Page 41 of Summer Ever After
“I haven’t seen Ivy in ages, but Capri is also in town tonight. I told her I would have dinner with her family.”
“What’s with everyone coming into town lately?”
“There’s always an uptick of locals at the beginning of summer.” I covertly swing my gaze to Walker. “But they’ll all go back to where they came from. They always do.”
Walker
“I’m sorry,Mr. Collins. The shuttle just left to pick up wedding guests from the ferry. As soon as it comes back, we can get you a ride.”
I don’t like asking the bellhop at the resort for help, but since the mailbox crash the other night, I’m without transportation until Dax gets the golf cart repaired and Stan’s boat. I thought maybe Pete could drop me off since he lives next door to my grandma’s house, but he has two more private lessons tonight. If I waited around for him to finish, I’d completely miss dinner with my family—a tempting thought, but I should probably make sure I’m there, even though it’s the last place I want to be.
“No problem.” I nod at the bellhop. “I’ll just wait in the lobby.” I head to a vacant couch, feeling an uncomfortable twist in my stomach over my dinner plans. The whole evening is going to suck. I have to pretend that I’m not estranged from my sisters—should be fun.
Laughter across the room pulls my gaze to Jane, and instantly, the tightness in my stomach eases. She’s with Cat Keene and another woman I don’t recognize, but she’s happy. A bright light in my dark thoughts.
Her yellow sundress and tennis shoes are the perfect match to her upbeat personality. I findmyself smiling as I watch her, which is weird since, moments ago, I felt like taking my golf club over my knee and snapping it in half. I probably would’ve if Pete hadn’t been there. I didn’t want to disappoint him.
Jane’s hands gesture wildly through the air as she tells a story. Her bright eyes and energetic facial expressions just add to the whole effect, making me wish she were telling the story to me. She pulls out some pink papers from her purse—the same pink papers I’ve seen her carry everywhere. She points to a few things, and the women all laugh.
What could be written on those papers that are so important?
Jane exchanges a few more words before waving goodbye and turning to go.
Her steps pause when she sees me staring, but I swear the faintest of smiles tugs at the corner of her mouth.
“I saw you out on the course,” she says as she approaches.
“Then you probably saw me shank hole seven.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I’m guessing it’s not good.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No, it’s not good at all.”
“I guess you haven’t cleared your head or gotten back to your prime.”
“Not today.”
“And how’s your head wound?” She ducks, trying to see under my hat.
“It finally stopped bleeding. How’s your mailbox?”
“Probably better off than your golf cart.”
“You’re telling me.” I glance behind at the bellhop. “I have to bum a ride from the hotel so I can go to dinner at Tala’s house. Capri is in town.”
“I know.” Her lips relax into a full smile, as if she finds itamusing that I’m trying to inform her about Capri’s whereabouts. “I’m actually headed to dinner at Tala’s too.”
“Really?” I don’t even bother hiding my grin. I’m not sure why her being at dinner makes me feel relieved, but it does. Jane is a great buffer between me and my family.
“Why are you so happy? Are you hoping to bum a ride from me instead?”
“Well, we are going to the same place.”
Her lips roll together as she shakes her head. “Fine. I’ll be your chauffeur.”
I hop up faster than a mom who hears her baby cry in the middle of the night. Jane doesn’t wait for me to gather my golf bag, leaving me playing catch-up as we walk out of the lobby to the parking lot.
“Why are you at the resort anyway?” I ask. “Don’t you have to work?”
