Love Always (NG4)

41 - Last day

The heat was oppressive as Rory counted down minutes not hours to the end of the day. It was Wednesday, and the heat wasn't supposed to break until the following evening. The kids were irritable, but the adults were worse. In Maine, they had snow days. Maybe they needed heat wave days.

Finn stayed by her side and complained when she reminded him to drink. She had drank so much water it was flowing directly out of her pores.

Rory sighed when parents arrived. When Dan walked towards them, he only had moisture on his forehead, but Rory had wilted.

"We're melting." She sighed.

Finn laughed. "Melting?"

"She means you're hot. You need to get in the cool air."

Rory sighed. "I'm going to soak in cool water."

"I don't like baths."

Rory laughed. "I mean in the hot tub."

"Hot tub?" Finn giggled.

"It's a mini pool."

Finn whined. "I wanna go in a pool."

Dan said, "Finn."

"Why? Please, Rory, pleeease!"

She said, "It's small." Nothing like the pool in Maine. She thought about how lucky JP and Liam were and felt sorry for Finn. She looked at Dan. "Do you have work to do."

He shook his head. "No, I'm free."

"Oh. I was thinking if you wanted me to hang with Finn for awhile." She sounded rude, excluding him, but she didn't want to sit in the hot tub with him.

"You want me to miss the fun?"

In a no win situation, she said, "It's not a big pool."

"I'm little. Can we, Dad?"

Dan stared at her. "You don't mind?"

Resigned, she shrugged. "I think he really wants to."

Dan winked. "How can you tell?"

Rory put her index finger to her cheek. "Experience. Sister and brother."

"Right and they whine to go in a hot tub?"

"The pool and the beach. All the time. They'll be swimming in the pool this afternoon."

"Pool and beach?"

She smiled. "We're spoiled in the summer."

After she gave Dan Ryan's address, she drove home. First, she tried calling Sam, but his phone went straight to voicemail. He was probably as hot as her filming somewhere. She left a message but would tell him later.

Rory was glad she had her tankini. She only wore it to water parks and to boogie board. No way could she wear a bikini. She was pacing back and forth with an oversized tee on when the doorbell rang. They stood on the front steps. Dan held a bag, but they both wore swimsuits.

She said, "Come in. We'll go out back."

Dan looked around. "Nice house. What does your uncle do?"

"Investments. Wealth management."

"Wealth alright."

Rory knew the house would make an impression, and it seemed to be the wrong one.

Feeling nervous, she pointed out the bathroom. "The heaters off. We don't need to put on the bubbles. I have drinks in a cooler."

"Swings!"

Finn zeroed in on the kids swing set. Dan mumbled. "Nice." Rory stopped herself from defending Ryan. "Finn. The water, remember."