Hunter?” I said, way too breathy.

  I inhaled deeply, and let the silly girl inside of me know I was done acting like a fool. Last night, I took a shower and hid in the bathroom. When I was finished, I stood in fr
ont of the mirror and gave myself a pep talk. I was a smart girl. Really smart. And I wasn’t going to let some boy with ridiculously good looks make me feel completely incompetent. Just because he was cute didn’t mean that he was better than me. Then, I reminded myself of his frog throwing days in hopes that would knock him down a few notches on the hottie scale.

  So, instead of running away like I did yesterday, or getting tongue tied, I reached for my book. Unfortunately, he had a good five inches on me, and held the book high above his head. “Put the book down and come with me,” he said, walking away.

  He was holding my book hostage. Didn’t he know that was the cruelest form of punishment? I jogged until I was right beside him, arm to arm, just barely touching. “How can I put it down when you’re the one holding it?”

  “Do you always take things so literally?”

  “Do you always steal books out of girls’ hands?”

  His lip curled up. “I hear it works better than throwing frogs,” he joked as he turned and winked at me.

  “I…uh…” Dammit. He had me all tongue tied again, and I could feel the stupid heat rising up my neck. No. I wasn’t going to let him win. I looked him square in the eyes, trying to ignore how pretty they were and said, “Well it doesn’t. You really need to find someone else to get advice from because whoever has been dishing it out to you is clearly in need of some themselves.” I stood up a little taller, feeling entirely too proud of myself. “So, can I have my book back?” I asked, holding my hand out.

  “Depends,” he said, without even a second’s hesitation.

  “On what?”

  “If you come with me?”