Page 77 of Marriage is a Shore Thing
“I want to apologize because last night we—”
“Oh yeah, the heist!” Cade practically squeals. “How did it go?”
“You knew?”
“Yeah. Vivian asked if I was interested, but since I havezero chilland no covert capacity, I figured you’d be more successful without me. Also, that kind of chaos is William’s worst nightmare.” She pulls her lips to the side, thinking. “Secondary to explosive, Christmas-themed clutter. I love him, so sometimes I skip things for his mental health, and other times, he pushes himself past his comfort zone for me.”
I blink, processing that information as Cade rolls right along.
“It sounded like two truckloads of fun, though.” She grabs my wrist, pulling us toward the ocean. “Tell me everything.”
“I have to head back to the gym to teach my second class.”
“Not a problem.” She flips us with surprising strength. “I’ll be your escort.”
The corner of my mouth kicks up when Cade wraps my hand around her left arm, patting it twice and accidentally leaving a few specks of green glitter behind.
“Sorry,” she says as the stubborn glitter refuses to budge.
“It’s fine,” I tell her. And honestly, it is.
Because who doesn’t need a quirky, glitter-covered friend in their lives? I used to think I didn’t, but now I see how wrong I’ve been.
Cade squints at me. “Who are you, and what have you done with Geneva?”
An easy laugh escapes me.
Her eyes widen. “Okay, now I’m really concerned. You’re not in your standard black. You’re speaking instead of grunting. And I don’t think I’ve seen your lips lift that much…like, ever.”
I glance down at my wine-red tank. It’s one of several new athletic tops I purchased in addition to a few sundresses when I went shopping with Van. A memory surges forward, heating me from the inside. Van’s gaze darkened each time I stepped out of the dressing room, his hands gripping the arms of his chair as if that were the only thing keeping him from reaching for me.
“My leggings are still black,” I say, dragging myself back to the present. “And I’ll teach my next class with my usual strict, no-nonsense efficiency.”
Cade tilts her head, assessing. “Yeah. I guess you’re still Taylor Swift in herReputationera, but theLovertransition is clearly on the horizon.”
At my puzzled expression, she giggles and pulls me down Sand Bend Road. “Never mind. Tell me about the heist. Don’t leave out any details.”
A flare of caution sparks in my mind. The more people that know about what happened, the messier it might be when Henry realizes we took back what was rightfully Joanna’s. But then I remember that this community—my community—always has each other’s backs.
“I was almost caught,” I say, diving right into the juiciest detail.
Cade’s exaggerated gasp pulls another chuckle from me.
“Start from the beginning,” she demands—and I do.
thirty-three
Van
“Hey, Mama. How you doing?” My accent slips a little deeper, as it always does when I call my mom.
“Good. Mark took me out for brunch, and then we walked Shelby Bottoms a bit.”
“That sounds like a nice day,” I say, stalling.
My fingers glide through the sand as I sit on the beach in my wet swim trunks. Several locals are spread out on towels, enjoying the last beach day before fall truly sets in. After last night’s win, I woke up an hour earlier than normal with energy to burn. Nick was more than happy to meet me at the beach in front of his condo and let me borrow his foamie for a Saturday surf session. If I stayed in Wilks Beach, I could see myself buying my own board and using it on my days off.
But…quite a few things need to line up before that can happen.
