His phone kept going to voicemail. On the third try Ember left a message, trying not to fear the worst – that Lucas was actively avoiding her. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath, reminding herself of her mom’s advice – the only route to happiness was to allow herself to be vulnerable.
“So, um, hey Lucas, it’s Ember. I’m so sorry about last night. I’d really like to see you if you’re around. In fact, I’m outside your house. Is that stalkerish? I hope it’s not stalkerish. Oh God, I’m going to hang up now. Please delete this message and never mention it again, okay?”
She put the phone down on the passenger seat and rolled her eyes at herself. Okay, so she had more work to do before being vulnerable felt natural.
Getting out of her car, she walked over to the tiny cottage on the beach and rapped her knuckles on the wooden door. Her heart was hammering against her chest as she waited for him to answer.
But…
There was nothing.
She knocked again and got the same response, maybe he really was trying to avoid her. Yeah, or maybe he was out surfing. She could check the beach to see if he was there.
She walked the short distance along the sand to where the red flags denoted surfing was allowed. The beach was full of people – making the most of a hot weekend. She stood at the shoreline, listening to the crashing of the waves, as she scanned the water for signs of Lucas.
After five minutes she realized her search of the water was impossible. From this far away all the surfers looked the same. She supposed she could sit here on the sand and wait for each one to come in, but that seemed like an awful waste of time when there was no guarantee he was out there.
She looked down the sandy beach to where Ally’s café was. For a moment, she considered walking down there and ordering a latte. Maybe use Ally as a shoulder to cry on. Lucas had to hear her voicemail eventually, didn’t he? Even if it was the most embarrassing message in the world.
But somehow giving up at only the second hurdle didn’t seem right.
Then she had an idea. Turning around on the sand, she looked back at the shops that lined the beach. Nothing would make her as vulnerable as reaching out to Lucas’ mom for her help. The thought of going and speaking to her made Ember want to shiver, yet there was a determination inside of her that made her walk back up the sand to the boardwalk, following the path to the main strip.
A few minutes later, she was pushing open the door of Books By The Beach. The smell of new books hit her. How long had it been since she’d been in there? When she was a child it had been her very favorite shop, and she’d begged her parents to take her in there every time they visited the beach.
For a second, she wondered if she’d seen Lucas in there back in those days, she liked the idea of that.
Pushing the door closed behind her – to keep out the ocean breeze – Ember walked over to the counter, peering behind it to see if Deenie Russell was there. But the space was empty. In the far corner Ember could see an assistant – a teenage girl – stacking the shelves, but there was no sign of the owner.
She could wait. She had nowhere else to go after this, anyway. It took a full five minutes before the back door to the shop opened and Deenie came bustling out.
“Lucy, we have a customer,” she called to the girl who was sliding books on the shelves, oblivious to both of them. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, turning to Ember, her eyes widening as she recognized her. “Oh, hello.”
“Hi, Mrs. Russell. You might not remember me, but I was at school with Caitie. And I’m a friend of Lucas’. My name’s Ember Kennedy.”
Deenie’s lips curled up into a huge smile. “Of course I know who you are. I’m so pleased to see you. How are you? Did you enjoy the party?”
Ember rolled her lip between her teeth before letting the soft skin go. “Um, I guess. Did you hear about it on the grapevine?”
“The grapevine? Oh no. I gave up listening to that damn thing years ago,” Deenie said, still grinning. “Lucas told me he was taking you.”
“He did?” Ember felt the faintest ghost of hope rise up inside her. He wouldn’t have mentioned her to his mom if he was set on keeping their relationship a secret, would he? “It was an interesting evening,” she said, deciding to let Lucas fill his mom in on the rest of the story. She hesitated again, trying to find the right words, before coming to the conclusion that they didn’t exist. She’d just have to throw herself at Deenie’s mercy. “Actually, it’s Lucas I’m looking for. Do you know where he is? I’ve tried his phone and his cottage, and even looked for him on the beach.” If he hadn’t thought she was a stalker from her voicemail, one word with his mom would confirm it. “There’s something I need to speak to him about.”
Deenie’s smile melted. “Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Oh dear.” Deen
ie frowned before she reached out for Ember’s hand. “He got called back into work. There’s a wildfire over in the Santa Maria Forest that’s getting dangerously close to the edges of White City. Lucas has been sent over to help fight.”
“He’s back on duty already?” Ember asked, her chest contracting painfully at the thought. She’d seen enough wildfires on the evening news shows to know how dangerous they were. “When did he go?”
“Some time last night. One of the staff at the station called to tell me.” She reached out for Ember’s hand. “If I’d have known they hadn’t called you…”
“Why would they have?” Ember asked, her voice thick with worry. “I’m not his next of kin.”
“No, you’re not, but I do know he’s very fond of you.” Deenie threaded her fingers between Ember’s. “He would have wanted them to call you, too.”