Page 21

EMERY

Then . . .

When she came in from the beach, Dad was pulling burgers off the grill.

“I hope you’re hungry.” He held up the plate of meat. “Or did you eat your fill at the food trucks?”

“I didn’t take any money, so I’m starved.” Her first-day sunburn had faded enough for her to tan golden brown. She sort of liked becoming a beach baby.

Inside, Emery set down her bag, taking out her towel, water bottle, and book. Mom was on the settee under the window, dozing with her head cradled against her arm.

Let her sleep. Dad would be loud enough when he came in. But as Emery passed by, Mom looked up.

“Are you having a fun summer?” She held out her arm, inviting Emery to join her. “You look beautiful.”

“I’m having fun. Are you?” Emery sat on the ottoman next to the settee.

“I am.” She’d been spending more time by the window, pre tending t o read but falling asleep. “Did you see your friend Caleb today?”

“No, he was working at the Starlight. Mom, are you okay? I mean, you seem kind of tired. You and Dad disappeared for another day again. Where’d you go?”

“We told you. To see friends of Dad’s. And anytime I’m near you, I’m having fun.”

“He has friends in Jacksonville and Gainesville?” For that trip, they left before dawn and arrived home well after dinner. “Why don’t you take me with you?”

Mom gave her a weak smile. “You want to be in the car with your Dad and me when you could be on the beach with that boy?”

Mom had trumped with that line before. “He’s really nice, Mom.”

“I can tell.”

“Burgers are up.” Dad set the plate on the island. Delilah came in behind him with a cake. “Delilah offered me cake in exchange for a burger.”

“You’re playing his tune, Delilah,” Mom said, shoving off the settee. “Emery, put on some music. Oldies, like Samson Delilah.”

“Rosie, please, you don’t have to play my music.”

“I would, but you told me no electronics,” Emery said, clicking on the old radio. “Sorry, Delilah.”

“I like the oldies station on that radio just fine. Now, what do we have for the burgers?”

Emery helped set out the burger fixings and dumped a bag of chips into a bowl but kept one eye on Mom.

“Hey, Dad, is Mom okay?”

“Of course.” But he didn’t look at her. “Why do you ask?”

“She seems really tired. And I think she’s lost weight.”

“Her stomach has been bothering her. She’ll be all right. You know her job is stressful. You focus on having fun.”

“We’re supposed to make memories together. You keep driving away, leaving me here.”

“Well, no more driving away. How about we go roller-skating tomorrow night? Delilah has some friends visiting this weekend. She wants to have something called a guitar circle. We’ll sit around the fire and listen to music.”

Okay, that sounded a bit more normal.

While they ate, Delilah told them stories of her music heydays and how she and Samson toured with the Beach Boys. “We made a lot of music and a lot of money.”

“So why’d you leave the business?” Emery reached for another handful of chips.

“I met Jesus in ’72. He changed my life.”

“Did your life need changing?” Mom said.

“More than I knew.”

Emery crunched softly on a chip, waiting for more, but all Delilah said was, “Doug, that was a delicious burger.”

“Caleb’s dad gave me a few pointers.” He glanced at Mom, who smiled and suggested a game of cards after dinner.

Emery volunteered to clean up, then partnered with Dad for a game of euchre, winning over Mom and Delilah. She was about to curl up in bed after her shower when Dad peeked in her room.

“Caleb Ransom is here to see you.”

When she entered the living room, he jumped up from the lumpy cushion where he chatted with Mom and Delilah. “Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go for some ice cream.”

“Now?” She looked at Dad, who nodded. “Um, sure. I’ll be right back.” She dashed into her room, tripping over her own jitters. What should she wear? Yanking her wet hair out of a tie, she shook out her waves with an eye on her favorite shorts and T-shirt.

“Be home by midnight,” Dad said as she walked out with Caleb. “And Ransom?” He swung two fingers from his eyes toward Caleb’s.

“Yes, sir. You know Krav Maga.”

Emery didn’t laugh until they left the cottage. “I’m sorry. He’s a nut.”

“I don’t mind, but, um, this way.” Caleb led her to his truck instead of the Beachwalk. “I hope you don’t mind if we don’t go for ice cream.”

