But it can wait, I think, as the sky turns orange and pink in the distance, because I have other things to do before then.
9
Summer
“I had an idea about the party for Mom when she gets back,” I say the next morning on the drive to the store. “I think we should let Nick show his photography from the book. We could frame them and hang them on the walls.”
“I love it!” Anita exclaims from the passenger seat. “We can clear the wall by the entrance and hang everything there. This is going to be so amazing.”
“I haven’t told my mom about it yet, I’ll call her today. I think she’ll like the photography concept, too.”
“Good idea.”
I pull into the parking lot. “She and I also have this interview coming up—some mother-daughter thing about us working on the book together and the whole family aspect.”
“It’s so weird having all of this in my life now. Before you guys showed up, it was just me and Bobby and Sibley hanging out in this little town, but now it’s so much more. I have a job and another baby on the way—”
“I don’t think we had much to do with the baby.”
Her eyes brighten. “In a way, you did. This job gives me the extra money we need to have another baby—which we’ve always wanted. And the flexibility that working at a tourist trap wouldn’t give me.” She looks over at me. “You guys have changed our lives, Summer. I can’t tell you how much it means to us.”
Her honestly slams me in the feels and I blink back a few tears. “You know it’s the same for me. I never had family other than my mom, and now I have so much more. You introduced me to the guys and this whole little corner of the world. I love it so much.” I want to tell her how much I love it—so much I don’t want to go back to Tennessee—but that’s stupid and I’m not a stupid girl that gives up my dreams for a man. Or men. Not anymore. I did that once and it wrecked me.
“Oh my god, it’s like my pregnancy hormones are contagious.” Anita says, wiping her eyes. I laugh but know it’s more than that. I understand how she feels. It’s like once we met, our lives clicked into place.
It’s a feeling I don’t want to let go.
The plans for that afternoon are to hit the beach. Everyone has the itch and texts fly between the Ocean Beach crew about where and when to meet.
“I really need a new suit,” I say, once everything’s firmed up. “Options are limited in Tennessee.”
“You should go next door,” Anita says. She’s reading from one of the pregnancy books she ordered for the store. “Hullabaloo has great stuff.”
“You mind if I go over now?” I ask. Business has picked up, but not enough that both of us need to be on the floor.
“Go for it.” Her eyes widen at something she reads. “Did you know that some women bury their placenta in the yard and then plant a tree over it?”
I shake my head.
“I wonder if I should do that?”
I leave her with her book and the two browsing customers and head to the shop next door. As I approach, I realize it’s the first time I’ve really paid attention to it. Like our shop, it’s a cottage converted into a retail space. Their siding is painted bright pink with lime green trim. There are two large front windows, both filled with clever designs made out of flipflops and sunglasses. I push open the door and I’m greeted by the sound of upbeat music along with racks and racks of clothing. The two girls I’d seen before, Isabel and Jessica, stand at the counter, flipping through a magazine. They look up when I enter and Jessica, with the flaming red hair, says, “Welcome to Hullabaloo,” then it’s obvious she recognizes me. “Oh hey, Summer, right?”
“Right,” I reply, knowing I’ve never given them my name. But that’s the curse of a small town. They’d just know. And truth be told, I hadn’t been introduced to them and I knew their names already, too.
I head to the bathing suit rack and pick through the hangers. Nothing is inspiring me—but I’m still not totally in my comfort zone. I’m stressing over the difference between halter, tube, bandeau, string, and the million other options when I hear, “Try this.”
I turn and find Jessica’s freckled nose right behind me, holding up a turquoise bikini with a halter top and matching bottom. There are tiny, embroidered flowers stitched into the fabric.
“It’s so bright, I don’t know if I can…”
“Just try it. Seriously. I have a really good eye for things like this.”
I take the hanger and walk to the back and into the dressing room. I change into the suit and dammit, she’s right. It looks really good with my eyes and hair. But it’s also…just a lot.
“Let’s see,” she calls from outside the room. I open the door.
“Holy shit.” Her green eyes are wide.