Was I cool with seeing the naked fisherman? No. Could he not see my face? I was the complete opposite of cool. No ‘like mother like daughter.’ My mom had seen a naked man before. Maybe more than one. I never asked my parents about their relationships before they met each other. I never got the chance.

“I’m going to change my clothes and maybe head into the mountains. I’ve never been.”

“Wait. What? You grew up in Nebraska and you’ve never been to the mountains?” he asked with the right amount of shock because it was shocking. A crime, really.

“No. Not the Rockies.”

“That’s insane. And you thinking your first trip into the mountains should be by yourself is just as insane. Let me change my clothes. I’ll take you.”

“I don’t need a chaperone. Really. I have navigation on my phone. It’s not snowing up there, is it?”

“Unlikely. But you’ll encounter some steep grades. And people drive crazy fast on some of those winding roads because they’re used to them. You’re not used to them. Rory would kill me if I let you go alone.”

“I’ll let her know it was my decision.”

“Your decision to get eaten by a bear or bitten by a rattlesnake. Great. Just what I need.”

“What do you mean bears and rattlesnakes?”

“I mean the mammal that’s brown or black and has sharp teeth and even sharper claws. And snakes are reptiles—”

“Fisher! I get it. I know what bears and snakes are. I just wasn’t aware that they were a concern for a day trip to the mountains.”

“Chill.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I was only looking out for you. The problem with new adults, such as yourself, is that you abandon all common sense in the name of independence. You’ve been all grown up for two seconds. You’ve been here for less than two seconds. It’s okay to ask for help or allow someone to go places with you when there’s a chance you could get into a bad situation.”

Widening my stance, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Are you going to spend the day lecturing me? Are you going to complain if I don’t wear the right shoes or go without socks? Are you going to—”

“Fuck it, woman. No.” He shook his head and sauntered into the garage. “I’m not going with you. It’s my day off, and I shouldn’t have to subject myself to your attitude. I regret mentioning any of it. Go conquer the world. I’m out of fucks to give.”