Summer's Last Breath

Part 3

It took all of twenty minutes for the five of them to totally devour every scrap of food laid out, and another ten to clean off the table. Everyone pitched in, and since we had used paper plates and plastic utensils, it was only a matter of throwing everything in a trash bag. I held it open while my dad dumped the empty plates inside.


"Thanks, Erin. For helping out. As usual, everything was delicious." He wore a heather gray t-shirt with "Navy" written across the chest with a pair of athletic shorts. Pretty much standard issue for him. I sometimes wondered if his lack of style contributed to the crumbling of his and my mom's relationship. I noticed the few men I'd seen my mom date all had that metrosexual look going for them. Not a reason in and of itself to dump a marriage, but it's what I thought happened to their relationship: the slow build up of a bunch of little things that became this one big irreconcilable thing.

"These guys are easy to please." I picked up the empty casserole dish and took it back into the kitchen to soak. When I came back out, Ross and Donovan were already in the pool. Lassie was in the process of taking off his shirt and Jamie had claimed a spot on one of the lounge chairs. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, one arm behind his head. He tossed the volleyball in the air with the other. 


"So, Native, what would happen if you got in?" Donovan stood in the shallow end of the pool, the water level hitting right above tapered hips and under his broad chest and shoulders. I knew he was just curious, but I was offended on Jamie's behalf. Not that the question was out of line. The nickname they'd given him over lunch was what bothered me. Native sounded so derogatory. Not that it wasn't true. He was a native in the truest sense of the word. But if Jamie wasn't bothered by it-and obviously he wasn't-I had no right to be. I didn't know whether it was from having read his file and knowing the way he had been so clinically analyzed down to a microscopic level, like he was some kind of laboratory specimen, but I had this protective streak growing where Jamie was concerned. A ludicrous idea if I ever heard one. Jamie didn't need me, or anyone else, protecting him. 


"Considering the amount of food I just consumed, it wouldn't be pretty." Jamie tossed the volleyball to Ross just as Lassie cannonballed off the diving board. 


"Yeah, then stay right there dude. Ross here's got a weak stomach. You wouldn't want to start a barf fest." 
Donovan was the youngest of the group-a freshly minted nineteen-and was clearly the social director. He was all about playing games and competition.


"Hey, Erin. How about you and me take on these two wussies?" Donovan pulled the net sitting on the side of the pool into the water. I smiled at his word choice-"wussies"-knowing if I weren't around he would have used a more colorful, offensive one. They definitely watched their mouths when I was around. I'd listened to them plenty of times from my room. It was usually, f'ing this, and f'ing that. I got the censored version of these guys.


"What?" I asked, doing my best to sound disinterested. This was usually when I excused myself and went to my room or left the house in general. But Jamie wasn't usually here so I decided to stick around.


"You got a suit on under that don't you?" He indicated my black cover-up with the dip of his chin. 


"Yeah." 


"Then come on. Water's fine." He smiled and splashed water in my direction. 


"Donovan," Ross warned as if some code of conduct had been violated.


"I'm not hitting on her. Jeez Louise." Donovan turned when my dad came back from putting the trash in the can and yelled, "Hey, Marshall, you'll let Erin engage in a little two on two, won't you?"


"Go ahead." My dad took a seat at the outdoor bar and smiled from behind his dark shades. Other than a few gray hairs and some fine lines around his eyes and mouth, he fit in well with these guys. He was certainly as fit as they were, despite the twenty-five or so years he had on them. "In fact, I dare you guys to try to keep up with her."