I couldn’t hold back my grin. “Yeah. Just enjoying freaking him out. I mean, if he’s going to date a girl with a teenage daughter, I feel it’s my duty to give him the full teenage experience. Gotta crank up the drama.” My eyes went to the dashboard. “Speaking of cranking, let’s test out the speakers in this baby.”

  Popping the key in the ignition, I started the car, my wide eyes turning to Weston when I heard the music. Jason Aldean played from the radio station.

  “A country music fan.” I glanced out at Cody, who was currently being consoled by Mom. After adjusting the mirrors, I started to back out of the driveway, but Mom suddenly appeared at the driver’s side window, holding my bag.

  I guess bringing my driver’s license with me would make sense.

  Rolling down the window, I smiled at her before I took the bag and went to toss it in the back, then thought better of it and gently placed it on the floor behind the driver’s seat. “Thanks, Mom.”

  She patted the top of the car. “Be safe.” She leaned in the window, kissing me on the cheek. “And quick.”

  Right. It was Sunday, the day of the week we usually saved for church and family.

  I gave her a thumbs-up. “Ten minutes, tops.”

  As I drove away, I checked in the rearview mirror, seeing Mom and Cody waving at us.

  “I can’t peg that guy,” I said.

  “What do you mean?” Weston opened the glove compartment, peering inside. He pulled out the owner’s manual. “Only thing in here.”

  I flipped on the blinker, getting ready to turn out of my neighborhood. “He likes country music. Loves to Zumba. Obsessed with costume parties. Dates women fourteen years older than him.”

  Weston held up a hand. “Do you know if he’s dated other older women?”

  “Okay, no, I haven’t done a thorough background check on the guy, but maybe I should.” I mean, Sierra’s dad was a cop. I had an in. Well, except for the fact she hated me.

  He motioned to the car. “Well, he takes great care of his property, likes to have fun, generous, friendly.” He shrugged. “It seems like your mom could do a lot worse than this guy.”

  I groaned. “I know. And I hate it.”

  “What happened to your dad?”

  My heart softened. “He died a few years ago. Pancreatic cancer.” I sighed. “I knew Mom would start dating again, it’s just weird. Especially when he’s closer to my age than hers.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Aha! You’re jealous.”

  I tried to hold back my snort, but it came out when I laughed. “So jealous.”

  “I mean, did you see those gorgeous locks on the guy?” He fanned his face. “And that beard? I’m swooning over here.”

  Reaching across the center console, I shoved his arm. “Yeah, okay, maybe I’m being ridiculous.”

  “You’re not,” he said. “I’m not sure how I would feel if my mom started dating someone else.” He fiddled with some of the nobs on the dashboard. “Especially since my parents are still married.”

  “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay came on the radio, and I reached for the dial at the same time Weston did, his hand landing on top of mine, both of us cranking up the volume. We smiled at each other before we started singing along, our off-key harmonies music to my ears.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Mom and Cody had gone inside while I went for my test drive with Weston. When we came inside, we caught them kissing on the couch, and the song in my head—“Believer” by Imagine Dragons—came to a screeching halt. Every single awkward moment before this paled in comparison. I mean, I should have been the one making out, not Mom.

  They jumped off the couch, straightening out their clothes, Cody wiping pink lip gloss off his lips, Mom running her fingers through her tangled hair, trying to smooth it out. She still wore her Regency dress, which added to the weirdness of it all.

  Cody cleared his throat. “How did you like the car?”

  Seeing my mom tangled up with such a young guy that definitely was not my dad put my mind in such a strange place.

  Words just flew out of my mouth. “Great. Smooth. Smelled nice.” I motioned to Weston. “We really enjoyed the back seat.”

  “What?” Mom asked with her eyes wide.

  “What?” Cody and Weston said at the same time.

  “Nothing.” I picked up the twelve-pack of Cherry Coke off the floor in the entryway. “I need a drink.” I hurried into the kitchen, tossing the soda on the counter before I snatched a bottle of Cherry Coke from the fridge. I had it open and chugging it down my throat in about two seconds.

