Page 89 of A Summer Mismatch
Polly:Don’t forget the *poop emoji* cookies!
Nancy:And Winnie—figure out a way to get Logan and Julia to the lake.
Walt:Wait. Are there alligators in that lake?
Nancy:As long as they don’t tip the boat over, I’m sure it’ll be fine.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Julia
Logan:Julia, I’m so sorry. My phone has been off. This has been quite a week, but that’s no excuse for me going off-grid. I’d like to talk. Call me?
Julia stared at the text for the millionth time since Logan had sent it yesterday afternoon. The last week had left her feeling emotionally wrung out at first, and then rejuvenated. And in a moment of pure bravery—or stupidity, she still wasn’t sure—she’d sent Logan her book to read. What if he hated it? What if he didn’t even want to read it? A million other what-ifs swirled around in her head until she was relieved when her phone lit up with a call from Grandma Winnie.
“Hi, dear.” It sounded like her grandma was standing outside in the wind. “Are you busy?”
“No. What’s up?” It was the first Saturday in a while that she didn’t have anything planned. She was going to take Cameron to get some ice cream after lunch, and then they were going to play in sand at the beach for the rest of the day.
They’d both slept in, so he was just finishing up his breakfast.
“Well, we have a situation.” The phone was muffled, and Julia heard her say, “Is he still okay? I’m working on it.”
“Working on what, Grandma? It’s kind of hard to hear you. Where are you?”
“Sorry. I’m at Paradise Lake,” she replied. “Hang on, the wind is stealing my hat.”
Julia waited patiently for Grandma Winnie to get back on the line. “Your Grandpa took a canoe out to the middle of the lake and lost his oars. We need someone to go out there and give him a new set.”
“What? How in the world did that happen?” Julia darted around the room to find her keys. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes before I can get there. Is there a worker that can help? Is Grandpa going to be okay for that long in the sun?”
“He’s fine. He’s relaxing like he doesn’t have a care in the world,” Winnie told her. “I think he’d be embarrassed if I sent anyone else out to help him, and I considered doing it myself, but my doctor would not want me on a paddle board right now, potentially passing out in the middle of a lake.”
Julia shuddered and picked up her speed. She found her keys next to her purse on the counter and grabbed Cameron’s shoes for him to put on. “We’re on our way. Donotpaddle out to him.”
She hung up the phone and pulled her hair into a messy bun before grabbing her own shoes. She was still wearing her heart-patterned pajama shorts and a faded black concert T-shirt. She’d certainly never been to a Twisted Sister concert, and had no idea where she’d gotten this shirt from. But there was no time to change. On the off-chance Grandpa stopped doing well, she knew her grandma wouldn’t hesitate to attempt to paddle out to him.
“Let’s go.”
She raced to The Palms, double parked, and then ran to Paradise Lake, Cameron close behind her. Grandma Winnie smiled at first, and then her expression fell and her eyes widened. “What in the world are you wearing? Are those your pajamas?”
“Yes. I came straight here to help,” Julia said a little too defensively. A chunk of hair fell from her too-messy bun and she attempted to tuck it back into the elastic tie. “Is there another boat somewhere? Extra oars? Or do I need to go track one down at the community center?”
Grandma Winnie just stared at her, and then over Julia’s shoulder with a wince. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. And then louder, she said, “Logan, thank you so much!”
“Logan’s here?” Julia hissed. She did not want to turn around. She was fairly sure she’d been too tired to wash her makeup off last night and now had mascara flakes around her eyes. She hadn’t even brushed her teeth yet!
“Lydia was with me,” Grandma murmured to Julia. “She called Logan to help, too, and you both came.”
Julia raised a brow. “Coincidentally, of course. Especially seeing as how he had to drive at least thirty minutes to get here.”
“He was taking too long.” Winnie gave her a guilty smile, and took a deep, there’s-nothing-to-be-done-for-it breath. “You look beautiful, as always.”
Julia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I look like I just woke up and drove over here in a panic, because that’s what I did.” She tucked some stray hairs behind her ears and turned toward Logan. She’d come all the way over here to save her Grandpa, and save him, she would. Even if she had to face Logan for the first time all week. She thought through everything that had happened that week—between Timothy’s kiss, Adia, finishing her book, and Cameron’s appointment, she felt like she’d lived through a lifetime.
He saw her and his hungry expression stopped her in her tracks, and then lit a raging fire inside of her. Cameron raced over to give Logan a long hug, and Logan rocked back and forth with him.
“I missed you too,” Logan said. “I didn’t realize you’d be here,” he said, looking at Julia.
