Most Likely (Most Likely #1) - Sarah Watson Page 0,54
find the tissue, but you can just be careful with it.”
CJ stood and put her hand out. “It was so nice to meet you.”
Katherine waved the proffered hand away and pulled CJ into a hug. Something about it was a little too tight and a little too long. But it was hard to think about it too much, because as soon as the hug was over, CJ found herself holding a clay penis.
As CJ and Wyatt left the house, she decided it would be better to wait until they were both in the car and out of his mom’s earshot to ask about the pottery. Once they were both buckled in, Wyatt told her to head east on the main road until he was ready to give her more instructions.
As she pulled away from the curb, she asked, “What’s the deal with the vases?”
Wyatt sighed. “Why must we talk of such things?”
She put on her blinker and glanced in the rearview mirror. “Because one of them is sitting in my back seat and I think it’s staring at me.”
“I don’t have the heart to tell her. Nobody does. It’s actually my fault.”
“You’re the reason your mom makes ceramic penises?”
“Clarke. I’m shocked. Is that what you see?” CJ could hear the smile in his voice.
“Come on. No jokes. Tell me why it’s your fault that your mom makes obscene pottery.”
Wyatt sighed. “Before my accident, she’d always talked about wanting to take a pottery class. But she never did. Then this happened.” Wyatt motioned to his legs. “When I got out of the hospital, she was so relieved. She just kept talking about how she was going to start living her life in a new way. You know, doing all the things she’d always thought about doing but never did. So she planted tulips and she signed up for a pottery class. It was all very Oprah. This is her way of living her best life.”
“I think it’s absolutely beautiful.”
Wyatt gave her a dubious look.
“Not the pottery. The pottery is hideous. I think the story behind it is beautiful.”
“You’re cool, Clarke.”
CJ looked over at him, and when their eyes met, she felt a small and indescribable something. She quickly looked away. “What about your dad? What does he think?”
“About the pottery? Hates most of it. But he admits she’s improving.”
“About your accident.”
“Ah,” he said. “He’s also drinking the Oprah Kool-Aid. Turn left up here.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise. But not a very good one. So don’t get too excited.”
“Perfect. That’s my favorite kind.”
CJ turned the car, and Wyatt went back to talking about his parents. “I think in a lot of ways my parents are in avoidance mode. My mom has her pottery, and my dad keeps talking about patching things up with his brother. I guess they had a big falling-out a million years ago. I’ve never even met the guy, and all of a sudden it’s like family is the most important thing. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I’ve inspired them to embrace life or whatever, but…”
“But what?” CJ asked.
“It feels like my dad is trying to fix things with his brother because he can’t fix”—Wyatt pointed to his legs—“this.”
CJ had an urge to reach over and take his hand. She wondered how he’d respond if she did.
“We’re here,” he said.
“You’re joking.”
“I joke about a lot of things. But miniature golf? That’s something I take seriously.”
CJ hadn’t been to the Great Lakes Mini Golf and Family Fun Center since Martha’s ninth birthday. She’d found the activity rather miserable then and wasn’t particularly looking forward to it now. “How fun,” she said flatly.
“It won’t be,” he said. “We’re really here to do recon. I want to see if the course is wheelchair accessible. I keep thinking that if we can find the right activity, Dakota might actually have a good time.”
CJ smiled and felt her heart warm. “Then I’m all in.”
The person at the counter set out two clubs and two colored golf balls. One blue and one pink. CJ took the blue one, because screw gender norms, and followed Wyatt to the first hole. “You know,” she said, “if it turns out mini golf is the thing that gets Dakota to smile, well, it’s worth you ruining my night.”
“Clarke. That started out so beautifully. Then became so mean.”
She gave him a grin that he returned. As she followed him to the first hole, she saw his smile fade.