Dedra glanced over at Cindy. "I thought you got groceries this morning while I was cleaning the whole house."
Cindy's cheeks turned pink, making her even prettier. "Sorry. I got dresses?"
I laughed. "And, you have no room to talk. Cleaning doesn't including shoving shit under the beds and in the closets."
Cindy glanced at Dedra and gasped dramatically. "You didn't!"
"I did." Dedra shrugged before turning and darting down the hall. Cindy ran after her, the two of them laughing as her blue dress danced around her.
"I need this." Emily picked up a cookie. "I swear I'm turning into a statue. A cold, unfeeling, solid form."
"No. Not you." I moved in behind her and squeezed her shoulders, massaging her neck as I glanced out the large window that sat over the sink in the kitchen. "We'll change that. You just have to stop defining the tight lines around your life."
"How do I do that?" She let out a huff and shoved the cookie in her mouth. "How do I get out of this shell—and don't you dare say something about my clothes."
I laughed and released her. "Fine, but when you're ready to start living a little, come talk to me without borders erected all around you. No walls. No protection. Just you, and I'll help."
"Whatever. Why are you a business major again? I still think you'd make a great counselor." She turned to face me as she licked at her fingers.
"That is not on the approved list of career choices, Cora Beatrix Ross." I shook my finger at her like my father had done to me a million times.
"So dumb." She turned back to the window and leaned toward it. "Look at all those half-naked people. Ugh."
I laughed and worked my hair into a messy bun that the wind would ruin in a matter of seconds. "Come on. Call shotgun or Dedra will and you'll be pissy about it."
"Shotgun!" Emily yelled as she walked to the hallway with her hands cupped over her mouth.
"Really?" Dedra walked out. "You know I've been waiting to ride shotgun in that new Beamer."
"You'll get your chance. I might even let you drive it." I picked up the keys and wagged my eyebrows at her.
"No, you won't. Not if you're smart." Cindy grabbed a large straw hat and put it on her head. No one should be able to pull off something so gaudy, but she was doing it beautifully.
"Don't start with me again." Dedra gave Cindy a warning look.
"Oh, this sounds interesting." Emily opened the door and smiled. "What happened?"
"Dedra almost wrecked the boat because of some beautiful chocolate man that was half naked lying out on his peer two days ago." Cindy shook her head and walked out on the deck.
"Beautiful chocolate man?" I walked out after her and laughed deep in my chest.
Serenity wrapped around me due to the beautiful scene before me. The lake was vast, and the dark blue water almost seemed to sparkle right along the surface. The sun sat at the top of the sky, and the tall trees all around us rustled with the force of the wind. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, not hearing the response to my question. I didn't care about anything for the moment but finding my center and trying to release the last four years to the past.
"Hey, you can meditate or do that yoga mess later. I'm hungry." Emily bumped her shoulder against mine, pulling me out of my mini-moment.
"Always about you." I winked as she gave me a look. She was the most giving person I knew. If any of us were selfish, it was me. I was raised to be and had worked hard to get over it, but it lingered—a lot.
"Tell me about the boat." Emily opened her door, directing her question at Cindy and Dedra.
"It's a small speedboat," Dedra started.
I got in and started the car, almost pulling out as a group of bikers rode just behind us. I slammed on the brakes, let out a yelp and jerked around, causing my friends to do the same.
"Damn." I shook my head and let the car roll back slowly.
"Yeah, those bikers are everywhere." Cindy patted my shoulder from the backseat. "Just be careful and we'll be fine. You can actually rent a bike at the lodge if you want. Might be fun one day?"
"Absolutely." Emily turned in her seat. "And, is the boat nice or a piece of shit they just threw in thinking we wouldn't use it?"