The Summer that Changed Everything (Complete)

Chapter 19 - The Bet

***** Wednesday Morning *****

"Wes! Are you done packing yet?" Lynn called out from her bedroom. 

A minute later he poked his head into her room and said, "Need I remind you once again that I'M the older sibling mother?" 

"Ha, ha. Very funny. But seriously ...... are you ready?" 

"Yep. I've been ready for an hour and I already took my stuff over and loaded it into Brady's trunk. Take that little miss always ready first. Ha ha!"

"Good! Then you can help me carry my stuff down," she said with a smile, shoving a bag into his hands. 

"Fine but you owe me. I don't do anything for free." 

"I'll share my snacks and drinks with you," she said with a smile and he agreed. The joke was on him because she was already planning to share her snacks and drinks with everybody but he didn't need to know that. 

When she went out the front door she saw Brady loading a couple bags into the back of a truck. 

"I figured we'd take the truck this time. There's not enough room for everyone's luggage in the tiny little trunk of the convertible," he said as she walked up. He took the bags from her hands and Wes's and put them in the back and then she saw Max and Bella walking out with some backpacks slung over their shoulders carrying blankets and pillows. 

"Hi! I've never been camping. I'm so excited," Bella said, giving Lynn a hug.

"I've been camping tons of times with my Dad but never friends. It's been a while since we've gone though so I'm excited too. I think we'll have a really good time," Lynn told her.

 Once all the luggage, pillows and blankets were back there Brady pulled down the locking lid on the bed of the truck and Wes got up front this time and Lynn sat in the middle of the backseat between Bella and Max. 

It took them about 30 minutes to get to her Dad's cabin and the whole way there they talked about everything they were planning to do. When they pulled up to the cabin her Dad wasn't home yet from work but she knew where the spare key was under his planter and unlocked the door and they started unloading everything. 

Once they had their luggage brought in they went out to the lake and walked out onto the long wooden pier.  

"Hey do you guys want to fish off the pier until your Dad gets home?" Brady asked. 

"Yeah!" Wes said. "That's a great idea." 

Pretty soon they had gotten all the fishing gear out, set up some lawn chairs to sit in and had the boombox set up to listen to music. Wes helped Bella get the hook on her line and showed her how to string the worm on it. Then he showed her how to cast it. 

"Do you need some help?" Brady walked over and asked Lynn. 

"Pssshhh! Are you serious? Do you have any idea how many times our Dad has taken us fishing off this pier. More times than I wish to remember. I could get my line ready in my sleep, but if you still want to do it for me you're more than welcome," she said with a sickly sweet smile batting her eyelashes at him sarcastically. 

He laughed. "No I'm good. Sounds like you've got it." 

"Actually ...... do you need some help?" she asked him and he laughed. 

"Very funny," he said, rolling his eyes and trudging back over to his seat and casting his line in. 

"Hey ....... that gave me an idea. Let's make a little bet! Whoever catches the first fish doesn't have to help with gutting or cooking the fish tonight, pitching the tents or starting the campfire. They just get to relax and watch everybody else do the work," Lynn said.