Page 84 of One Sweet Day I Found You

The local high school marching band soon followed, their horns blaring military tunes and their drums keeping time. A majorette team was close on the band’s heels, flipping their batons into the air and expertly catching them on the way down.

Courtney couldn’t remember a more perfect Fourth of July parade since grade school. Her post for the Visitors Board had been right on the mark—thousands of people had come out to watch, and she guessed that few, if any, would leave disappointed.

The parade lasted about an hour, and afterward, their group of seven had grabbed lunch at a food truck set-up. They’d come back to Marcy’s by two p.m., where they’d started setting up for the evening’s barbecue.

By three o’clock, the place was ready, and by four, they were mixing strawberry margaritas. By five, the townies had started showing up, and by six o’clock, the party was well underway and had spilled out onto the lawn.

A late evening sunshine warmed the crowd of excited twenty-somethings who stood around chatting outside Marcy’s apartment building. It turned out that Marcy’s neighbors on either side were involved in throwing the Fourth of July party as well. Three living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms were being used, while the spacious connecting lawn outside the units accommodated the majority of the guests.

At least no one would complain about the noise, Courtney thought with a grin.

The guests were mostly residents—both year-round and summer-only, Marcy had said. A few tourists would undoubtedly be brought along, however, having randomly met some of the locals at the Heritage Bay watering holes earlier in the week.

Courtney glanced about from where she stood on the lawn with some of the girls. Word about the party had certainly gotten around. She guessed there were at least sixty or seventy people who now milled about, telling stories and laughing, having drinks, and eating picnic food. The chatter of conversation was loud, and the mood, spirited.

It felt good to be part of the local scene, at least for the summer. She was grateful not to have been left out.

She pushed her oversized frames closer to her face and studied some of the strangers standing nearby. There were several people she recognized, now that she’d been here just over a month. One of them was Marcos from Nick’s shop. He greeted her warmly.

Maybe Nick hadn’t told anyone what happened between them yet?Maybe he hadn’t officially dumped her.

Courtney chewed on a nail, glancing around. Could Nick be here? She studied the crowd. He could be in one of the other apartments. She ought to do a lap and find out.

But if he were, what would she say to him? How should she behave? She threw back a gulp of her margarita and tried to refocus on Angela and Gia’s chitchat. They were wrapped up in a lively discussion about something Angela had read on social media that Gia was certain had been false. Courtney turned away to look around again.

She wasn’t exactly sure what she’d do if she saw Nick, but she would figure it out. Her heart ached for him. What she wouldn’t give to be hanging out with him right now, the way things were before anything had gone wrong.

Get over it, Court.Party pooper was not a good look.

Courtney’s attention turned to the song playing on the set of wireless speakers in the yard. It was a popular one from the charts with a catchy beat. Gia and Angela began to belt out the lyrics, and a torturous pang of regret hit Courtney. She and Nick had listened to it in the Jeep on the way home from their first real date, his hand clutching hers across the seat.

She swallowed hard and forced the thought from her mind. Today was supposed to be fun, not painful.Shake it off.

Courtney was grateful when Kira appeared, holding out a plate of fruity appetizers on kebab sticks, each containing bright-red Door County cherries, luscious blueberries, and mini marshmallows. “Hey, ladies. Look how pretty—someone just brought these little patriotic gems! Help yourself!”

“They’re so cute!” Gia said, taking one and slipping it into her mouth.

Courtney and Angela helped themselves. “Thanks!”

Kira, the social butterfly, moved on.

Potluck buffets containing a range of barbecue fare—macaroni salad, chips, fruit, appetizers, and even several apple and cherry pies—had been set up inside each of the apartments. Courtney had dropped off a large platter of cubed watermelon on Marcy’s kitchen counter, and contributed a six-pack of light beer to one of the coolers outside.

The mouthwatering smell of meat on the grill came from the far end of the yard, where a couple of guys stood flipping burgers and dogs.

Courtney had polished off a serving of potato salad and watermelon earlier. A hot dog sounded pretty good.

Gia and Angela turned to check out the guys at the party. “Look at him,” said Gia. Courtney turned to look in the direction she gestured.

“Yum,” said Angela. Then Angela turned the other way and stopped talking abruptly, a huge grin crossing her face. She’d spotted someone, but apparently she wasn’t going to tell them who it was. “I’ll be back, but don’t wait for me,” she said, eyes straight ahead.

“No problem.” Gia called, although Angela was already out of earshot. They both turned to see who the object of Angela’s attention might be.

Courtney’s mouth dropped open.

Tom.

Angela went in for a bear hug and Tom picked her up, hugging her tightly. What was the history between those two? Courtney’s interest was piqued.

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