Part 49 (1/2)
”She's swell. Better than swell. She's got offers pouring in from all over. Vinny's agreed to represent her.”
”Oh. Wow. Good for her.”
”You know what this means, though,” Keelie said, with a crinkle in her brow.
”What?”
”I'll be looking for a new reality BFF.”
”Hmm. How about Lindsay?” I asked.
”Old news,” she said, ”and I do mean old.”
I laughed.
”I'm thinking you've already got a new BFF lined up, and he goes by the name, Jax,” I said.
She smiled. A real smile. Not a fakey phony one.
”You're right. I've got Jax. And, as you can see, my mom and I have agreed to work on our relations.h.i.+p. So, it's all good.”
”I'm happy for you,” I said, and meant it.
”We're almost to the finish line,” Keelie said.
I nodded.
”Who would have thought we'd make it all the way?” I said.
”You made it all the way,” Keelie said. ”You were right. I fudged it. I'm a fakey mcfake fake. That song Jax wrote? I'm the one who was in and out, and here and there, and who wouldn't commit. I'm the fake. I'm the fraud. Me. Not Jax. And you were right about the ride. I haven't ridden. I'd hop on the bike five miles outside town and ride in. That's me. Counterfeit Keelie.”
I shrugged. It didn't seem like a big deal anymore.
”That was you,” I said. ”Past tense. And this is an annual ride, so you know, there's always next year,” I said.
She grinned.
”Not on your friggin' life! Once is enough!” she said. ”I hear they're still betting on who is going to win,” she added.
I shrugged again.
”Let them. Not everything is a compet.i.tion or about winning,” I said. ”I'm perfectly fine with you and your mother getting to the finish line before us.”
”Oh, well. That's good. 'Cuz we're so gonna kick your a.r.s.es.” She put her hand to her forehead and made a lame 'L.' ”Losers! Come on, mom! Work for it!”
As they rode by us, Candice's middle finger went up.
”Mother-daughter bonding. Gotta love it,” I remarked to my mother. ”What do you think? Should we let them win?”
”They already have, Tressa,” my mother replied. ”They already have.”
”Oh.” I thought for a second. ”I get it. The mother-daughter thing. But I meant the race. Should we let them finish first?”
”Are you out of your friggin' mind? Let that b.i.a.t.c.h win? Please. Let's give her all she's got, Captain!” she said with a Scottish lilt.
”Switching to warp drive!” I said, and bore down.
Getting to the end of a ride you never thought you could finish? Good.
Getting permission to beat the pants off a pair of Tinseltown celebs on the ride? Better.
Sharing that victory with your mum?
Priceless.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE.
”We did it, Mom! We did it!”
I got off the bike and helped my mom do the same.
”I'll be sore for a month,” she said, wincing and she stretched. ”But it feels great!”
”I wonder where Taylor is,” I said, grabbing my f.a.n.n.y pack to pull out my phone.
”Hey. Mom! Tressa! Over here!”
I heard a gasp.
”What in the world is he doing here?” my mother said.
I looked up, spotting Taylor. And beside her stood-”
”Dad?”
”Yes. Your father. What on earth is he doing here?”
”Clapping,” I said. And he was. He stood there, Cubs cap on his head, clapping for all he was worth.
”What does he think he's doing?” my mother asked. ”He must've flipped out while I was gone.”
”He's applauding,” I told her. ”He's applauding us! He's applauding you!”
”Oh...my!”
I watched the emotions play on my mom's face. I saw the surprise, the sudden warm glow of happiness. The love.