“Is this the lollygagging that my uncle was talking about?” I tease as I carry my dishes over to the sink.
“Probably.”
I laugh, starting to wash up the dishes.
“What are your plans for today?” he asks after a beat.
“I need to walk Bandit still. Then I was going to run into town and run a few errands. Maybe look around town a bit.”
“Do you want me to watch Bandit again today? I think I’m fixing an exhibit and some other stuff around the cabin today.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll take him with me. I made a vet appointment for him for this morning. We can check out the beach and I wanted to go check out the town waterfall.”
“Why don’t you let me take you out tonight? I can make a picnic and we can hike up to the waterfall.”
“A second date?” I ask and I realize that I’m excited about the prospect.
“Yeah. What do you say?”
“Sounds good,” I tell him with a grin.
“Good.”
He grabs a dishtowel and helps me dry the dishes and put them away. Bandit has finished eating his food by now and is sniffing around, looking for crumbs.
“I’ll pick you up tonight? Six p.m.?” Teller asks as he hangs up the dish towel and I nod.
“Perfect.”
“I’ll see you then.”
He leans down, brushing his lips against mine but before we can deepen it, Stan is calling for him.
We both sigh and I can’t help but laugh.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Teller whispers and I nod.
I watch him leave before I head upstairs to my room and grab my phone, purse, and keys. Bandit’s leash is hanging up by the back door downstairs and I call him, hooking him up and leading him over to my old Beetle.
He hops inside right away and I start the car, rolling the window down for him as we pull out onto Main Street. There’s a small dog park a few streets over and we head there first. I sit on the bench, enjoying the beautiful summer day as Bandit runs around and sniffs everything.
I’m trying to make up for taking him to the vet next. I’m not sure how he’s going to handle it but don’t most animals hate the vet office?
I call Bandit over and he wags his tail, running over to me and letting me hook his leash to him. We head back to the car and drive to the other side of town where the vet office is.
Three shots and one order of heartworm and flea and tick medicine later and we’re headed back to the car. Bandit didn’t seem to mind the vet. Even the shots didn’t really faze him and I’m glad that he doesn’t seem mad at me now.
We head down Main Street and I pull into a gas station to grab us some water and fill up my tank. I’m almost done when a familiar Mercedes pulls up to the pump next to mine.
Chet steps out, giving me a condescending smile, and I narrow my eyes at him.
“Nice hair,” he says sarcastically as he wrinkles his nose at me.
What an asshole. Bandit seems to agree. He growls at Chet, sticking his head farther out the window, and for a second I’m worried that he’s going to jump out of the car.
“I don’t think that you can make fun of anyone’s hair,” I say, giving him my best fuck you smile as I eye his greasy, oil-slicked hair.
“Bitch,” he hisses before he turns and storms into the gas station.
Boy, did I dodge a bullet there. I can’t believe that I went out with him.
I climb back into my car and we head toward the beach next. I find a deserted spot and park. I kick off my shoes before I grab Bandit and we make our way across the sand. There are a few dunes nearby and I sit down close to one of them.
It’s a nice day out and Bandit is having a blast digging in the sand and fighting the tall grass so we stay there until it’s lunch. I know that this beach isn’t the same as the one back in California. The water isn’t as crystal clear and the beach is rockier, but it still reminds me of my mom.
We used to go to the beach on her days off or just to relax sometimes. It was the only entertainment that we could really afford in California since it was free. We would grab an Icee or a snow cone and then sit in the sand and watch the waves.
My mom used to say that walking in the sand was the best way to exercise because it was a workout, but it was also relaxing. She claimed that was why she never paid for a gym membership but I think we both knew the truth. We never could have afforded a fancy gym payment every month.
I wish that she was here with me now. We could have sat here and talked about Stan and Teller and my friends. She would have liked Lyla, Madelyn, and Iris and been so happy that I had made friends here. She would have been even happier to hear about Teller.
My heart starts to ache and I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad to realize that the ache isn’t as sharp and stabbing as it was right after her funeral. This place, these people are helping me heal.
Bandit and I stand up and head back to the car. We’re both hungry and I think about stopping to grab something on the way home. I can get something for Stan too. I brush the sand off of me before I open the door for Bandit and climb behind the wheel.
Madelyn and Iris both sent me messages, asking when the next girl’s night would be and I’m excited.
I had a blast last night. I’ve never had many friends and I thought that maybe there was something wrong with me, but I like these girls and they seem to like me too.
I finally feel like I fit in somewhere.
It’s really too bad that I’m leaving in two months.
17
“Watch your step,” Teller warns and I grip his hand tighter as he leads me through the trees.
We’re headed to the waterfall that Destiny Falls is named after and I’m more excited than I thought I would be. Teller picked me up and we drove a little farther north. It’s cooled off so that it’s the perfect hiking weather and the trail is worn enough that even a novice hiker like me can handle it.
Teller has a blanket and a picnic basket it in one hand and his other is holding mine as we weave our way through the forest. I can hear the water get louder with each step that we take and I wonder just how big this waterfall is.
“We’re going to come out below it, but we can hike up so that you can look down at the falls if you want,” Teller explains as he holds a branch back for me.
I step past him and my breath catches as I see the view that greets me.
Everything is green and lush. There are wildflowers and tall grass growing all around the base of the falls. The waterfall is about the size of our apartment building back home, about three stories tall and I’m surprised at how clean the water looks.
“It runs out this way, down the river, and into Lake Michigan.”
I step closer to the base of the falls and reach down, dipping my fingers in the cool water. Teller is behind me, smoothing out the picnic blanket and setting the basket down, but he joins me.
“We can go swimming if you want. We might want to wait until it’s dark out so that no tourists join us.”
“Will it be dark soon?” I ask, not wanting to leave this place so soon.
“No, we’ve got an hour or so. Plus, I brought a lantern and two flashlights.”
“I bet Bandit would love it here.”