First Time in Forever (Puffin Island 1)

“Has it occurred to you that this isn’t all about me? Emily is in this relationship, too. And it’s a casual relationship. She doesn’t want it to be more than that. She isn’t interested.”

His grandmother looked at him for a long moment. “You’re many things, but I never thought you were a fool, Ryan. Can you lend me your phone? I want to call Murph and tell him I’ll pick up the keys tomorrow.”

“You can’t pick up the keys until you own the place.”

“I do own the place.”

Ryan stared at her. “It only came on the market recently. You only just saw it.”

“Murph called me the instant it happened, and he drove me over to take a look.”

Ryan digested that. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“You had a lot on your mind.” She patted him on the arm. “Now, take me home and help me pack up some boxes.”

*

IT WAS THEIR first trip to the harbor since they’d come back from the hospital, and they could barely take a step without being accosted by well-wishers.

Emily kept a close eye on Lizzy and tried not to fuss. “What would you most like to do?”

“Can we have waffles and chocolate milk?”

She’d been steeling herself for that inevitable request. Waffles and chocolate milk would mean visiting the Ocean Club and possibly bumping into Ryan. She’d discovered that asking him to keep his distance hadn’t stopped her from thinking about him, nor had it stopped Lizzy talking about him. She’d reached the stage where she was ready to scream and cover her ears and had distracted herself by making endless collages with seashells found on the beach outside the door. But that pastime had only held Lizzy’s attention for a short time. She’d discovered that a recovering Lizzy was harder to handle than a sick Lizzy. She wanted to be out on the water, swimming, seeing the puffins, anything other than staying trapped indoors.

Emily had suggested a trip to Summer Scoop, but it was clear that no activity was going to match the awesome experience of waffles and chocolate milk, so she surrendered to the inevitable. Why not? If they were staying on the island, then they were going to bump into Ryan sooner or later.

Lizzy insisted on taking both Andrew and her new puffin, and they were met by a smiling Kirsti, who showed them to their usual table.

Once again a large crowd of students had the table next to them, but this time Emily barely spared them a glance.

“One extra-chocolatey chocolate milk for an extra special guest.” Kirsti placed the tall glass in front of Lizzy with a flourish and did the same with Emily’s coffee. “Can I get you anything else?”

Lizzy looked around hopefully. “Is Ryan here?”

“No.” Kirsti gave her a sympathetic look. “We haven’t seen him this morning. He’s dealing with some business down at the marina. Some guy whose ego is bigger than his yacht, and that’s saying something.” She walked off with a wink and a smile to serve another table of customers, and Lizzy’s shoulders drooped.

She clutched the puffin in both hands, Andrew lying forgotten on one of the vacant chairs. “Why don’t we see Ryan anymore?”

“He’s busy, honey.” It horrified her how badly she wanted to see him.

Was she really going to be able to live in such close proximity, or was she fooling herself?

Misery was a cold hard lump inside her. It was impossible not to second-guess herself. Maybe she should have let the relationship take its course. But how would that have worked? Eventually he would have moved on, and that would have made the situation even more awkward.

The best option would have been not to fall in love with him in the first place, but it was too late for that.

Lizzy put the puffin down carefully and reached for her milk. “He said he loved us.”

“He does love us in his own way, but he has a job to do and his own life.”

And that life wasn’t going to include them.

She couldn’t wallow in self-pity; she had to move on. She had to keep Lizzy busy and introduce new people into her life.

Lizzy stared miserably across the restaurant, and then the chocolate milk slipped from her hands and spilled across the table, splattering Emily.

With lightning reflexes, she rescued puffin and Andrew, but before she could speak, Lizzy shrank down in her chair.