“No ice cream?” She’d been reaching for the door handle but stopped. “Then I’m out.”

“Instead,” he said with some urgency, “we’re executing Operation Revenge on West End High. Do you want to come?”

Well, this was interesting. She’d never been one of the guys before. And she wanted to go. To be with him.

“What sort of payback? Will I get arrested?” She opened the door and climbed in. “If I get arrested, I’ll never speak to you again, and when you die, you’ll be cursed to ride a Ferris wheel for all eternity.”

“You will most definitely not get arrested.” When he clapped his hand on her leg, it felt hotter than the noon sun. “So? You in?”

“I’m in.” All in. Too far in.

She’d only know him a little over a month, but he’d become a huge part of her heart. She barely thought of her friends in Cleveland. Yet in a few weeks—it was already July—she’d be gone for the rest of the year. Maybe the rest of her life.

Caleb cranked the radio as Kenny Chesney sang “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven,” slowing as they stopped for the East End’s one traffic light. When it flashed green, Caleb headed out, swerving down the first side street and straight into a driveway.

“I’ll be back,” he said. “Got to get Shift.” Caleb pressed his finger to his lips with a gentle “Shhh.”

“Shift? Who names their kid Shift?”

“His name is Harvey, but everyone calls him Shift.”

A broad, stocky boy ran from the side of the house with two huge garbage bags. He tossed them in the bed, then ran back through the shadows, returning with three more huge bags.

He popped open the passenger door and climbed in next to Emery, crunching her against Caleb.

“Shift, this is Emery.” Caleb backed out of the driveway. “Emery, Shift.”

“So you’re the great Emery Quinn?” Shift leaned back and whispered behind her, “Dude! She’s hot.”

Caleb laughed. “Duuudde, she can hear you.”

One by one, Caleb acquired more teammates. They hopped into the truck bed along with their stuffed garbage bags.

One of the guys peered into Caleb’s window. “Jumbo and the rest will meet us in the West End.” Then he nodded at Emery. “Hey, Emery, Abe Hollingsworth, but everyone calls me Hollingsworth. Thanks for coming. You’re our good luck charm.”

“Am I?” She looked at Caleb. “You’ve been talking about me?”

“Only a little.”

Emery glanced at Hollingsworth. “Please don’t get me arrested.”

“We won’t get you arrested.” Chorused by Caleb, Hollingsworth, and Shift, almost in three-part harmony, so she had to believe them.

Back onto Sea Blue Way, they drove from the older, more narrow Way onto the newer, wider, multilane Sea Blue Way, with its bright lights, hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions.

“It’s like going from the farm to Oz,” Emery said.

After a couple of left turns, then a right, West End High came into view. But Caleb went off-road, heading through thick clumps of palmettos, palm trees, and pine, where guys named Alvarez and Jennings waited, their F-150s overflowing with bags of trash.

“Jumbo parked down a ways,” Alvarez said. “He’s got his dad’s work truck and so much trash.”

They fist-bumped and praised themselves as Shift passed around a box of latex gloves.

“You learn a lot about germs living with a mother who’s a nurse. Who’s got the ski masks?”

Clubber passed out black ski masks, then everyone, including Emery, grabbed trash bags and crept through trees, shrubs, and shadows toward the stadium.

“Aren’t they going to know it was you guys?” Emery whispered.

“Shhh.” This from a voice in the back. “You’ll jinx us.”

At the locked stadium gate, they hoisted bags after bag of trash over the chain-link gate. One of the guys exhaled a string of curses when his bag leaked on his leg.

“Who didn’t tie this up tight? Carter? Was it you?”

“Hush,” Caleb said. “Just leave it. Check your bags before you toss them over. We don’t want to smell like trash when we get home.”

Home? If they even made it home because they were getting arrested. Definitely. Yet she was in. All in.

Once the bags cleared, Jumbo, the center most likely bound for a top college football program and eventually the NFL, started launching guys over the gate.

“All right, Emery, you’re up.” Jumbo waved her over. But when she put her foot in his hand, he fired her so high she cleared the gate and then some. Caleb scrambled to catch her.

