Page 7 of Holiday Tides

“Like you said, it was my turn.” I shrug. The drive to Seabreeze Beans is a short one, and Carol seems to be elongating it by crawling by as slowly as possible. A child on a bicycle wearing a flaming red helmet with spikes passes us.

“But you finished your degree program, right? This isn’t some flee-to-the-island-in-shame situation? You’re not pregnant, are you?”

I nearly choke on my own spit. “No! Nothing like that.”

Though my oldest brother, Spencer, did take over Gramma’s cottage when he failed out of college his sophomore year. He ended up bartending at Bayside Table for a year before applying to the police force on the mainland. Now, he’s a perfectly respectable police officer with a wife and two adorable kids whom I’m excited to see more often than yearly at Christmas.

Carol’s still giving me a skilled side-eye, so I elaborate. “I graduated from college, medical school, and residency, and I work for Atlantic Pediatrics on the mainland.”

She makes a noise in her throat, not approving but not disapproving either.

“Speaking of doctors…” While I have the queen of gossip as a captive audience, I might as well ask some questions. “Why is Nick working construction on the weekends?”

Carol snorts, which brings on an unexpected coughing fit. I check the accessory muscles in her neck to make sure she’s getting enough air but say nothing. Someone as proud as Carol wouldn’t want me fussing after her.

“He neverwentto medical school. Never went to college. It was a big to-do when his parents up and left without him when he refused to matriculate.” One would usually have sorrow or empathy in their voice while regaling this kind of story, but Carol is positively sparkling. “He languished for a little while but then started working at WB Renovations. He’s been there ever since.”

Wait. Nick never…

It’s as if a semi-truck sideswiped us, but Carol is staring straight ahead, humming indiscriminately. My eyelashes flutter as my forehead wrinkles. But Nick spent so much of high school striving as hard as I did…only to refuse to attend his first-choice college after graduation?

And then his parentslefthim?

I’m still reeling from Carol’s truth bomb, when she parks sideways through three of the four spots in front of the town’s only coffee shop.

“I’m on my way to the mainland for my weekend errands.” It’s an unmistakable dismissal.

My stunned fingers take a few seconds to unbuckle my seatbelt. “Oh, right. Sure. Thanks for the ride.”

“Uh-huh.” I’ve barely closed the door before Carol pulls back onto Sand Bend Road, passing the water tower on her way out of town.

I’m still standing, completely baffled, when my phone pings in my pocket.

Cooper

Am I still making the haul tonight?

The sight of my boyfriend-of-three-months’ name on my screen should make me smile, but things have been a bit strained between us lately. Cooper didn’t love me moving from across our apartment complex to an hour away, turning our fledgling relationship into a long-distance one. Before that, things between us had been mostly easy.

We’d met coming back to our complex at the same time after a Saturday morning run. After a few moments of flirtatious banter while stretching, Cooper asked me to dinner. We’d bonded over running, being the youngest of large families, and both working in the medical field—Cooper providing hospital IT support from his home computer. There are topics we don’t see eye to eye on—he’s not a huge fan of Christmas—but doesn’t everyone have that in their relationships?

Tonight is Wilks Beach’s tree-lighting ceremony, however. I’ve been telling him the wonder of this event since Halloween, expecting we’d make the trek anyway because it’s the first time since high school I’ve been able to attend. Cooper had agreed before, interested in seeing the town that was a source of so many of my childhood stories.

Summer

Yes! I can’t wait for you to see everything.

Cooper simply sends a thumbs-up emoji, but I try not to let his lack of enthusiasm over the celebration damper my mood. In front of me, Seabreeze Beans is lit up like…well, Christmas, and I’ve got a peppermint latte to enjoy and locals to catch up with.

five

Nick

“Come on! There’s no good reason why I can’t carry Mae to the ceremony.”

“How about you’re not her parent?”

I make a dismissive noise in my throat as Aldon’s nieces and nephews race between us. Aldon’s other brothers and their families live on the mainland, but everyone comes to his house on tree-lighting day because it’s theabsolute beststart to the holiday season.

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