Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller Page B

mane bunched in her fist against the wind.
    She grinned at Missy. “I guess—for an old, married man.”
    “Raine!”
    “Oh, you mean Cal.” She pursed her lips, and rubbed her chin. “If you like the surf-bum type.” Cal was gorgeous no matter what kind of guy you liked, but she sure wasn’t telling his sister.
    Missy’s shoulders slumped. “So, what about Jayson? He’s so amazing!” Missy chattered the rest of the way back to the cabin about Jayson.
    Raine waved to Missy and headed across the athletic field toward the laundry. She felt her back pocket to make sure the note was still there—like she’d need a ticket to get onto the laundry porch. Aly had left a note on her pillow inviting her to hang out. Things had been better between them since the driving lesson, but this was the first time Aly had asked her to do something. No way was she going to miss this.
    She could see two dark forms as she came around the back corner of the building. Cal sat on a crate leaning against the building. Aly lay on her back with her feet propped against the wall next to Cal.
    “How was campfire?” Aly said.
    Aly must have told Cal she was coming since he wasn’t surprised to see her.
    “Cold. Wind’s kicking up.”
    “Kicking eternity,” Cal said.
    Aly nudged Cal with her foot. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “I’m reading Sacred Hoops  written by Phil Jackson when he coached the Chicago Bulls. Jackson kicks against his parents’ take on eternity.”
    Aly reached for the bottle beside her and took a drink.
    “Sounds like a yawner.”
    Cal took a drink from his bottle. “Want some?” He held it out to her.
    She knew the no alcohol on camp property rule, but drinking after Cal was too hard to resist. Wine cooler, she read on the label. This tasted more like soda, but with some foreign taste, like cough medicine, but not quite. She handed the bottle back.
    Cal peered at her as if he expected a repeat performance of her spitting out the beer. She made herself swallow. There.
    “Aly, what’s the book about you’re reading?” Raine had seen the book spread open on Aly’s bed for the last few days.
    Aly’s legs were crossed now, one propped against the building, one keeping time to an imaginary tom-tom. “Jodi Pi coult’s My Sister’s Keeper .”
    A laugh burst out of Cal. “That ought to jam the can opener into your issues.”
    Aly shot him a dirty look.
    She looked between Aly and Cal. They were at ease with each other, almost like siblings. The way it used to be with her and Eddie.
    “It’s not your business whether I get along with my sister.” Aly said, lightly.
    “Or anyone who reminds you of Kallie.” Cal looked pointedly from Aly to her.
    “What—”
    “Where’s Gar?” She didn’t know exactly what Cal was getting at, but she wasn’t going to let Aly storm off again.
    “He’ll be here soon.” Aly.
    “The guy has low-life written all over him. Al, when are you going to get some taste in men ?” Cal said.
    Her eyes narrowed at Cal. “I liked you until two minutes ago.”
    “Case in point.” Cal held his cooler up to her and took another swig.
    “What do you think about Gar?” Aly turned toward her.
    “Eye candy.”
    Aly burst out laughing.
    Cal’s crate thumped to the porch from where he’d been balancing on one edge. “Raine! I can’t believe you said that!”
    Raine shrugged. “An honest opinion.”
    “What do you think about Cal?” Aly asked.
    Aly’s question wrenched on the adrenaline spigot in her stomach and she could feel it snaking through her body. She scrounged for a normal tone. “You’re the second person to ask me that tonight.”
    “Who was the other person?” Cal said.
    “Your sister.”
    “Figures. And your final answer is?” Cal moved from the crate to the floor bringing him to her eye level.
    Never mind that Aly was sitting two feet from Cal, the bungee cord of attraction stretched taut between them. She shrugged as though she didn’t have