  Weston cautiously approached me, his hands out like I might spring on him at any moment. “Do you prefer bottles?”

  I nodded, still chugging away.

  “I’ll remember that for next time,” he said.

  I gave him a thumbs-up.

  Mom crept into the kitchen, more cautious than Weston. She smiled sheepishly at me, and all I could hear were little baas frolicking through my mind.

  “Daphne, sweetie,” Mom said, taking slow steps toward me. “Are you doing okay?”

  Shaking my head, I put my hand out, telling her to stop in her tracks. I finally lowered the bottle, taking a huge gulp of air. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came.

  “How’d you like the car?” Mom asked.

  Changing the subject. Typical Mom move. Although, I really didn’t want to talk about her kissing escapades.

  “It’s really nice,” Weston said since I still couldn’t word at the moment. “If Daphne doesn’t want it, maybe I’ll buy it.”

  “Dibs!” I finally found my voice. Then my cheeks flushed, thinking about the song “Dibs” by Kelsea Ballerini that came into my mind the first time I met Weston.

  Cody came around the corner, grinning widely. “You want it?”

  I nodded. “Definitely. Although, I don’t think four thousand is enough for that car.”

  “Maybe I could help some,” Mom said. “Early graduation present.”

  Cody waved a hand. “Four thousand is perfect. I know you’ll take great care of it.”

  All the awkwardness left, replaced by a giddiness that I couldn’t contain. I ran at Cody, throwing my arms around him. My own car. Something I saved up for and bought myself. A freaking car!

  When I finally released him, Cody was still all smiles.

  “Thanks, Cody,” I said. “This means so much to me.”

  “Glad to help,” he said.

  If the guy thought this meant more make-out sessions with my mom, he was sorely mistaken. I needed to install cameras inside. Make sure no hanky-panky was going on when I wasn’t home.

  How did I become the responsible one in this relationship?

  Mom clapped her hands together, her eyes lighting up. “Weston, can you stay for a bit?” She looked at me. “We can practice the dances.”

  “Uh, what?” Weston asked, scratching his head.

  “That’s a great idea,” Cody said.

  Mom scrolled through her phone. “There’s got to be some Regency music I can download somewhere.”

  Cody pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “I have the list of dances we’re supposed to learn and where to find the songs.”

  He and Mom went into the family room, huddled together, hooking his phone up to the TV so we could watch the videos. I almost said something about “family day,” but then I looked over at Weston. I really wanted him to stay.

  Weston folded his arms. “Am I supposed to know what’s going on?”

  I shook my head, smiling. “No. You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to.” I opened the pantry door and pulled out a broom. “This guy will do just fine. I’m sure he’s a great dancer.”

  Weston rubbed the back of his neck, his shy smile creeping onto his face. “I don’t mind.” He motioned to his Captain America T-shirt. “I’m not really dressed the part, though.”

  “Oh!” I tossed the broom back in the closet—yeah, it totally missed and fell to the floor, but whatever—and ran to the totes Mom brought down from the attic. “I know I saw …” Bright orange material caught my eye. I fished out the cummerbund and bowtie and ran back over to Weston. I velcroed them around his neck and waist. “Perfect.”

  Weston stared at them with his eyebrows inched up. “They’re bright orange.”

  “Grams and Gramps were Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber for Halloween a few years ago.” I shrugged. “They keep everything.”

  “Daphne!” Mom said, catching my attention.

  I turned to see that she and Cody had moved the coffee table off to the side, creating an open area for us to dance in the family room.

  “Ready?” Mom asked.

  Taking Weston’s hand, I steered him into the room with them. “Look, I even got Weston dressed for the occasion.”

  Cody frowned. “Well, now I feel left out.”

  Mom rushed over to the tote. “We have the baby blue cummerbund and bowtie in here, too.”

