The Maplethorn Initiative (Book 1, The Maplethorn Series)

A Rainy Day

The warm weather stuck around for almost a week before turning to rain on the following Saturday. Cam's breath fogged the side window of their borrowed car as Keegan sped through the beachside town, sending plumes of water cascading over the sidewalks.

"Slow down," Cam said. "It should be after this light."

Keegan pulled up to the curb in front of a brick building with long, metal awnings stretching out to either side. "That's a train station?"

"GPS says, yes," Cam said, glancing down at his lap. "Also, here comes the train."

Keegan leaned forward, watching the silver passenger cars glide to a stop between the rhythmic strokes of the wiper blades. Seconds later, they were moving again. "You did text to let her know we were coming?" he asked. "On your spanky new phone?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"We could wait till she rents a bike, follow her for a few blocks, and then you could text," Keegan joked. "That would be a surprise."

"Uh, no." Cam began pecking at the screen. "It's raining," he wrote.

"Ugh. I know," Prita replied. "It wasn't when I left."

"Where are you?"

"Inside the train station," she answered. "Hoping it will let up."

"Do you see a red car?" he typed. "In front of the building?"

A pair of glass doors slid open, revealing Prita Lashton. She wore a yellow jacket with a matching tote bag clutched in one hand and her phone in the other. Raising the bag as a makeshift umbrella, she continued to type with her thumb. "Is that you?"

The car's passenger door opened, and Cameron Drexler stepped out. "Get in!" he shouted, laying the front seat forward.

Prita shoved her phone into her bag and zipped her jacket as high as it would go. Taking a deep breath, she dashed into the rain—splashing past the bike stand and tumbling into the back seat of the car.

Cam pushed his seat into place and followed her inside, slamming the door behind himself. "All set?"

Prita fished around in the cracks looking for a seat belt. "Are you two trying to get yourselves arrested or what?"

"Actually, we were trying to do something nice for someone," Keegan said. "And hello, by the way."

Prita succeeded in buckling herself in and began squeezing water from her hair. "Hello."

"We didn't want you to get wet," Cam said, fastening his seatbelt. "Plus, we didn't think anybody would notice the car as hard as it's raining."

Prita looked out at the wet and empty street. "I guess we'll be all right."

"And thank you?" Keegan added.

"Fine," she growled. "Thank you, nerd!"

"Hey," Cam began hopefully. "As long as we're out, why don't we get lunch? We're running low on groceries at the house."

"OMG, how much did you two eat?"

"Pretty much..." Cam turned to Keegan. "All of it, wouldn't you say?"

Keegan pulled away from the curb with a grin. "Yeah, all of it sounds right."

"I don't know how you're both not five-hundred pounds," Prita mused.

Keegan opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "Don't talk. Just drive. There are a ton of places to eat over by the outlets."

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