However Long the Night

Chapter Five

Will worked quickly to finish his shift, carefully following Marlene's directions to avoid her spiky temper, then raced home to change. He'd planned a visit to the cottage with his friends for the night and they needed to get on the road.

His parents had been tight with the Archers and Parkers since Josh, Shel, and Will were small, so weekends by the water were a summer tradition, but this year was different. Since the Brodys' cottage slept eight, there'd been no good excuse to decline when Shelby asked if Skye could come along. It had been a few days since Will and Toby sat down with her on Shel's front porch, and her 1 had haunted his dreams ever since.

Will's brain buzzed as he threw clothes into a duffel bag. What was he doing, opening the door for Skye and her 1 to step further into his life? Sighing, he stuffed a set of earphones in to drown his thoughts out with music.

The "cottage" was his grandpa's former home on the water, a thirty-minute drive from town. His mom had inherited the property after his grandfather died, and they'd renovated the house until it gleamed.

Watching storms through the huge windows in the great room was one of Will's favorite things to do. Looking out across the water as rain mixed with thunder always seemed to help his problems shrink a little smaller. However long the night, the dawn will break, his dad would say when Will's face clouded over with trouble. He liked to think life was like that; even the darkest nights or the wildest storms would calm down eventually. At least, the thought gave Will hope.

Josh's parents would keep Toby for the night, though the Archers' cat, Mr. Snickers, wouldn't approve. Toby loved Dr. and Mrs. Archer, so staying with them would be a treat, minus a few hisses and glares from their resident feline. Securing Toby's leash, Will grabbed his bag, locked the door, and together they walked to Josh's house. The girls had arrived on time. After the SUV was loaded with bags, Josh's mom pulled her son into a quick hug before he hopped into the driver's seat.

"Drive carefully, sweetie." Fully aware of Josh's free spirit, she called out to Will, "Make sure he texts me when you get in so I know you're all okay!"

"Aye aye, ma'am!" With a salute, Will winked at her and climbed into the backseat. Shelby sat up front with Josh while Skye hopped in and buckled up beside him. Will's muscles twitched involuntarily from being so close to her.

Curling his lips, Josh mimicked the voice of a sports announcer as he pulled out of the driveway. "Okay, party people, let's get this road trip started! In one corner, we've got my rousing acapella rendition of Kumbaya, and in the other, we've got my ultimate driving playlist. Go ahead, pick your musical poison!"

Skye and Will yelled "playlist!" while Shelby giggled and cheered, "Kumbaya! Kumbaya! Kumbaya!"

Josh kissed his finger and placed it on his girlfriend's cheek. "Shelby, my love, your unwavering support for my manly falsetto is utterly adorable, but our cottage dreams rest on Will's shoulders, so playlist it is." Shelby feigned a pout, while Skye and Will cheered. Sun streamed through the windows, and Toby barked goodbye from the front step as Josh cranked the music and stepped on the gas.

Blue sky, green trees, and white clouds whizzed by as they left the town behind and hopped on the highway toward the lake. The girls bopped to the beat, Josh sang loud in a quirky twang behind the steering wheel and Will propped his feet up, enjoying the entertainment. Mid-ride, his phone buzzed:

Mom: Please pick up some hotdogs and marshmallows from Fletcher's. It'll be a great night for a bonfire! Can't wait to see you! xo

Will: Gotcha. I'm on it. Love you too. xo

Will didn't need to convince Josh to stop. Fletcher's was a beloved roadside attraction: part canteen, part convenience store, part curiosity. Parking spots were painted in red and white candy cane stripes, and the building itself was a living gingerbread house.  Spilling out of the SUV, Josh, Shelby and Will headed straight for the covered porch while Skye gaped at the spectacle.