Page 26 of The Perfect Putt

I barge into Naomi’s house, my spare key still in hand. She looks up at me from where she’s holding Archie in her lap. Some cartoon I don’t recognize is on the TV, and Archie is wide-eyed as he watches it.

“Why are you not dressed? Diane will be here in ten minutes,” I say and cross my arms over my lavender sundress. Molly, Naomi, and I are going out to Hammerhead Hank’s–a beachfront bar and grill on Wave Way–tonight so I put on my favorite dress and a pair of wedges that make my legs look much longer than they are.

“No, she won’t, because I canceled. I don’t feel like going out.”

“Yes, she will, because she called me and I told her I was coming right over to get you into a dress and out the door.”

“Ellie! You can’t do that. What if I didn’t want to pay her for tonight? What if I needed the money?”

I roll my eyes. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I paid her. Now hand me my nephew and go get dressed.”

“Why did you do that? I’ve told you a million times I don’t want you paying for things for us.” She doesn’t move from the couch. Instead she pulls Archie closer and scowls at me. “I’m not going, so you can get your money back from Diane. You’re supposed to be saving up for your shop anyway.”

Since Owen died, Naomi rarely leaves the house. And even though we both know she’ll enjoy tonight, she’s still going to put up a fight.

“The thirty bucks I had to force Diane to take from me is not a significant hit to my savings I can assure you,” I deadpan. “But if you don’t start getting ready, I will go on Amazon and buy every cute toddler item I see and give them to Archie to chew on so that they can’t be returned.” To anyone else, my threat is mild at best. But to Naomi, it’s the exact motivation she needs to get moving. She hates the idea of anyone spending money on her and Archie, but especially me since I’m saving to open my flower shop.

“Fine, but I’m not wearing a dress. I haven’t shaved my legs in a month.”

I shrug. “Suits me. You could show them off for all I care, so long as you get dressed.”

“You’re mean,” she huffs and deposits Archie in my arms.

“Love you too,” I say with a saccharine smile. She rolls her eyes and stomps off to her room. I shoot a quick text to Molly letting her know we might be late, then fall down on the couch with Archie in my lap.

After a few minutes of bouncing Archie while he babbles, Naomi comes out from her bedroom. I look up and gasp.

“You look stunning,” I say and she looks down at her outfit warily. She decided to wear a maxi dress instead of jeans. It’s a beautiful bright floral pattern that makes her look like a walking garden in the best way. She’s got on gold jewelry, and her hair is up in a messy high ponytail that she manages to make look chic.

“It’s not too much?”

“You look perfect, Naomi.” I hear a car pulling up in the drive. “Sounds like it’s time for us to go.”

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” she groans.

“Yes, I’m a terrible sister for taking you out to enjoy yourself for one night.” Sarcasm coats my words.

Diane knocks on the door before Naomi can respond. The next few minutes are a blur of Naomi giving Diane instructions and Diane assuring her that everything will be okay. Then Naomi takes five minutes to tell Archie goodbye, because he looked a little sad. Except he did not look sad at all. Since Diane feeds him whipped cream and gives him copious amounts of affection, I think he knows he’ll be well cared for tonight. It takes everything short of a crowbar to pry Naomi away, but I manage to get her out the door and into my car.

We make our way to Hank’s with the windows down and sunroof open. Naomi lets one of her hands float on the breeze, looking more relaxed already. I take a deep breath of ocean air and let it out in a long exhale. The past few days have been odd. I haven’t had much time around Miles. When he’s not training or in meetings, he’s hanging out with Shaw and Sutton. I’ve told myself several times that I don’t mind, but my heart doesn’t seem to be getting the memo.

After our night in Cape Alamanda, I thought we’d gotten closer. That maybe we could be friends, however odd of a pairing we make. But it was like as soon as Shaw and Sutton arrived, he retreated. It stung. I opened up to him about Owen and Naomi in a way that I haven’t with anyone other than Molly. And that vulnerability was repaid by him avoiding me.

I pull into the parking lot at Hank’s, and tell myself–once again–to stop thinking about Miles. If he wants to have a stilted work relationship, fine, he can have one. I’m only doing this to get the money for the shop anyway. Once I save up enough, I can quit and forget all about him and his smirking face.

“Are you ready for some fun?” I ask Naomi, trying to infuse some cheer in my tone. But between the whole Miles situation and the fact that I’m not the cheerleader type, it comes out monotone at best.

“I’m ready for a drink,” she says and I let out a surprised laugh.

“Me too, let’s go inside before Molly thinks we bailed on her.”

The closer we get to the bar, the louder it gets. Hank’s is an open air building, so you get an amazing view of the beach even while inside. There’s actually not really an inside. The only enclosed spaces are the kitchen and the bathrooms. The music is always loud and always beach-themed, whether it’s pop music or old country hits. If it has the word beach in it, Hank plays it. And his philosophy on decorating is much the same. There are shells everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling in the swaths of netting stapled up there along with some twinkle lights. Various photos of customers posing by the water are hung on the walls, along with signs that say things like no shoes, no shirt, come on in, and stay wild, ocean child.

It’s an interior design nightmare, but it’s a local staple and a place that never fails to make me smile as soon as I step foot on the scuffed and sandy wood floor. Just like I do tonight. Naomi breaks out into a grin as well, and we head toward where Molly has camped out at the bar, her sandals on one stool and her purse on the other to save our seats.

“You made it!” she cheers, raising a large curved glass with an umbrella poking out of the top. “I was worried there for a minute.”

“Sorry I held us up,” Naomi says. She hands Molly her shoes and dusts off the seat. “It’s not easy leaving Archie.”

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