She nodded. “Twice. I went with Simi last night. It was a lot of fun. Everyone loved seeing Nonnie.”
Anger moved through his veins. Everyone in town had dismissed Carly Woods. He and everyone around him had a lot of things to make up for now that she had opened the door back into her life.
“Do you know why you’re named Brystol?” he asked her. He knew the answer without even conferring with Brooklyn but wanted to make sure Brystol knew.
She shook her head. “I don’t think I ever thought of my name having a meaning other than my mom and grandma’s names starting with a B.”
Bowie smiled. He set his bottle down in the sand, pulled his legs up so he could rest his arms on his knees, and told her. “After we graduated high school, your dad and I, along with Jason and Graham, who are over there, and Graham’s brother, Grady, piled into my mom’s small sedan and drove from here to Bristol, Tennessee, to go to a NASCAR race. This was your dad’s favorite track. It was one of the worst and best things we ever did as friends because the car didn’t have a working air conditioner, and driving across country in August was miserable, but we had a blast. We each took turns driving so others could sleep, we ate off dollar menus from various fast-food places, used truck stops to shower, and would stop and visit tourist traps just so we could say we’ve been somewhere. The race, though, I remember it like it was yesterday—hot, humid, and under the lights. The roar of the engines, the smell of burning gas and rubber, and the feel of forty-three cars rumbling toward the first turn was something I’ve never forgotten. Nor does one forget that Dale Earnhardt won the race after starting twenty-sixth, making history, the way only the man known as the Intimidator could do.”
“I don’t know him.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Your mom was never a fan of racing, even though we made her come to the track with us all the time.”
“So I’m named after a racetrack?” She sounded skeptical.
Bowie nodded and then started second-guessing himself. “That’s my best guess. Only your mom can confirm.”
“My mom says that you and my dad were best friends.”
“Every memory I have from growing up has your dad in it.”
“That’s pretty cool. I told my mom I think it would be funny if I went to the same high school as her and my dad. I don’t know, though.”
“About what?”
She glanced over to where her mom was. “If we’re staying.”
“Do you want to?”
“Yeah.” She went back to petting Luke. “I like here better than Seattle. It’s so quiet, and I can be on the beach whenever I want.”
Bowie wanted her to stay. He wanted Brooklyn to stay as well and wondered if he could do anything to encourage her to make the decision to call Cape Harbor their home. He focused on his group of friends again and noticed not only that Rennie was here but also that Grady was approaching. He stumbled and almost fell into the firepit; however, Graham was there to catch his brother before he face-planted into the fire.
“You!” Grady screamed and pointed toward Brooklyn. “You,” he said again, but this time the hairs on Bowie’s arms rose to attention. “Stay here,” he said to Brystol as he stood and ran toward his friends.
“Come on, Grady—you’re drunk. Let’s go home.” Graham was trying to defuse the situation.
“When isn’t he drunk?” Bowie heard Mila yell out.
Bowie stood on one side of Grady, while Graham tried to keep him in place, but the man was using his might to push through. “I fucking hate you,” he screamed toward Brooklyn. Bowie looked toward her, but she was staring at the ground. Brystol, however, was right behind her, having disobeyed him. Her eyes were wide, and he felt the need to go to her, to shelter her from what was happening. Bowie didn’t want Brystol to witness Grady’s outburst and tried to push him away, but he held strong. “It’s you who should’ve died. Not him. You don’t deserve to live after what you did to him. You stupid bitch. Austin loved you, and you . . .” Grady stopped talking. He fell to the sand with the help of Graham. “She hurt him,” he mumbled.
Brooklyn’s head popped up, and her mouth dropped open. She glared directly at Bowie, who felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. Why would Grady say such a thing? And why was he so angry with Brooklyn? There was only one answer, but he couldn’t ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue, and now wasn’t the time to ask Graham. With that, Brooklyn stood, wiped angrily at her cheek while scowling at Bowie, and started toward the house with Rennie hot on her heels.