Keanna

 

Awesome. My last mid-term of the semester is complete and I’m pretty sure I aced it. All that studying of historical facts with Jett last night helped solidify the information in my mind, and I was one of the first students in my massive class to finish taking the test. If only everything in life was as simple as memorizing a bunch of dates and definitions.

The warm spring sun welcomes me as I step out of the freezing cold college building. I swear, it’s like they use ninety percent of our tuition money to keep the air conditioner running twenty four hours a day. But it’s not my problem for the next nine days, because it’s finally Spring Break.

I check my phone and find one new text from my adoptive mom, Becca.

 

If you get out soon enough, come by La Tapitia for some lunch! I’m meeting Bay at 1.

 

I check the time, and grin when I see I got out at the perfect time to meet them. Jumping in my Mustang that’s all shiny and smells good since Jett washed it for me recently, I head toward the best Mexican restaurant in town.

It’s a little busier than usual, but I guess Friday before Spring Break has everyone in a go-out-and-celebrate mood. I park across from my mom’s car and head into the packed restaurant.

The hostess table at the front has at least two dozen people standing around waiting to be seated. I need to squeeze through them to go find my mom and her best friend inside, but I don’t want to be rude, so I kind of stand here a minute. Eventually, the crowd thins as a hostess takes a large group to their table.

I slide up behind two women who smell like they donned a little too much perfume this  morning, but they’re blocking my way into the restaurant. I should just ask them to move over a bit, but being bold and standing up for myself has never been my strong suit.

“Da-aamn,” one of the women says in this overly sexual way that catches my attention. “Don’t make it obvious,” she says, turning toward her friend, “but check out the guys behind me.”

Her friend peeks over her shoulder, then her eyes widen and she grins. “Oh hell yes. We should ask if they want company,” she says, primping her hair. “I want the one on the left. No—right. Hell, I don’t care. I’ll take them both.”

Her friend pushes her playfully in the arm. “You have to leave one for me. I’ll take either one, they’re both hot as hell.”

I wonder if they know they’re being loud enough for me, a total stranger, to overhear every word. They shift over to get a better peek at the hot guys, and I find a way around them, only to see exactly who they’re talking about.

My dad and Jett’s dad.

I burst out laughing, unable to hold it back. Knowing the women are totally watching me right now, I walk quickly up to Park, the man who adopted me and pretty much saved my life, and say, “Hey guys! Have you seen that amazing artwork by the door?” I point to the door, which makes it look like I’m pointing to the women who are gawking at them.

Jace and Park look right at them, trying to find the artwork, and the women turn a deep shade of red and turn around.

I laugh. “Never mind, you can’t really see it from here. So what are ya’ll doing here?”

“My wife said they were getting some Mexican food, and we happened to be nearby so we decided we also wanted Mexican food,” Jace explains. He pulls back the chair next to him. “Have a seat, kiddo.”

I’m twenty years old, but he still calls me that.

“Where are they?” I ask, secretly hoping those two women will still be watching when the guys they were drooling over have beautiful wives join them at the table.

“Bathroom,” my dad says.

A few seconds later, my mom and Bayleigh appear, but the drooling women are gone. Damn. We place our order with the waiter.

“How’d your test go?” Mom asks me.

“Really good,” I say. “I think I’ll be keeping my 4.0 intact.”

She squeezes my hand. “I’m so proud of you.”

My mom’s hair is darker since she recently dyed it, and I think it makes her look younger than it did when she had it highlighted. I can notice the very fine wrinkles on the corners of her eyes, the ones she hates and always complains about, but they make me smile. Those wrinkles are there because she cares. She worries and she loves and she actually cares about me.

“Where are the babies?” I ask, feeling stupid that it’s been like ten minutes and I didn’t think about my own little brother. Jett also has a little sister and they are usually always with our moms.

“At the track,” Mom says. “Betsy is watching them.”

Jace says my name. “So are you excited for this week?”

“I’m excited about the time off school, and the races, but not the driving,” I say with a laugh.

Jace nods. “There is too much driving in motocross. It’s ridiculous.”

“Jett makes it fun, but it’s still hours of driving, so it can only get so fun before it’s awful.” I say, curling my lip.

He has three arenacross races this week and instead of being stuck at home in school, I’m going with him this time. The first race is in Dallas, then San Antonio a few days later, and two days after that, we’ll be driving to Vegas. You can’t fly when you have to haul your own dirt bike. Team Loco, which is Jett’s sponsorship team, doesn’t have any official races this week, so Jett is racing arenacross both for fun, and to keep up his standing as the man to beat. Right now he’s ranked number one in his racing class in the whole region. I can’t wait until the nationals race where he’ll become number one in the whole country.

“Remember that time we drove from Texas to California?” My dad says to my mom.

Her eyes widen. “Oh my god, that was the worst! I mean it ended up being fun, but the initial drive sucked. You had to get a new truck and everything.”

“Wow,” I say. “When did that happen?” 

Mom smiles like she does when she’s recalling something special. “Years ago. We were supposed to fly, and then the airport was closed, and then his truck broke down, so we had to buy a new one, and then all the hotels were booked—”

“It was Christmas,” Dad says. He looks at my mom and his eyes soften. “But we made it special, right?”

She melts up against his shoulder. “Yes, we did.”

I smile, even though it’s a little awkward seeing them in one of their special romantic moments. My phone vibrates from my purse, and I bend down to get it.

“Hello?” I say.

“Heyyy babe,” Jett says back. His voice always makes my knees week. Good thing I’m sitting. “How was your test?”

“It was good. How was your practice?”

“It was perfection, as always,” he says with a chuckle. I can tell he’s a little out of breath which means he just got done riding. He’s probably covered in sweat, with the veins bulging on his muscles, which is literally the hottest state he can be in. It’s a shame I’m not there to witness it.

“I’m eating lunch with the parents,” I say.

“Which parents?”

“All of them.”

He laughs. “You poor thing. Have they embarrassed the hell out of you yet?”

“Not yet, but once they realize who I’m talking to, I’m sure they will.”

That gets Jace’s attention and he turns to me. “Talking to Jett?” he asks.

“Nope,” I say quickly. “I’m talking to a platonic girl friend.”

“Is that why you’re blushing?” Dad says.

“Oh my God, ya’ll are the worst,” I say.

On the phone, Jett laughs. “I’m sorry, baby. When you get done, come home. I need your help packing.”

“Don’t worry, “ I say, giving the parents the evil eye as they playfully make fun of me for being so in love. “I’ll be there soon.”