  “How come he gets baby blue, and I’m stuck with this?” Weston motioned to his orange cummerbund.

  I shrugged. “I thought it would go good with your reddish-brown hair.”

  Mom came back over, handing the items to Cody. “Daphne loves things that pop.” She pursed her lips. “Why did that not sound right?”

  Weston’s cheeks were probably about as red as mine.

  Chuckling, Cody pressed play on his phone. “Let’s dance.” He looked at Weston. “Just watch what I do.”

  He bowed, and Mom curtsied back.

  Weston and I did the same, both fighting back laughs.

  Then Cody took Mom’s hand in hers, very delicately, and they spun in a circle.

  It didn’t strike me until Weston took my fingers in his that we weren’t wearing gloves like they did in the Regency Era. Just a simple touch, but I found myself blushing. Would I do the same with Bentley? I’d be wearing gloves then, so it wouldn’t matter.

  The whole time we danced, I couldn’t help but fight the thought that I wished it were Weston going to the party with me, not Bentley.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I’m not sure how Sierra found out, but she was livid about Bentley and me going to the party together. She kept saying something about all his dad’s constituents eating it up, loving the formality of it all.

  Everywhere I went, her gaze practically burned a huge hole through me like she was freaking Cyclops. Then I snorted, thinking about her with one eye, and suddenly I didn’t care.

  It was a slightly chilly day out, but not horribly bad for having to wear a tee and shorts in P.E. Everyone around seemed to be freezing, but they had no idea what freezing truly was.

  “Talk to me when it’s ten degrees,” I said to Sebastian as we stood on the field in the middle of the track. “Then, I might agree with you.”

  “Ten!” Sebastian shuddered. “So not moving to Utah.”

  “But the snow, man,” Dax said, suddenly appearing on the other side of me. “Greatest place to ski.”

  “Where did you come from?” I asked.

  He looked at me like I was crazy. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

  No, he hadn’t. But whatever. “You’ve been to Utah?”

  He nodded. “My family goes skiing in Park City once a year.”

  “But you were so shocked when you found out there’s less air up there,” I said.

  Dax’s eyes widened in shock. “There’s less air in Utah?”

  Yeah, okay, the guy really needed to lay off the drugs.

  I patted his arm. “Did you know hugs are better than drugs?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Really?”

  Sebastian snickered next to me. Then he paused, his lips twisted to the side like he was deep in thought.

  “What?” I asked.

  He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “It’s just weird. You seem so nice.”

  “Um, okay,” I said.

  Sebastian kicked at the grass, not meeting my gaze. “It’s just my sister said you were conceited.”

  My eyes went wide. “Rosalind said that? I hardly know her.” Had Sierra been saying things about me?

  Sebastian finally looked at me, a shy smile on his face. “Well, she obviously doesn’t know you very well, either.”

  Ms. Hernandez blew her whistle, bringing all the attention to her. “Listen up! We’re dividing into five teams of four today. Because that’s how many of you showed up for class.” She grunted something under her breath I couldn’t make out. “We’ll be running four different races, and then a relay race. The team with the best accumulated time will win.”

  I raised my hand.

  “Yes, Ms. Richards,” Ms. Hernandez said, nodding her head at me.

  “What do we win?” I asked. “A free day?”

  When the class shouted in agreement with my idea, she narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t push your luck. You’ll get bragging rights.”

  “Yay!” I mumbled to myself, shaking my hands out like they were pom-poms.

  When she split us up, I held back all the swears when I saw it was the same group of guys that welcomed me to the class. I liked Dax and Sebastian. But Trent Dawson was the bane of my existence. Wait, that would make me Batman, not Cap. He was the Red Skull of my existence.

  “Alright,” Trent said, rounding us together and taking control of the group because his life revolved around P.E. “Powers, you take the one hundred meter. Lopez, you have the two hundred. Richards, the four hundred. I’m taking the eight hundred.”

