Page 93 of While the Sun Shines

“Of course I am,” Drew says. “Ten out of ten. Even the sheep are impressed.”

As Cooper and Whit make their way over, Drew pulls the wine out of the cooler in the bed of the truck. Date night, indeed. Somehow fitting that it’s the four of them, at least for now, before Whit and Cooper wander away and do their own thing for the rest of the evening.

“How fancy.” Cooper roots through the cooler, pulling out the dinner Drew packed. “Oh my God, delicious.”

“That’s butter,” Drew says.

“Perfect.”

“We’re going to my parents’ for dinner,” Whit says to Cooper.

“Appetizer.” Cooper pops open the lid, but before he can just dip his finger in, Penny snatches the tub away.

“Put it—oh my God, Coop,” Penny says, “at least put it on a piece of bread. You’re so gross.”

“You love me.”

“You’re still fucking gross.”

“Give it.” Cooper grabs for the tub, but Penny holds it away from him.

So Coop just slings her over his shoulder. Jogs away from the truck and down the hill with Penny pounding on his back and laughing.

“Front-row view of my butt!” Cooper shouts, spinning around so her hair flies in a circle around them.

“Abelardo!” Penny screams.

“Tough shit. He’s not back until his next visit, so you’re stuck with me.” Cooper spins her the other way while she laughs and laughs.

Whit boosts himself up to where Penny had been sitting. “Loves of our lives.”

“We did all right, I like to think.”

Cooper gently tips Penny to the ground, and she grabs at him with the hand not holding the butter, wrestling until she pulls him down too.

“Not bad at all,” Whit says as Penny climbs on top of Cooper, pinning him to the ground.

“Whit!” Cooper shrieks. Penny must be tickling him for his legs to be kicking like that. “Whit, save me!”

“I could,” Whit calls to him. “But I don’t want to.”

“Drew! Come collect your girlfriend!”

“Don’t mess up my butter,” Drew calls. He sighs. “Ah well, too late probably.”

“Probably,” Whit says.

Though Penny holds the tub above her head. “Don’t be gross,” she says. “And you can have some.”

“I am who I am.” Cooper clutches at his stomach. “I can’t—no, no more tickling. I can’t breathe, my tummy. Pen, what if I were pregnant?”

“Thank God you’re not. Nobody could handle that.”

“Well, Whit hasn’t knocked me up yet, but we keep trying.”

Penny yelps and scrambles off of him. “I don’t want to hear that!”

He snags the tub from her. “Yes!”