Chapter 19

The next few weeks after my first date with Ruth were nice, but it always seems like she was holding back, even when she was relaxed. We went on a date pretty much every weekend on either Friday or Saturday evening, but things between us were progressing even more slowly than I’d ever imagined. We flirted and hugged often during the week and most of the time she let me hold her hand if I was driving her somewhere, but nothing new ever really happened.

“Hey Dave, what should I throw on the grill for ya?” My dad shouting from my parent’s patio pulled me out of my thoughts.

“A couple legs and thighs!” I yelled back.

“What, no burgers?” He asked with his face scrunched.

“Not feelin’ it!” He shrugged and turned back to the grill. I turned to Jill who was sitting next to me chuckling.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothin,’” she replied. “Whipped,” she teased in a low sing-song voice just before taking a sip of her beer. I grabbed of the bottom of the bottle and tilted it up making more of it pour out than she’d intended. “You jerk!” Jill cried out sputtering. She slugged me in the arm, but it was worth it. Our mom, who was sitting across the picnic table from us shook her head.

“What am I going to do with you two?” She asked rhetorically.

“Not much you can do anymore. It’s not like you can ground us!” I joked.

“Burgers are up!” Announced my dad.

“Dibs!” Shouted Jill and she ran over to him, though since mom and me were both having chicken, it wasn’t like there was a need to hurry. I glanced between my mom and the beer my sister left behind.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned.

“Oh, I dare!” I replied with a smirk, just before taking a long swig of Jill’s drink, almost finishing it!

“You deserve whatever’s coming to you. You know that, right?”

“Yep!” My mom rolled her eyes. My sister walked back over with her food and I wasn’t quite successful in stifling my laughter.

“What?” Asked Jill, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Chicken’s up!” My dad called out. Jill picked up her beer and looked at the depleted contents of the bottle for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and growled at me.

“Gotta go!” I exclaimed and left, escaping her retaliation. My mom followed, but she wasn’t in as much of a hurry.

“That wasn’t very nice...” she said when she’d caught up.

“No, but it was funny!” She just glared. “I’m gonna get her another one!” I protested, and that seemed to pacify her.

I got my chicken and some sides, as well as two more beers before heading back to my seat.

“Brat!” Exclaimed Jill as she swatted me upside the head. I chuckled pulled out my pocket knife, with which I popped the lid off of one of the beers.

“Truce?” I offered as I handed Jill the bottle. After snatching it out of my hands she kept her eyes on me suspiciously while she took a sip. I just started eating my chicken. Our mom had made it back with her food

“You two make peace?” She asked and Jill and I exchanged glanced and unable to stay mad at each other we just laughed.

“Yeah,” answered Jill.

Her and mom started talking about her work and my thoughts turned back to Ruth, specifically about the goodnight kisses we shared at the end of each date. I loved them every time and I looked forward to them all week, but Ruth only let it happen at the end of our dates. I tried to kiss her a couple other times, but each time she pulled away and said she wasn’t ready. The lingering uncertainty of our relationship status was really starting to wear on me.