Page 35 of Wrecked

He’s probably right. Emma is like me, a natural saver. Though our methods are different. My closet is filled with clothes, having every new fad and style when it comes out. The perk is, I don’t need to have the best, so getting the ten-dollar knockoff is fine with me. And I am not opposed to getting something vintage from The Salvation Army. Emma is the opposite. She probably has twenty shirts in her closet, but they’re all high-end, and she wears every single one of them.

We don’t spend beyond our means, and we know how to go without a few luxuries if it means getting what we want. Luke clearly missed out on the Paige family saver gene and is quite the spendthrift. He can blow through a hundred bucks on McDonald’s and a trip to CVS.

We walk over to Main Street where we parked Luke’s car and wait at the crosswalk for the light to change.

A Jeep Wrangler is coming down the street and starts honking at the sight of us. Jessica pulls over and gives us a wave.

“Hey, Leah!” She is wearing the teeniest tank top with a pair of super-cute green shorts.

Luke’s eyes linger a little too long on the double Ds, and I use my pointer finger to lift his fallen jaw up to his face.

“Day off?” she asks from behind her brown tortoise-shell sunglasses.

“I took an early shift. Grandma’s eightieth birthday. Emma’s coming home.” I spy a red-and-white cooler in the backseat.

“Sweet,” she says with a wide-mouthed smile. “Hey, any word on Victoria?”

I shake my head. “I’ve been asking around. No one’s heard from her.”

“That’s a bummer. Hey, listen, here’s a bonfire down by the lake. You should head out tonight.”

“I’m down,” Luke answers rather quickly.

I nudge him. “No one invited you.”

He leans on the window frame of Jessica’s car. That mop of red, wild and untamed hair falls on his forehead. “You wouldn’t turn away this smile, would you?”

I can’t see his face, but I know he’s giving her the Luke Paige grin. The one that works on his college girls, but there’s no way it’s gonna work on Jessica. She is way out of his league.

With a pat that an older sister would give a little brother, she touches his arm and says, “You can come play with the big kids tonight as long as your sister comes with. She’s been missing out on our playdates.”

Luke leans back and stretches his arms out in victory. “I’ll be there.”

I shove him aside. “We can’t. Family obligation.”

“Since when are you one to blow off a party? Bring your fine ass to the lake when Grandma leaves,” she teases me. Then, her head moves to the side. Something over my shoulder catches her attention. She lowers her sunglasses and gapes over the lenses. “Speaking of a fine ass…”

I turn around and see Adam walking out of the O’Toole Garage and across the street to the corner store. With his confident posture, he takes his steps as if he owns this town.

Jessica croons, “There’s something sexy about a man who is out to protect his community.”

I spin back around. “You like Adam?”

With a shy smile, she says, “I think he’s hot.”

I’m not used to girls thinking he’s attractive. He was really gawky in high school—until that growth spurt. When he did get hot, he started dating that girl Nina. Then, Brad died, and Adam’s been a bachelor ever since—not that I have been paying attention. I just like to know who’s dating whom in town.

I clasp my hands in front of my body. “Well, it was great seeing you. We have to go. Rain check on the lake?”

Jessica’s attention is drawn back to me. “Have fun with your family. I’ll swing by the Bronco on Saturday!”

Luke and I step away from the Jeep as she turns back into traffic and drives away.

He grabs his heart, leaning back a little. “Just one night, and I would die a happy man.”

Laughter erupts from my belly. With my hand on his head, I ruffle his hair and push him across the street. “Dream on, little brother. Dream on.”

When we get back to the house, Dad is busying himself with a casserole, and Mom is playing with the cats. I run over to the little old lady who is drinking a Tom Collins in the recliner in the living room.