Page 133 of Beach Vibes

Jana grinned. “I’m getting the odd tingle. But I want to give it time. I want to be sure. I think we both deserve that.”

“You do. You’re being really smart about all this. Did you tell him you need time?”

Jana nodded. “He says he’s going to wait.”

“That’s romantic. I hope it works out.”

“Me, too.”

Beth reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for forgiving me. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you more. Let’s never fight again.”

“Pinky swear,” Beth said. “Then it’s for sure.”

27

Summer sped by. Jana worked an extra few hours a weekto pad her savings account. By mid-August she was training her replacement and looking forward to her classes starting. She and Beth had decided that swimming lessons were more Jana and Linnie’s speed than horseback riding, and the three of them had signed up for classes at a local swim club. Her second week in the pool, Linnie had announced she was going to be an Olympic swimmer, which would have been funny if the instructor hadn’t mentioned the four-year-old seemed to have talent.

But getting serious about the sport was several years off. For now, they were simply learning about water safety and mastering different strokes.

Jana had never heard from Rick again, nor did she know what had happened with Galaxy. Beth had recently mentioned shehadn’t heard from her brother, which made Jana sad. She wished the two of them could have been as close as her and Teddy. But Beth was working hard to deal with her disappointment. Writing about her childhood with her brother and how he’d become someone else had started to morph into an actual story. In addition to the horseback riding and the swim lessons, Beth had signed up for a novel writing class. She was keeping busy, but Jana knew her friend still missed Teddy.

She crossed the yard and went through the gate in the back fence on her way to Teddy’s studio. The modest bungalow contained two treatment rooms, a waiting area, a bathroom with a shower, his office and a small kitchenette. There was also parking for several cars off the quiet residential street.

She let herself in and called out a greeting, then walked to her brother’s office.

“I’m heading out with the kids,” she said, then pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket. “I have the lists.”

She’d offered to do the back-to-school shopping. Teddy had many wonderful qualities, but enjoying time at a mall wasn’t one of them.

“You sure about this?” he asked. “I can do it later.”

She sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “I don’t mind. They’re really good about it. Plus I plan to take advantage of Magnolia’s bossy side. Linnie is practically frantic with excitement about starting school. I’m not sure I’d be able to keep her focused on my own.”

Teddy grinned. “Magnolia does have mad skills. You’ll take the Suburban?”

She groaned. “Yes, I will drive the world’s largest vehicle so there’s room for everyone and all the packages.” She didn’t like borrowing Teddy’s car, but sometimes it made sense.

She got up to leave, then sank back down and stared at her brother.

“You’re being stupid,” she announced. “You’re still missingBeth, and I know she’s still missing you. I’m the one who was hurt, and I’ve long forgiven her. You should, too.”

His gaze was steady. “We agreed not to talk about this.”

“No, we didn’t. You saidyoudidn’t want to talk about it anymore, but I never agreed.” She pointed at him. “You’re still in love with her. It’s been over two months. You’ve punished her enough. Now it’s time to go be with her and do the happy thing.”

“No.”

“Why? You’re so stubborn. It’s ridiculous. You’re wasting your life when everything you want is right there in front of you. Or it would be in front of you if you’d go see her. Eventually you’re going to figure out she’s exactly who you should be with, and you will have blown it.”

“I could say the same about you.”

Jana glared at him. “We’re not talking about me.”

“Why not? To quote someone in this room, it’s been two months. It’s time for you to do the happy thing.”

“My relationship with Dex is different. I’m trying to figure out how I feel about him.”

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