Pop and I arrive at our house minutes apart, but he remains in the detached garage to tinker with my Harley that he claims sounds weird. I ditch him and hurry to where my mom waits on the front porch with Rando nearby on the graveled driveway. My mom shines in a simple white T-shirt and jeans. My sister does not look nearly as good wearing a pajama top and bottom along with fluffy bunny slippers. I ignore Rando and go straight for Mom’s outstretched arms.

“Welcome home,” Mom says and wraps me into an embrace. She gives the best hugs, so I hold onto her a little longer than usual. “Do you feel better?” she asks, ruining my happy mood.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“About the boy you like?” she asks, standing back and looking over my shoulder for Pop who still hasn’t left the garage.

“He’s great, yeah, but I meant about—”

Her warm brown eyes remain calm, meaning she had no clue about my upcoming move.

“Didn’t Pop tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

I take her hands and give her my best smile. “You’re so special to me.”

“Don’t pull your pop’s moves with me. I love you, baby, but you lack his something-something to make it work.”

“She means his dick,” Rando says from where she plays with two of our dogs.

“No, I don’t.”

“She nearly lived in the bathroom while Pop was gone,” Rando announces without looking at us. “Missing Pop made her she-bop a lot.”

“I drink more when I’m nervous, and that makes me pee more,” Mom says and then rolls her eyes. “Geez, why am I explaining my bathroom visits to you?”

“Guilt,” Rando says and stands up. “Shame maybe.”

Walking past our annoyed mom, Rando barrels into Pop and whispers something before letting him go.

“Of course, she missed me,” Pop says and grins at Mom. “I’m me.”

“Glad to see your ego didn’t get lost during the trip,” she says as he plants a kiss on her waiting lips.

Rando and I patiently wait for our parents to finish their sloppy display. Suddenly, my sister decides she doesn’t care how things pan out and leaves. I consider following her into the house, but I’m curious why Pop didn’t tell Mom about my move.

“What were you supposed to tell me?”

Pop glances at me. “Let your daughter explain.”

Mom gives me that “what did you do?” look she’s honed over the years. “Hey, save your disappointment for Colt. He’s the loser of the family.”

“Your brother isn’t a loser.”

“He’s an unrepentant poonhound spreading super gonorrhea all over town.”

“Don’t deflect.”

“Fine, Mother. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to move to White Horse this week to live closer to my boyfriend, Casper Hayes, who’s totally awesome.”

My big declaration loses steam toward the end when Mom’s mouth pops open in shock. Pop’s made too many cutesy comments about her lips doing an “O” over the years for me not to get stumped when I see it.

“Why is this happening?” she asks Pop.

“He conned her into it.”

“No conning took place.”

Pop waves me off immediately. “The asshole had a house picked out right away. Seems as if he had a plan ready for whenever he conned a girl into saying yes.”

“Should we even allow this?” Mom asks.

“I’m an adult.”

“You don’t have enough saved up to live on your own.”

“I have enough until I get a job. I bet my rich boyfriend will float me a loan too.”

“Do you really want to owe him like that?” Mom asks, tilting her head like a helpful friend rather than a disapproving mother.

“I’m not against reneging on the debt. I’m the daughter of the local crime boss.”

“And he’s the son of one too. I can’t imagine he’ll like you screwing him over.”

“Oh, don’t worry about Cap. He’s an angel.”

Mom shifts her stance and stares at Pop. “Coop, I think we should talk about this alone.”

“I’m an adult, and I’ll do what I want!” I nearly scream.

My parents barely acknowledge me before heading to the door. I think of what Cap told me the night before when I tried bullying him into staying at the pool for another hour.

“Before you embrace your stubborn diva, ask yourself whether arrogance suits your goals. Sometimes, the best way to win is to act as if you’re prepared to lose. People will lower their guards around losers a hell of a lot faster than when they’re facing a defiant winner.”

Taking his advice, I hurry after my parents and embrace a softer tone. “Mom, the rental house I’ll stay at has those weird checkerboard floors you like.”

Mom glances back at me and smiles warmly. She’s only coddling me. Until she and Pop hash out my situation, nothing I say will matter.

Ditching them, I carry my bag into the house and upstairs. I look around my room—which Pop calls princess punk wannabe—and realize I’m saying goodbye to the only home I’ve ever known. My siblings lived in another house during the years this massive cabin-style mini-mansion was built. Pop and Mom often talk fondly of their first place together.

