Hal usually drives his truck through, filled with coolers of water for everyone, and then Ruby will drive her vintage teal Camaro that matches the diner’s interior. Then comes the firetruck, then me. Behind me, other local businesses like the dentist, hair salon, and sometimes the bookstore will throw something together. It’s simple and quirky, but it’s Oakridge through and through.
My legs are already burning up under the mid-morning sun, and I’m thankful the town is small. Driving the convertible with the top down means the air conditioner is practically useless, but luckily, the drive should last less than an hour. I grab a water out of the cooler I packed, thankful for my planning.
The drums and brass from the marching band fill the air, signaling that things are kicking off. Sure enough, water sprays onto the pavement and bystanders as the firetruck rolls past. I ease my way onto Main Street and enter the parade.
As I straighten the car and look at the crowd, my eyes find MJ almost immediately. She’s standing with our friends on the sidewalk, wearing white shorts and a red tank top. Her hair’s up in a bun, and I guarantee it’s being held by a blue scrunchie. She looks gorgeous as always.
Seeing her and our friends waving and smiling at me gives me a crazy idea, and I’m not sure she’ll be up for it but fuck it.
I throw the car in park and flip on the hazards. Don’t need to get rear-ended by whoever’s behind me. Hopping out, I jog over to the sidewalk, straight to MJ and our friends, and reach out my hand.
MJ bites her lip, and I silently beg her to take my hand. She looks down the street where the entire town is standing and watching the parade. Looking back at me, then over at Shannon who nods with a huge grin on her face, MJ finally nods.
In that moment, I realize how real this is for her. Even though she puts on a brave face, she cares what the town says and thinks about me—and now her by association. The realization humbles me, and I promise myself to never take her loyalty for granted again when she reaches out and takes my hand.
From behind, I hear Austin yell an exasperated and whiny “Dude!” like a child not getting his turn on the ride. MJ must hear it too because she reaches back with her free hand to grab Shannon, who then grabs Blake, who grabs Austin, who then grabs Beck. Beck reaches for Sophie, who says something about being too pregnant, but I’m already dragging my girl and our friends to my car.
MJ hops into the passenger seat beside me, and the others pile into the back, some of them on top of the backseat, just like Mom and Dad’s friends used to.
A warmth spreads in my chest as I put the car back into drive and continue on with the parade. Now I understand why my parents’ faces were so full of joy whenever they shared those stories with me.
After driving through town, making a big loop, and ending up back in front of Spoon, we part ways with our friends. MJ and I grab some refreshing drinks before I park the Thunderbird back in the garage. Then we hop into my Chevelle and head out to her parents’ house for the barbecue and swimming.
I pull in next to Blake’s truck and hop out, jogging around to the passenger side to help MJ out of the car. She takes my hand, and I pull her into me, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you for riding with me in the parade.”
She smiles up at me. “It was fun! Maybe I’ll join you for the Labor Day Parade too.”
She presses her lips together, and I take a moment to process what she just implied. I kiss her forehead again and murmur, “Yeah, maybe.”
“I’ll be back in just a sec—gotta go get my bag,” MJ says, pulling away.
I grab my bag from the backseat, lock the car, and lean against the hood of my Chevelle, waiting for her. She bounces down the stairs, her bag over her shoulder hitting her thigh.
“Here, let me carry that for you,” I offer.
She flashes me a sweet smile and lets me take the bag off her shoulder. I sling it across my body and slide my hand into hers. “Come on, I want to show you something before everyone else gets here.”
We walk hand in hand toward the creek, where our friends’ conversation and the smell of barbecue fill the air. My body tenses as my eyes also land on Mr. And Mrs. Lawrence in the group. MJ squeezes my hand three times, and I smirk before she breaks away from me to greet her parents.
Shannon, Austin, and Blake are taking off their top layers and helping each other with sunscreen, so I head over to them to say hi.
“You guys joining us?” Austin calls out.
I nod. “In a bit, got something to show MJ first.”
Austin and Blake respond with a bunch of “ooos” and “awws” and I crack a smile as I walk away. I stop near the tents, with ours on the outskirts, and I wait for MJ to catch my eye. When she does, I jerk my chin, and she walks toward me, understanding.
“What did you want to show me?”
I grab her hand and lead her to our tent. “I can’t take all the credit. The guys helped me out quite a bit. And don’t worry—I cleared it with your mom. But I wanted something special for us tonight. If you wanted to, maybe stay with me?” I ask hopefully.
MJ’s eyes glimmer in the afternoon sunlight and her cheeks flush pink. When we reach our tent, I unzip the front to lead her inside. It’s a spacious eight-person tent. but after getting a full-sized air mattress, sleeping bags, and a few books in here, there’s barely enough room for the two of us and our overnight bags. Whoever decides how many “men” can sleep in a tent is seriously deranged.
I let MJ walk in first and hear her gasp softly. She sets her bag down in a corner with mine and turns to look at me. “I love it.”
“Just wait.”
I step back outside and unzip part of the roof to reveal the mesh top that will keep the bugs out but allow us to look up at the stars and fireworks that will fill the sky later tonight. “Look up.” I hear another gasp. “Oh wow,” she whispers. I zip the roof back up to keep the tent as cool as possible while the sun makes its way across the sky today.
