The Summer I Met The Girl

thirteen

The house is buzzing with 4th of July excitement. The kitchen is full of food, salads and desserts, cocktails and beer. The smell of the grill wafts in through the open patio doors. There's a country music playlist streaming through the house.

Matt has Cameron in between his legs. Crew and Henry are sitting on the pool chair next to them. Beck, Mallory and Jude are in the pool on rafts. Cassidy and Grant are throwing the football in the yard. Mason is standing at the grill with the dad's, and the mom's are down at the beach for a little while.

"When's Katie coming?" Henry asks Crew, taking a sip of his beer.

"She's on her way now, should be here within the hour."

Cameron looks at Crew, "I'm excited to meet her."

"You guys will really get along. She'll be glad to have another girlfriend here."

"And when is Emily coming?" Cameron asks.

Henry half laughs, "I'd be shocked if she actually showed up. Mason is so closed off with her."

Matt sets his chin on Cameron's shoulder, "We talked about her a few weeks ago. He's just trying to spare her from a family interrogation."

Crew rolls his eyes, "Sometimes, the best way is to just throw them into the deep end. That's what I did with Katie."

"The poor girl didn't speak for the first month, Crew." Matt says to him with a smirk.

Crew waves his hand, "She's fine. She adjusted."

Henry finishes his beer, "And this is why I don't bring girls home."

"Never?" Cameron asks.

"Nope." Henry says simply, "I'm getting another one. Anyone else?"

"Me!" Crew shouts after him. He turns his attention towards Cameron, "So Cameron, are you going to school in the fall?"

"I don't know actually. I have no idea what I want to do."

"Aren't you supposed to take over your Dad's business?"

Cameron shuffles further into Matt. "Yeah, but I don't know if I want to."

"Why not? Seems like a no brainer,"

Matt shoots daggers at Crew, "Stop."

"I'm just asking her a question!" Crew defends himself.

"Babe, it's fine." Cameron assures Matt. "It does seem like a no brainer, but I don't know if it's what I want to do. I want to have a positive impact, not buy houses from the poor and turn them for a profit."

Matt smiles, feeling very proud of Cameron. Crew smiles as well, as if he's satisfied with her answer.

Cameron scoots off the chair, "I will be right back."

Matt nods and she walks off, leaving Matt and Crew by themselves.

"I didn't mean to piss you off," Crew says softly.

"You didn't, I'm just defensive. She really doesn't want to take over his business, it's a touchy subject."

"I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"I know, don't worry about it."

Mason plops down next to Matt, "What's up?"

"I was talking to Cameron about what she wants to do." Crew explains, his eyes darting to Matt quickly and then back to Mason.

"What does she want to do?"

Matt sighs, "She isn't sure."

Mason nods slowly, like he's mulling the information over. The action unsettles Matt. Mason has always been protective of Matt. From the day Hailey married Jeremiah, Mason has been a big brother to Matt, who was the oldest cousin before he came along.