Lighthouse Way (Huckleberry Bay 1)

Even she’s giving us her blessing.

When Wolfe makes his way back to me, he kisses me once more, not at all worried about the public display of affection.

“Yuck,” I hear June say.

“We have cake,” Cordelia announces. “And coffee from Daisy.”

“Will every moment always be a community event?” I ask with a laugh.

“That’s how we do things in Huckleberry Bay,” Annabelle reminds us all.

July 1, 2021

* * *

Dear Diary,

Wolfe’s home. He’s here for a charity race, and I haven’t seen him in many years. The man looks better in person than he does on TV.

He looked me right in the eyes today before his accident, and it was like something deep down in my soul stirred. Woke and recognized him. Which I know is ridiculous. HB isn’t his home anymore, and I’m sure that once he recovers from that horrible crash today, he’ll be off to somewhere else in the world to race cars and meet exotic women.

But for just that moment earlier, something in me shifted.

Love,

Luna

Epilogue

Sarah

Fifteen Years Ago

* * *

“God, you’re worthless.”

Mom spits the words as I hurry to grab my jacket and leave the house for the night.

“I want you to stay here and take care of me.”

“You’re not sick,” I tell her flatly. “You’re drunk. And I don’t want to take care of you when you’re like this because you’re mean.”

“Oh, baby.” Her face transforms from mean to sugar-sweet, just like that. “You know I don’t mean it. It’s just that I’m so lonely because your daddy’s been gone for a few days, and you’re never home. Why don’t you stay here? We’ll watch a movie. I’ll make your favorite popcorn with extra butter.”

“We don’t have popcorn. Or butter.” I shake my head and walk to the door. “Sleep it off, Mom.”

“You ungrateful bitch!” she screams, and something smashes against the door as I close it.

Thank God Scott’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tonight, and I can escape with Tanner.

I’ve never brought Tanner home to meet my parents, even though we’ve been dating for more than a year. There’s no way in hell I want him to meet them.

It’s just so embarrassing.

My mom is a drunk, and my dad sleeps around with just about anyone and everyone. We’ve moved four times this year alone because they keep skipping out on the rent.

I’m shocked that people will even rent to them anymore. Huckleberry Bay is small, and I know that people talk.

I hurry down the street to Gordy’s, where I’m supposed to meet Tanner for dinner, and smile when I see that he’s already sitting at our usual booth.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” I say with excitement as I slide onto the bench next to him and hug him tightly. Tanner’s a sophomore at Oregon State, and he hasn’t been home in more than three months.

The worst three months ever.

“Yeah, it’s good to be here.”

But he doesn’t smile at me in that special way he usually does. And he doesn’t kiss me.

A ball of dread forms in my belly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shit, this sucks,” he mutters. “Listen, Sarah. I think that maybe we should take a break.”

I move away and slide into the booth across from him so I can look him in the eyes.

“Why?”

He swallows hard and shakes his head, not meeting my gaze.

“It’s just too hard, you know?”

“Look at me, Tanner.”

He does, and the sadness in those green orbs makes me want to scream.

“Did you meet someone else at college?”

“What? No.” He shakes his head, and I believe he’s telling me the truth. “No, it’s not that at all. It’s just that being away from you is hard, and I can’t concentrate because I’m worried about you, wondering if you’re okay. And I really need to work hard at school, Sar. My parents are paying for me to be there, and I don’t want to screw it up.”

“I won’t call you as much,” I promise. “I know I call too often, but it’s just because I miss you so much. But I’ll stop. I’ll just see you when you’re home.”

But he’s already shaking his head.

“It’s just a break for a while,” he repeats. “Let me get through another semester to see where I am. You know?”

“No.” My world is shattering around me. “No, I don’t know at all. I love you, Tanner.”

“I love you, too,” he whispers and closes his eyes. “But this is for the best right now.”

“Are you going to see other people?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Oh, my God, Tanner.”

“That’s what people do when they break up, right? They see other people. Don’t wait around for me, Sar. You’re a senior, and you should go to prom and do all the things.”

“School’s almost over,” I remind him. “I’m graduating in a few months, and then I can move to Corvallis with you. We won’t have to be apart anymore.”