wasn’t going to give me a sex talk was she?
“Okay,” I said nervously. I quickly grabbed the salad bowl. “I’ll meet you outside.” I wondered if loneliness was getting to Nana. Grandpa had been gone for over ten years.
Everyone engaged in Please pass this, please pass that , until we all had what we wanted on our plates. This was followed by the muffled sounds of munching with appreciative moans thrown in for good measure. Once the initial hunger was staved off, the conversation began.
“We have Tor and Jolene here,” Nana said. “So, where’s your girlfriend, Mark?”
“Yeah, where’s your girlfriend, Mark,” Luke mimicked.
“No time for girls, Nana,” Mark said, picking corn from his teeth. “Besides I’m leaving soon. I’ll find a girl in Calgary.”
“Careful, Mark,” Luke jibed. “You’re going to make Mom cry.”
“I’m already crying,” Mom said good-naturedly. “Every night in my pillow. When I’m not stroking his baby picture.”
“I’ll have to peel your mom off you at the airport,” Dad added with a grin. “It’s gonna be embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Luke said. “Tor’s here now. Soon you’ll forget all about Mark.”
I gave Luke the evil eye. That was hardly funny and by the muted laughter, I could tell everyone agreed with me.
“Just joking,” Luke said defensively. “By the way, Tor, what was with the big search and rescue thing the other week? Your way of making sure we all get to know the new guy?”
If Luke were closer I would’ve kick him in the shins. As it was, he still shouted out, “Ow.”
“Shut up, Luke,” Jolene said. Ah, so she did the kicking. I’d have to thank her later. “You’re being an idiot.”
“Hey, no offense, man. Just asking. It’s not like I’m the only one.”
“I slipped off the wet rocks,” Tor said politely. “It was an accident.”
“Sure man,” Luke said. “No big deal. You’re all right, that’s the main thing.”
I jumped in. “Can someone pass the salt?”
We made it through the rest of dinner and all the additional awkward moments. I excused myself and went upstairs. When I returned, I was ready.
“We’re going back to the beach,” I said, collecting dirty dishes. “I’ll be home after the fireworks.”
Tor and I walked along the beach where the bonfire had been, hand in hand. I held my sandals in my free hand, enjoying the feeling of sand dragging between my toes.
“Sorry for the inquisition back there,” I said.
Tor chuckled. “Actually, I expected worse.”
“Luke was in his best worst form, and I don’t know what was wrong with Nana.”
“They’re just protective of you. You’re the only girl and the youngest child; I’d be worried if they didn’t show concern when you bring boys home.”
“I don’t bring boys home. You’re the only boy.”
“What about Colby Johnston.”
Oh, what did he know about that? Or worse, what did he think he knew?
“He’s just a friend, almost like a brother.”
“I don’t think he sees you as a sister.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Guys can tell when they like the same girl. I’m sure it’s the same with girls who like the same guy.”
He had a point.
“I know Colby likes me,” I admitted. “He’s told me so, himself. I just don’t feel that way about him.”
We slowed to a stop and I looked at Tor, working up the courage to present the question I was dying to ask him.
“Well, I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to ask you for an early birthday present. I know it’s still over three weeks away, but I can’t wait.”
“Um, okay. What is it?”
“Will you take me swimming?”
“What?”
I knew he heard me; he just couldn’t believe what I’d asked for, because we both knew what that meant.
I stared into his bright eyes. “I want to go swimming with you.”
“Now?”
“It’s starting to get dark and we can go to your cove where it’s secluded.”
“I see you’ve thought this
“Okay,” I said nervously. I quickly grabbed the salad bowl. “I’ll meet you outside.” I wondered if loneliness was getting to Nana. Grandpa had been gone for over ten years.
Everyone engaged in Please pass this, please pass that , until we all had what we wanted on our plates. This was followed by the muffled sounds of munching with appreciative moans thrown in for good measure. Once the initial hunger was staved off, the conversation began.
“We have Tor and Jolene here,” Nana said. “So, where’s your girlfriend, Mark?”
“Yeah, where’s your girlfriend, Mark,” Luke mimicked.
“No time for girls, Nana,” Mark said, picking corn from his teeth. “Besides I’m leaving soon. I’ll find a girl in Calgary.”
“Careful, Mark,” Luke jibed. “You’re going to make Mom cry.”
“I’m already crying,” Mom said good-naturedly. “Every night in my pillow. When I’m not stroking his baby picture.”
“I’ll have to peel your mom off you at the airport,” Dad added with a grin. “It’s gonna be embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Luke said. “Tor’s here now. Soon you’ll forget all about Mark.”
I gave Luke the evil eye. That was hardly funny and by the muted laughter, I could tell everyone agreed with me.
“Just joking,” Luke said defensively. “By the way, Tor, what was with the big search and rescue thing the other week? Your way of making sure we all get to know the new guy?”
If Luke were closer I would’ve kick him in the shins. As it was, he still shouted out, “Ow.”
“Shut up, Luke,” Jolene said. Ah, so she did the kicking. I’d have to thank her later. “You’re being an idiot.”
“Hey, no offense, man. Just asking. It’s not like I’m the only one.”
“I slipped off the wet rocks,” Tor said politely. “It was an accident.”
“Sure man,” Luke said. “No big deal. You’re all right, that’s the main thing.”
I jumped in. “Can someone pass the salt?”
We made it through the rest of dinner and all the additional awkward moments. I excused myself and went upstairs. When I returned, I was ready.
“We’re going back to the beach,” I said, collecting dirty dishes. “I’ll be home after the fireworks.”
Tor and I walked along the beach where the bonfire had been, hand in hand. I held my sandals in my free hand, enjoying the feeling of sand dragging between my toes.
“Sorry for the inquisition back there,” I said.
Tor chuckled. “Actually, I expected worse.”
“Luke was in his best worst form, and I don’t know what was wrong with Nana.”
“They’re just protective of you. You’re the only girl and the youngest child; I’d be worried if they didn’t show concern when you bring boys home.”
“I don’t bring boys home. You’re the only boy.”
“What about Colby Johnston.”
Oh, what did he know about that? Or worse, what did he think he knew?
“He’s just a friend, almost like a brother.”
“I don’t think he sees you as a sister.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Guys can tell when they like the same girl. I’m sure it’s the same with girls who like the same guy.”
He had a point.
“I know Colby likes me,” I admitted. “He’s told me so, himself. I just don’t feel that way about him.”
We slowed to a stop and I looked at Tor, working up the courage to present the question I was dying to ask him.
“Well, I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to ask you for an early birthday present. I know it’s still over three weeks away, but I can’t wait.”
“Um, okay. What is it?”
“Will you take me swimming?”
“What?”
I knew he heard me; he just couldn’t believe what I’d asked for, because we both knew what that meant.
I stared into his bright eyes. “I want to go swimming with you.”
“Now?”
“It’s starting to get dark and we can go to your cove where it’s secluded.”
“I see you’ve thought this
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