Motorcycles, Sushi & One Strange Book by Nancy N. Rue

Author:Nancy N. Rue [Nancy Rue ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780310575917
Publisher: Zondervan

When I was down on the beach that night watching the water turn pink like I now did every night, Lou came down and joined me.

“Why are those fishermen giving me the hairy eyeball?” he said to me under his breath when he’d waded out to me.

I squinted at the two guys who were standing offshore with their long lines pulled tight over the water. “Does ‘hairy eyeball’ mean it looks like they wish we’d go away?”

“Pretty much.”

I made a note to self to remember that next time Bonsai looked at me that way. “It’s probably because they do wish we’d go away,” I said. “Or at least me.”

“What did you do, Jess?”

“The first night I came out here I was messing around in the water and that one guy said I was scaring the fish away.”

“Define ‘messing around,’” Lou said. His mouth was jittering at the corners.

“I was just bodysurfing and I went crooked and got tangled up in their thing–their line.”

His lips stopped twitching. “Back up. You were bodysurfing?”

“Yeah. You taught me.”

“You can’t be out here swimming by yourself. It’s too dangerous.”

“That wasn’t in the box.”

“It is now. If you want to swim, let me know and I’ll come be lifeguard.”

First a babysitter. Now a lifeguard. What was next?

“We clear on that?” Lou said.

“Uh-huh.”

“Jess.”

I stopped scooping up sea foam and looked at him. He was swallowing the Ping-Pong ball again.

“This is serious,” he said. “Look at me and tell me you get it.”

“I get it,” I said to the foam on my arm.

“Hey.” Lou tilted my chin up with his finger.

“I get it,” I said.

I tried not to pull my eyes away until he did. It didn’t work. He let my chin go and glanced at the fishermen. “Just so you know, they don’t own the beach. It’s not like they’re making a living at it.”

“So, can I bodysurf right now?” I said. It was the only way I could think of to end this conversation.

“Absolutely. But let me get this out of the way first. Tomorrow is Friday. You know that means–”

“That I’ve been here a week, and my mom will be out of the hospital next week.”

For probably the first time ever he looked like he didn’t have a comeback. Then he shook his head.

“What do you mean, no?” I said, my voice heading upward.

“I mean, no, that isn’t what I was going to say. Tomorrow is Friday, and Weezie is coming. You ready to try this again?”

I didn’t ask if it mattered what I was ready for.

“I’ve talked to her, Jess,” he said. “She won’t be throwing anything in your face. I expect the same from you.”

“I don’t have anything to throw,” I said.

“You have the fact that you’re here with me all the time and she isn’t. I know that isn’t a big deal to you, but it is to her.”

I couldn’t help looking at him closer. His voice sounded sad.

“What’s wrong?” he said.

“Do you want her to live with you all the time?” I said.

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