“Sorry, Emery,” Jumbo said. “But you don’t weigh nothing compared to these guys.”

“Hush up. Want someone to hear us?” Caleb asked, still holding her while Jumbo tossed another guy to the top of the gate.

When the last man was over, Jumbo cleared the top with his own brute strength. Then, and only then, did Caleb set her down.

“Careful, everyone.” Shift ripped open the first bag. “We don’t know what all’s in these things, but—” He gagged. “Keep it low to the ground. Don’t fling it and hit one of us. Let’s get ’er done.”

Operation Revenge dumped trash in the end zones, on the panther mascot in the center of the field, then dragged open bags on every yard line.

They worked quickly, efficiently, and quietly.

Emery tried to keep upwind of the smell.

They’d just emptied the last bag when headlights bounced through the bleachers.

Car doors opened and slammed closed. One after another. Then voices.

“I saw Jumbo’s dad’s truck.” The deep, loud voice was angry.

“Scatter!” Caleb whisper-shouted, and every Nickle High boy took off, leaving Emery standing under the goalpost alone. Which way? Which way?!

“Wait, wait—” Panicked, she yanked off her mask to breathe. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn’t move.

“Em, this way. Let’s go. Hurry.” A masked Caleb hooked his arm around her, but she twisted free.

“I’m going to get arrested. I’m sixteen. I can be tried as an adult.” She turned left, then right, then left again, running smack-dab into a mountain of a boy. When she looked up, he snarled down at her.

With a scream, she raised her knee like Dad taught her, connected, then ran.

Like Forrest Gump . Through the woods, not caring that palmetto shrubs scraped her arms and legs.

Or the thick roots bit at her toes. Somewhere along the way, she lost her mask, but who cared?

Emery Quinn was not getting arrested tonight.

Caleb caught her when she finally arrived at his truck, swooping her up and spinning her around. “That was crazy. Emery, you’re awesome. Did y’all see her? She ran into Bobby Brockton, kneed him where the sun don’t shine, and outran us all. Even you, Alvarez.”

“Emery Quinn.” Shift raised her arm. “The queen of Operation Revenge.” They gave one shout to the queen, then Shift passed around a plastic grocery sack. “For your gloves. Leave no evidence behind.”

One by one, Operation Revenge peeled off their gloves then dashed to their trucks. One of the guys tossed Emery’s mask inside the cab.

They drove with their lights off until they cleared West End High and headed east, toward home. Caleb and Shift rolled down the windows and blasted “Summertime Blues.” Clubber, Hollingsworth, and Kidwell hung over the truck bed, banging out the beat.

By the time Caleb dropped off the guys, celebrating with each one, midnight neared. Later, he would tell her that every one of the boys fell a little bit in love with her that night.

He slowed for the red light, and she considered moving toward the door since Shift got out, but she liked sitting in the middle. Sitting next to him.

“You didn’t get arrested,” he said.

“Not yet anyway.”

When they arrived at the Sands, Caleb cut the engine but the radio continued to play.

“Do I smell like garbage?” She leaned toward him. “I took a shower before you came.”

“No, you smell like flowers.”

“Well, I’m going to have to leave my sneakers outside but—” When she looked up, he was inches from her face. “Guess I’m babbling.”

“I like your babbling.”

“Tonight was awesome, Caleb. Very wrong. But awesome.” She laughed. “I never do anything I’m not supposed to do. So what’s next? Nothing criminal.”

“I’ve got an idea,” he said as the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” played softly. He cupped his hand around her neck. “I’m running down the road . . .” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve got Emery Quinn on my mind.”

“Caleb—”

She wasn’t ready. But there was no going back.

His arm slipped around her waist, and she fit against him.

Then he kissed her—so soft and warm—and it was everything she might have imagined.

She shivered, eager to kiss him back. Was she doing it right?

Was she any good? The kiss ended slowly, like their lips didn’t want to leave each other.

“I could do this all night.” His words were thick and husky. “But it’s midnight.”

“Caleb?” she said. “I never kissed anyone before.”

“Me neither.” He grinned and laced his fingers with hers. “Best first kiss ever.”