Page 20 of Songs of Summer

“It’s just Matt now,” his mother corrected.

“I know, I know. Your mom sends me all your articles. I share them with my students sometimes. You are the perfect answer to the question, ‘What am I going to do with an English major?’ ”

Her hands were shaking.

Renee poured her a glass of wine. She took a large gulp and fell back into a state of panic.

“I’ll kill my father if he set me up like this.”

“Bea thinks she saw Veronica in the market.”

“I don’tthinkI saw her. She’s here. My whole chakra is off.”

“I didn’t know you were a yogi,” Matt remarked, one eyebrow raised.

“I’m not. But I know I’m off-balance, and I know she’s here. She’ll be minutes behind me unless she stops to hook up with one of the market guys in the stockroom—again.” Bea couldn’t resist this cheap shot.

Matt blushed and smirked.

She added, “Sorry, Matty. My sister brings out the worst in me.”

Renee nodded in agreement, before asking Matt, “Did you hear anything from Shep about Veronica coming?”

“I didn’t, but we could see everything from the roof.”

“I’m not going on the roof four days before my wedding,” Renee protested.

“Yes, you are,” Bea ordered.

Bea absconded with the bottle of wine. Renee and Matt followed, and for a hot minute it felt as though the absurdity of them climbing out on the roof like three incorrigible teenagers would override the sister drama. It didn’t.

Matt grabbed his binoculars and instructed his motherand her friend on the best way out the window (flip onto your stomach so that your hands can hold the sill and wiggle out), and the best angle to sit (at the top of the roof slope), and ran a little drill on what to do when someone looked in their direction (lie flat, don’t move). It was obvious that he and, most likely, his best friend—and soon-to-be stepsister—Dylan did this often as kids.

“Where was I when you guys were hanging out on the roof?” Renee asked, grabbing the wine bottle from Bea and taking a big swig.

“I don’t know,” he said, motioning to Bea by cocking his head, “but her parents rarely wore swimsuits in their pool.”

They all laughed, perched together on the highest point of the roof like three birds on a wire. Until they saw her.

The three of them watched in silence as Veronica Silver sashayed down the block wheeling her Louis Vuitton suitcase and matching garment bag.

“I’m shocked she didn’t bat her blue eyes and get someone from the market to scoot her over in a golf cart,” Renee couldn’t resist saying. Realizing she wasn’t helping the situation, she pivoted. “Maybe she’s changed.”

Veronica seemed to look in their direction.

“Lay flat,” Matt barked with authority. They did.

“If she comes to your wedding, I swear I’m going to have her thrown overboard,” said Bea.

“She’s not coming to the wedding,” Renee assured her.

Matt surveyed the scene. “You can sit up now if you want. The coast is clear,” he said.

They watched Veronica arrive at the house diagonally across the street. With her back to them, she knocked on the door.

“Why is she knocking?” asked Renee. “It’s her house.”

“Neither of us thinks of it as our house,” said Bea.

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