  “I’m sorry, you’re giving me the four hundred meter?” I asked in shock.

  “Yeah,” he said, looking annoyed that I would even question him.

  “That’s like a full lap around the track.”

  Trent clapped his hands together like a little kid. “Aw, hey, guys, look! Richards knows her distances.”

  “I’m not a runner,” I said, grinding my teeth together.

  Trent motioned to the other two. “Neither are they. We’re obviously not going to win, but I don’t want to come in last.” He swept his arm toward me. “You’re the one who was bragging about having more air or whatever.” He sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Have you ever thought about giving a TED talk?” I asked him. “You’re really inspirational.”

  He flipped me off before he walked away.

  Dax came in last. He wasn’t even really trying, and when Trent started yelling at him, Dax started walking.

  Sebastian, bless his heart, ran as fast as his short legs could take him. Came in third in his group, but apparently that wasn’t good enough for Trent. I said three out of five wasn’t bad, so Trent flipped me off again.

  Then it was my turn.

  I wasn’t a runner, this much had already been established. It meant I didn’t own a sports bra. All I had on was a cheap bra I found in the clearance section at JCPenney.

  Mom said she’d buy me cute bras from Victoria’s Secret, but one glance at the price tag, and I hightailed it out of that store. Who would spend that much money on a bra? That would make my girls more spoiled than my feet, and my feet were the ones doing the heavy lifting. The girls were just hanging out and sometimes sweating more than Gramps when he ate spicy food.

  I lined up on the track in the fourth lane. That was what I was shooting for. Fourth place. That way, I wouldn’t come in last, but it would piss Trent off. Win-win.

  Ms. Hernandez shot off her gun like this was the freaking Olympics, and we all took off. The abundance of air was nice. Didn’t help the muscles, though. The legs still had to put forth a lot of effort. And the feet. At least my new Nikes were making my life easier.

  But then, apparently my girls got mad for trash talking them and wanted to show off. Slowly, one slipped out from my bra. I wasn’t enormous, but I wasn’t small, either. There was a definite bounce going on. I squished my arm against my boob, trying to stop it from flopping like every soccer player out there.

  It slowed me down just a little, but I could survive. I was almost halfway around the track.

  But then my other boob didn’t want to be outshone. Heaven forbid that happen. So, she came out, flapping like the skin dangling from my grandparent’s arms.

  Pushing my other arm into my other boob, I ran down the track, keeping my focus on the finish line and trying not to think about the fact that I was running like a freaking T-Rex on display at the museum.

  Boys loved museums.

  Clearance JCPenney bra, you had failed me.

  When I finally crossed the finish line, I sprinted to the edge of the track, keeping my back to everyone as I stuffed my girls back where they belonged.

  Trent’s voice came from behind me. “What was that?”

  Doing a quick adjustment of my bra, I took a deep breath before I turned around to face him. “What was what?”

  “That form?” Trent looked at my arms. “Who taught you to run?”

  “Sue.” I pushed past him, trying to create a distance.

  Pretty sure Sue was the name of the famous T-Rex every museum wanted.

  Trent jogged after me. “You could have won! But you started running like an idiot and came in second place.”

  I turned to him, my jaw dropping. “I came in second place?”

  I’d been so distracted by my spectacle that I hadn’t paid any attention to my placement on the track. I just wanted to be done with the race.

  “But you could have come in first!” Trent had his hands balled into fists.

  “I came in second!” I high-fived Sebastian and Dax before I busted out in a dance, throwing my arms in the air, “On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons blaring in my head.

  “Good job, Richards!” Ms. Hernandez called out, giving me a thumbs-up.

  Grunting, Trent threw his hands into the air and stalked off.

  After class, I immediately texted Mom: We need to go bra shopping.

  She responded with a gif of a man tossing glitter into the air.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mom held up a pink sparkling bra, tiny sequins sewn all over. “What about this one?”

  I held in a gag. “I’m not trying out for a pageant.”

 

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