“I don’t think she’s coming,” Noah said from the lawn chair beside her, fanning himself with one of the dozens of flyers they’d had printed. His skin glistened like burnished copper in the unseasonable heat. Technically, summer had ended the week before, but it would seem that no one had remembered to tell the weather.
“She said she’d be here.”
“If she was going to be here, she’d be here.”
Rose bit the inside of her cheek, torn between loyalty to her sister and the truth in Noah’s words. But before she could admit defeat, she brightened, recognizing a figure in the distance.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, pointing. “Told you.”
“Hate to break it to you, but that’s not Lisa.”
“Shut up,” she said, waving at Shawn as he made his way toward them through the parking lot.
“Well, if it isn’t the finest citizen in Buford County,” Noah said loudly. He took off his glasses, which had fogged up with sweat, and used his shirt to clean the lenses as Shawn jogged the last few steps to reach them. “Thanks for gracing us with your presence, your highness.”
Shawn swept his arms to the side and bowed theatrically. “At your service,” he said, flashing them one of his perfect, dazzling smiles. Just that afternoon, he’d been announced as the winner of the Buford County Citizenship Award, not that it was a surprise to anyone who knew him.
“Did you tell your dad yet? What did he say?” Rose asked.
Shawn shook his head. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, ignoring her question. “How’s it going so far?”
“Great. We’ve earned a whole fifteen bucks, plus these Cokes,” Noah said, holding up what was left of the six-pack the Food Mart manager, Mr. Rushkin, had given them when they arrived. “I guess he’s a big fan of Diane’s,” he said, referring to Rose’s stepmother. When Mr. Rushkin had spotted the VOTE FOR DIANE pin on Noah’s backpack, he’d practically forced the sodas into their hands.
Shawn grinned at Rose. “Hey, look at that, Rosie, you’re famous!”
Rose and Noah exchanged glances, sharing a small laugh. “Actually,” Noah said, “he thought I was Diane’s kid.”
Shawn wrinkled his nose. “But all Diane’s kids are girls.”
Noah shrugged, tossing Rose a knowing look. “I think we’re all interchangeable to some people,” he said, gesturing to his deep-brown skin.
“Oh.” Shawn’s smile flickered for a second before settling back in place. “Well, hey, a vote’s a vote, right? Plus, free drinks!” He pulled one of the remaining Coke cans from its plastic ring and cracked it open, taking a long swig.
Noah looked at Rose with raised eyebrows. Yikes, he mouthed, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
She stifled a giggle. Free drinks! she mouthed back, and he grinned.
Shawn lowered the can, turning to Noah. “Where’s Steph?”
Reality came crashing back over Rose at the mention of Noah’s new girlfriend, washing away the warmth that had been rising in her cheeks. Suddenly, she became very interested in her nail beds.
“She had to work. Where’s Lisa?”
Shawn finished his Coke in a second long gulp, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “At Charlene’s,” he said, his eyes surveying the parking lot. “Bonfire prep, you know.”
Rose’s shoulders fell at the nonchalant way he said it. As if this had always been the plan. As if Lisa hadn’t told her earlier that same day that she would be there, to make up for missing the last two fundraisers.
Shawn was still talking. “She said she was sorry she couldn’t—hold on a sec,” he said, swiping the coffee can from her hand.
Shawn approached a woman with a baby on her hip who was struggling to push a cartful of grocery bags out of the store. Rose couldn’t hear what he said to her, but a few seconds later, Shawn was steering the cart and the woman was trailing behind him, finger-combing her hair and attempting to surreptitiously straighten her blouse without dropping the baby.
“It’s like he has some sort of superpower,” Noah marveled as they watched the woman dig through her purse while Shawn loaded groceries into her car. He glanced at Rose, then tilted his head. “What’s with your face?”
Rose gave him a pointed look, and Noah sighed. “Rosie, I’m sure Lisa didn’t mean it personally. She probably just thought Charlene needed her help more than we did.”
“But this was important.”
“Maybe she thought that was important, too,” he said, unfolding himself from the chair. He gave her a small smile, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, okay? It means a lot.”
Rose’s heart gave a happy flutter, then promptly dropped into her stomach. They were only doing this because his grandmother had lost everything, yet here Rose was, practically giddy at his touch.
What was wrong with her?
“She gave me twenty bucks!” Shawn said, holding up the coffee can in triumph as he jogged back.
Noah laughed. “You just doubled our take for the entire afternoon, and you’ve been here for five minutes.”
“Just good timing, I guess,” Shawn said, shrugging as the woman’s car pulled out of its parking space. As she drove past them, she slowed the car down to smile at Shawn. He waved back, and Rose could see the woman’s cheeks flush even through the tinted windows.
“Good something.” Noah grinned, punching Shawn in the arm.
Shawn shook his head, blushing slightly. With his high cheekbones and athletic build, he looked like a fiery-haired Matt Dillon in The Outsiders. Lisa liked to joke that the only reason they were dating was because she was the only girl in Stone Lake who could form a complete sentence around him.
“Here,” Shawn said, handing Noah the coffee can as the automatic doors of the Food Mart hissed open to spit out yet another frazzled-looking young mom trailed by kids. “Just do what I did.”
Noah shook his head. “No way is that gonna work for me.”
“Sure, it will. Just be friendly.”
“We’ve been friendly all afternoon. It won’t—”
“I’ll bet you five bucks that you’re wrong.”
Noah sighed. “Show me.”
Shawn flipped open his wallet, revealing a crisp green bill.
Noah rolled his eyes, then fixed a cheery smile on his face to approach the woman. “Hello, ma’am, would you like—”
“No, thank you,” the woman said, skirting around him with her elbows tucked in close to her sides, like she was afraid she might be poisoned at the slightest touch.
Noah looked back at the two of them and shrugged, but Shawn made a shooing motion with his hands, indicating that he should follow her.
Rose frowned. “Shawn, I don’t think—”
“Shhh, just watch, he’ll get her,” Shawn whispered insistently.
Rose remained unconvinced, but Noah trudged ahead, keeping his smile plastered on.
The woman’s car was parked at the front of the lot, close to where they were sitting, so he reached her car right as she finished loading her kids into the back seat. With his free hand, he gestured toward her groceries. “Would you like some help—”