Jo grunts when she drops to her feet, sweat dripping off her nose and chin.

It's a scorcher in Southern Indiana and she's feeling every bit of it.

"Hey! Just toss 'em in the dumpster." Jo's father, Tommy shouts from the underside of the combine he's working on. She doesn't need to respond as she throws a rusty chain coupler away. "Get one from my toolbox, third drawer down."

The dingy, faded sticker covered side door opens and Lucy walks in with a toddler on her hip.

"I made y'all some lunch." She says, setting a couple tinfoil wrapped plates on Tommy's work bench. "Just some sandwiches and a few pieces of cornbread."

The toddler squeals when she sees his aunt standing in her overalls, covered in grease stains. He wriggles to her feet and rushes to her.

Jo laughs as she picks him up. "Hey baby boy." She says quietly, kissing the side of his head. "I missed you." She hugs him close. Jo's phone starts ringing in the toolbox and Lucy hands it to her. "Thanks Mama."

Carson rests his head on her shoulder as she answers her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Joey."

She chuckles. "Riley, what's up?"

"I got an appointment for a house tour or whatever in two weeks." He says.

"Ooh!" She laughs again, making a look at her nephew. He giggles back, wriggling around in her arm. "Stop squirmin'." She playfully scolds.

"Huh?"

She laughs again. "Nothin'. So, when is this walk through?"

"Friday. You can crash at my parent's house, if you want."

"I- I don't know, Ri."

"It'll be fine, Jo. I'll be there too."

"Fine." She sighs. "Stop squirmin!" She laughs when Carson starts wriggling again. "Ri, I gotta go." She laughs again, hanging up. She takes a quick picture of her and her nephew then sends it to Riley to explain what was happening.

Riley's heart melts at the sight.

He had no idea he felt like that but there's just something about seeing Jo holding a kid that makes him smile.

They're still kids.

But people get married when they're nineteen, twenty all the time. It's kind of a norm, right?

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Jo and Riley are just friends- roommates. He has no reason to be even thinking about something like that.

He runs his hand through his hair as he sends her a response and the address for his parent's house.

"Mama, my roommate is comin' down in a couple weeks." He says to his mother as she walks past his bedroom.

"Okay, baby. Wait, Joe?"

He doesn't correct her and just nods. "In a couple Fridays. We got a showin' at that one house." Karen nods then walks away. Riley grins to himself. He can't wait to see her again.

+++

Jo exhales shakily as she parks in front of the huge house at the end of a gravel driveway. She's nervous.

She's nervous?

Why is she nervous?

She snags her keys and heads to the front door then knocks.

Riley answers the door. "Hey!" He says, surprising her with a hug. He missed her, he really did. "C'mon in."

She politely takes her sneakers off by the door and awkwardly stands by the door. "You hungry?"

"Nah." She lies but the whale call warbling from her empty belly gives it away. "Maybe." He laughs and leads her to the kitchen.

As he's making something to eat, she looks around.

Riley's parents got a nice house and she's slightly jealous. "My mama and daddy are out until late tonight so I can give ya a tour of the town if you want?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. You's gonna be livin' 'round here in a couple months."

"Sure. That sounds nice."

+++

After a tour of the house, Jo is sitting shotgun in Riley's truck. It's taking everything in him to not put his hand on her knee.

He's been telling her about the town, where he went to hang out when he was younger, where he got into trouble.

"I can't see you gettin' into trouble." He gives her a look that screams 'offended'. Jo laughs. "What?"

"I'll have you know that I's rasin' hell til I left for college."

"Yeah, sure."

Riley rolls his eyes playfully as he pulls up to a dirt parking spot by a bridge. "Y'ain't gon' try to kill me, are you?"

"The day is young, Joey." He responds as he slides out of the seat. Jo unbuckles and follows him, a small smile on her face.

He walks to the middle of the bridge then sits on the edge, his long legs dangling. She copies him, gripping the edge of the bridge.

"What're we doin' here?"

"I used to come here all the time to think." He responds in a quiet voice. "And swim. This is the deepest river in Jacksonville." She looks over at him. He feels her eyes on his face but she quickly looks away when he glances at her. "C'mon." He stands and starts pulling his clothes off.

"What're you doin?"

"We're gonna swim."

"I- I don't know, Ri. It- it just-"

"Are you scared? Is badass miss Jo scared of gettin' wet?"

"No." She scoffs and shimmies her shorts down her Tallahassee legs, her tank top following. "I ain't scared of nothin'." She lies, chewing on her lip.

Riley grabs her hand. "Ready?" He starts counting down.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait." She whimpers, gripping his hand so tightly his fingers start to turn purple. "Wait."

"What's up?"

"I can't- I can't-"

It's obvious she's worked up. Riley hasn't seen her like this in a while but he knows that whatever she's feeling is weighing pretty heavy on her.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't swim." She mumbles.

"Huh?"

"I can't swim!" She shouts back at him. "Okay? I can't swim!"

He's quiet for a bit. "I'll teach you."

"What?"

"C'mon, it's easy."

"Riley, I don't think-"

"Don't think! C'mon, just do!" He says then suddenly jumps off the bridge with her hand still tight in his.

Jo gasps, angrily splashing Riley before his arm comes up around her. He's supporting her, trying to calm her racing heart. She's angry, she's so mad at him right now but that's starting to dwindle when she realizes he's helping her.

His voice goes soft as he tells her what to do. She has her arms tight around his neck, holding onto his sturdy shoulders but her grip starts to loosen. He starts to wade away from her without her noticing and she starts swimming by herself.

She laughs and squeals when she realizes that she's doing it, she's swimming. Riley smiles at her, his heart swelling. He hasn't seen her this excited for anything before and it's adorable.

Something hits her on the top of the head.

Just as she looks up, the clouds open up and a heavy downfall comes down on them. She gasps again, locking eyes with Riley who laughs back.

The two book it back up to the bridge for their clothes, which are now completely soaked then to his truck.

The energy between them now is so natural and comfortable.

The two race into the house, their chests heaving as they fight to catch their breaths. They're laughing at each other.

"Riley Green!" A voice shouts from behind them.

They both jump. Jo stumbles from surprise, her hand resting on his chest. "Shit- Mama." He pants, his arm going around Jo protectively. "You scared me."

"Y'all're gon' get sick from bein' out in the rain! The hell were y'all doin'!?" Her aging eyes land on the girl in her son's arms. "Who're you?"

"This is..." Riley trails off. He fucked himself by hiding this from his mother. He's in it now. "This is Jo."

"Jo?"

"...'Sephine." She finishes awkwardly. "It's short for Josephine."

His mother looks between the two sopping wet kids in front of her. "Go- go shower and change. Get outta 'em wet clothes 'fore y'all get sick." She ushers them upstairs.

Jo exhales heavily as she stands awkwardly in the hallway. "You left your stuff in your car?" She nods. "Here, borrow some of my clothes 'til we can get 'em." He hands her a pair of sweats and a sweater. "Go take a shower. Bathroom is across the hall."

She smiles down at the clothes then closes the door behind her.

+++

"You look guilty."

"I do?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothin', I swear." The blush on Riley's cheeks say otherwise. "You're sleepin' in here and I'm sleepin' on the couch in the livin' room."

"Or I could sleep on the couch-"

"Uh-uh. Mama would kick my ass if she found out you's sleepin' on the couch." Riley says, his hand hanging loosely on his hip. "So, I'll see ya in the mornin'."

"Night." She smiles at him, sitting on the foot of his bed.

He smiles back, shutting the door behind him.

Today was such a good day.