This giant house is all I’ve known, and I’m unsure if I can actually leave it. When Cap stood next to me, I easily embraced the idea of moving. Staying with him was all I thought about until this moment standing in my room. Now I’m already homesick.

“If you leave, can I have your room for my cat?” Rando asks from the doorway.

I study my sister gnawing on beef jerky. “No, and you don’t have a cat.”

“I might get one if she can have her own room.”

“I’ll need a place to sleep when I visit, so I’m keeping my room.”

Rando nods and walks to my bed where the black and white comforter rests half on the floor. The colors remind me of the floor of the rental house. I’m both excited and scared by the thought of waking up in that place.

“Don’t be a baby,” Rando says, taking my hand and yanking me toward the bed. “You’re a grownup, and adults move.”

“You’re a grownup too.”

“In age only. Mentally, I still need my mom and pop to take care of me.”

“You just don’t want to pay for shit.”

Nodding, she mumbles with her mouth full. “I’m cheap, yes.”

“Do you want to see a picture of Cap?”

“What is a cap?”

“It’s my guy’s name.”

“Like a soda cap?”

“No, dumb-dumb, it’s short for Casper.”

“Why not Cas?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m going to call him Cas.”

“Don’t, please.”

“What?”

Rolling my eyes, I show her a picture of Cap from the pool. I’d pretended to need to pee so I could get a shot of him in all his shirtless, wet glory.

“That man will kill you.”

“He’s actually sweet. Like how Pop is scary to other people but sweet with Mom.”

“He’ll roll over on you in bed or kill you with his tool. I’m not good with grief, so you can’t die. I’m still upset over Rusty’s death.”

“Who?”

“Rusty was Pop-Pop’s dog that died when I was three.”

“Shouldn’t you be more upset about Pop-Pop’s death than a dog’s?”

“Our grandfather was old, lived a good life, and died peacefully. Rusty was barely out of puppyhood and got smashed by a truck. He never had a chance to bang any girl dogs before his head got smooshed.”

“Thanks for the visual.”

“I might kill the man who ran over him. Not right now since I’m busy with stuff, but one day, I probably will.”

“Who ran over him?”

“Uncle Tucker.”

“You’re not killing family.”

“Don’t plan out my life, Audrey. You haven’t even gotten Mom and Pop to agree to your move.”

“They don’t have to agree.”

Rando stands up and kicks my blanket out of the way. “Yes, they do. Pop will lock you up and keep you a prisoner until Cas moves onto another woman. A man with his giant tool probably has many women to plug.”

“I’m irreplaceable. He wanted me right away.”

“He probably wants every attractive woman he sees.”

“No. He’s picky. Not all men are like Colton.”

“Thank goodness, or his super syphilis would be an epidemic within weeks. I’d never be able to get plugged without worrying about my uterus falling out.”

Frowning at my sister, I mutter, “I don’t think you paid enough attention in sex ed class.”

“I didn’t pay attention at all.”

“Well, then trust me when I say I know more about men and sex than you. Cap is a picky winner.”

“And he likes you?”

“Yes. Is that so shocking?”

“You wouldn’t be my first choice of a woman, no.”

“Well, I don’t want to date you either.”

“Are you sure? I can cook, and I’ll have a cat one day,” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“You can cook three things, and I don’t want a cat.”

“Then we shouldn’t date,” Rando says, leaning down to flick the bunny face on her slipper. “Does Cas know how to cook or have a cat?”

“I don’t know.”

“What if he wants a dozen cats and can’t cook at all? Will you move back then?”

“I don’t know.”

Tearing off a bite of her jerky, Rando walks to the door. “If Lily asks those questions, you’ll want to lie better. Otherwise, she’ll worry you’re rushing into a bunghole relationship with a stranger from Tennessee.”

Watching my sister disappear out the room, I worry she actually has a point. I don’t know Cap. He’s a stranger. He doesn’t know me. I’m a stranger. What the fuck are we thinking?

Then I look at the picture on the phone where he stands casually in the deep end of the pool. I zero in on the casual, little smile he wears and remember how often he made me smile. If anyone is worth making a mistake over, it’s my super-sized hunk.