Stay Sweet(76)

Amelia pulls him aside. “Seriously, you don’t have to do this.” She wants to say more—that Cate’s making the whole thing up, closing for the night isn’t a real tradition—but she can’t bring herself to throw Cate under the bus. Though things are fraught between them, Cate is still her best friend.

“It’s worth it to take you on a date, Amelia. Here’s my shot.”

*

And so on Saturday, Meade Creamery closes at five o’clock.

Amelia shows up in a pink floral dress with buttons up the front. She braided her hair after her shower that morning, and now it is all waves. Despite everything, she’s excited for tonight.

Cate’s in a silky green romper and a long gold locket. “You look pretty,” Amelia tells her.

“Thank you,” Cate says stiffly. “You too.” And then, to the other girls milling around the front of the stand, Cate wonders, “Is he planning to drive us all over in the pink Cadillac?”

Grady comes down from the house. He’s got on a dark denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of light denim jeans, and his boat shoes. He’s gotten a haircut. And Amelia can smell his cologne. Cedar and clove and orange.

“You look nice,” he tells Amelia. His focus is solely on her as if no one else is there.

“Thanks.” But she’s quick to look around and add, “All the girls look nice tonight, don’t they?”

“Yes they do.” Grady shades his eyes and smiles at the road. “Ah, looks like our ride is here.”

The girls cheer as a white stretch limo pulls into the stand driveway.

Amelia has never ridden in a limousine before. She was actually kind of disappointed when their group rented a party bus for prom. The man driving it comes out wearing a black suit and tie.

Grady claps his hands. “All right! Let’s get our kettle corn on!” he says, and opens the limo door.

“Oh, wait.” Cate stops, and laughs awkwardly. “I didn’t realize you were coming with us, Grady. This is normally a girls-only night. I’m sorry. I thought I made that clear.”

Fuming, Amelia whispers to Cate, “You do remember that this isn’t an actual tradition, right? Just one you made up?”

Grady glumly stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Ah. Okay. Well, that makes sense.”

Amelia quickly grabs him by the elbow. To the other girls, she announces, “Since Grady’s paying, I think he deserves to be made an honorary Meade Creamery girl tonight, don’t you all?” And instead of waiting for an answer, Amelia is the first to climb aboard.

*

The girls hang back as Grady approaches the ticket booth. Amelia stays as close as she can to him, watching out of the corner of her eye as one, then another, of his credit cards get declined.

Grady pulls out a third. “Sorry, but could you give this one a try?”

The boy at the booth slides it into the machine. “Sorry, man.”

Amelia wraps her arms around herself. Though Grady played it off to her initially, it’s clear now that this is a repercussion from his dad.

“Grady, we can pay for ourselves.” She discreetly slides her hand into his and gives him a squeeze, whispering, “No date is worth this much.”

“I have cash.” He opens his wallet and hands every last dollar over, buying admission for every girl and as many ride tickets as he can. “I can get more rides and food if anyone wants,” he tells them as he passes them. “I’ll just need to hit up an ATM.”

Amelia is just about to say thank you when Cate does something completely unexpected, snaking her arm through Amelia’s and dragging her off like old times.

After all these summers, Cate and Amelia have their county fair routine down pat. Together, they lead the charge, herding the girls toward their personal favorite rides (the bumper cars, the Super Slide, the Tilt N Swing) bypassing the rides that make them sick (the teacups, the Zipper). They each get a corn dog and a fresh-squeezed lemonade, split a bag of rainbow cotton candy, and devour it all while watching three college-age girls in matching denim dresses harmonize a country version of a Katy Perry song onstage at the grandstand. They pet the baby lambs in the livestock pen. They even get their faces painted, just one cheek, the Best Friends Forever broken heart.

As good as it feels to be with Cate, Amelia hates leaving Grady at the back of their group. She tries her best to make him feel included, pulling him in on different conversations, smiling when she catches his eye, but she’s also careful not to be too chummy with him either.

It kills her to do this. This night is for her.

Some of the girls want to get their fortunes read, and Cate leads the way to the striped tent. Amelia’s following too, until Grady slips his hand in hers and pulls her to a stop.

“Will you ride the Ferris wheel with me?”

“Grady, I—”

“Come on. Get on quick, before they notice we’re gone.”

They hurry quickly into the Ferris wheel line, climb into a car, and swirl their way up to the top. It’s dark, and the stars twinkle above them.

“What’s going on with your credit cards?”

“Let’s not talk about it. Not when I finally have you to myself.”

“It’s your dad. He’s punishing you.”

“Don’t worry,” he says, threading some hair behind her ear.