Two Thousand Miles (27 page)

“He’s so hot,” she mouthed. “Does he have friends?”

I laughed.

“I think I could fix you up,” Mason told Olivia.

Mason
and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Ben,” making the other laugh harder.

“I look forward to it,” Olivia glowed.

“Speaking of love connections,” I said, eyeing my father and Marion.

“Life is too short not to follow your heart,” my father said. “I’ll be in very capable hands, my girl.” I couldn’t argue, but felt I should, because following my heart would mean leaving him. He was right, though. My heart wasn’t in Malibu. I didn’t belong there anymore.

I hugged my dad and Marion. Then I turned to Mason, putting my hand in his and asked him to take me home—to Slidell.

*****

LSU let me in with no problem. Olivia, too. She came to Slidell after seeing her mother off to Vermont. Mason and I introduced her to Ben, and they hit it off instantly. Liv, Shelby, and I rented a house near campus with enough room for Bit to move in, in the fall. Mason, Ben, and Cody officially lived in the dorms, but stayed with us most of the time. Garrett and Dixie got back together and she and I were so civil that we were in danger of becoming actual friends if we weren’t careful. My dad retired from Manger, sold our house of bad juju, and married Marion in a sweet backyard ceremony.

JENNIFER DAVIS lives in Tennessee with her husband and two teenage daughters.

You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferDavis__