Page 148 of Knot my First Rodeo

By the time we reach the drive-in, the sky is a deep orange-blue stretch right before dark. Pickups are already lined up in rows facing the giant screen, people unloading lawn chairs and coolers while kids run between vehicles with unlimited energy.

I back into a spot near the middle and kill the engine.

Tripp opens his door first.

"I’ll get the blankets ready."

Autumn smiles.

The drive-in had been my idea, but the truck bed had been hers. Apparently, sitting in lawn chairs was "missing the whole point."

So while Briggs drops the tailgate, Tripp reaches behind the backseat and starts pulling out blankets. Autumn takes them from him and climbs into the bed of the truck before anyone can offer to help. A minute later, she's kneeling on one of them, spreading it across the metal while directing the rest of us around like she owns the place.

"Those go against the cab."

I look at the pile of pillows in my hands.

"These?"

She points. "The ones you're currently holding."

"Just making sure."

By the time she's satisfied, the entire truck bed looks more comfortable than most motel rooms. Blankets cover the metal. Pillows are stacked against the back window. One corner already has enough snacks sitting there to feed a football team. It could rival the nest she made during her heat.

Autumn sits back on her heels to inspect her work.

“It’s perfect. But we still need food."

"More food?" Tripp asks.

The look she gives him suggests she's offended by the question.

"Obviously."

A few minutes later, we're heading toward the concession stand with the rest of the crowd. The line winds halfway around the building, giving us plenty of time to stand there doing absolutely nothing.

Autumn leans lightly against the railing while studying the menu overhead. Eventually, she glances over.

"What are you getting?"

"Popcorn,” I tell her.

"That's it?"

"Have you seen the prices? With what they charge for a drink and candy, it's highway robbery."

She laughs softly, not because I said anything particularly funny. Just because she's happy, or at least that’s what I tell myself.

When it's finally our turn, ordering takes longer than expected because Autumn changes her mind twice. First she wants nachos, then she wants pretzel bites, then she decides she wants both.

By the time we're done, Tripp’s carrying drinks, I'm balancing popcorn, and Autumn is walking ahead of us holding a cardboard tray with nachos, pretzel bites, and a hotdog.

Luckily, the movie hasn't started when we get back.

The air has cooled enough that Autumn immediately steals one of the blankets and wraps it around herself before climbing into the middle of the truck bed.

The giant screen flickers to life across the lot while the radio crackles through the truck speakers. Around us, headlights disappear one by one as people settle in for the night. Somebody a few rows over is still trying to get a lawn chair unfolded. A kid is running circles around a pickup while his mother threatens to make him sit down.