She rolls her eyes. “I’ve been trying to forget about that.”
I laugh, keeping my eyes peeled for Beau’s cart. I don’t want to miss grabbing some video of him in the parade—preferably with a lot of islanders waving and smiling at him in the background. “Is that a regular occurrence?”
“I mean, notthatspecifically, but…yeah. Unfortunately, it’s not out of the ordinary.” She smiles and waves at someone in the parade. “He likes to run my life since I apparently don’t do a good enough job.”
“Maybe he can run mine instead,” I say. “It’s a massive mess. Oh, shoot. There’s Beau. Just a sec.” I go up on my knees and zoom the video until it’s centered around Beau and Xena, who’s on his lap. She’s having the time of her life with all the attention.
Beau lets go of the steering wheel long enough to do some Vanna White hand motions putting Xena on display, and the crowd erupts in louder clapping and cheering.
Of course he makes his appearance in the island parade about Xena. He hates the spotlight being on him. Ironic, since my brain’s spotlight is constantly on the hunt for him. When our eyes meet through the applauding crowds for a few seconds, my heart races. It makes me feel like a million bucks.
And that’s when it hits me. I didn’t just kiss Beau Palmer. I’m falling in love with him. Not the slow fall where I can put out my hands and catch myself. This is a slip, trip, and biff it on my face fall.
It’s so much worse than I’d thought. Than Iletmyself think.There are billions of people in the world. Why is my heart insisting on Beau Palmer?
After the parade, the plan is for games and food trucks at the beach. I go in search of Grams, who complains about the sun, the heat, and Mark and Joy Palmer.
Deedee mouths to meshe needs a nap.
I wink at her, then heave a big sigh to Grams. “I’m exhausted. I think I’ll skip the beach games. Maybe we can get lunch at Seaside Oasis?”
Grams and Deedee both agree to this, and after letting Beau know the change in my plans, I drive the ladies there, reveling in the air-conditioned heaven that is the retirement center. Oasis indeed.
Once we’ve eaten, I force a yawn. “I need a nap.”
Grams shakes her head. “Kids these days. They just can’t hang. You can sleep on my bed, Gigi.”
But fifteen minutes later, it’s her who’s out for the count on that bed while I listen to her soft snoring and wonder if I should tell her about my feelings for Beau. If anyone could talk me out of them, it’d be her.
But it wouldn’t just be her talking me out of the feelings. Other things would come first. Major disappointment, for one. In fact, part of me wonders if she’d besodisappointed and feel so betrayed, she wouldn’t even yell or scold me. And that would break my heart.
Her thick glasses are askew—she didn’t take them off because she insisted she wasn’t tired—and I quietly go over and remove them. I stare down at her and swallow.
She looks so peaceful. For all her ranting and railing, for all her pretending like she’s invincible…she’s not. And neither am I. This island and the Palmer family in particular have hurt us both. The last thing I want to do is hurt her more. Grams has spent decades standing up for my family after what happened in Sunset Harbor. It seems cruel of me to pop onto the island for a short stint and fall in love with one of the very people she despises.
And yet, the fact remains that I have these feelings. What am I supposed to do with them? Beau may be a Palmer, but he’s also an incredibly decent human being.
But it’s more than that. He’s one of the best people I know.
When Grams starts to stir, I hurry to the sofa chair and lay my head against the side, closing my eyes. I peek through a barely open eyelid a few seconds later, just long enough to see Grams looking around like she can’t remember how she got there. She grabs her glasses and works to get her legs over the bed, then holds the sides of her walker and lets her feet slide to the floor.
I wait a couple of minutes, then start to stir and pretend to wake up.
“About time!” Grams says. “I’ve been bored out of my mind waiting for you to wake up.”
I apologize meekly, then point out the part of her hair that’s matted on the back. She brushes it out without saying anything, and I try not to laugh, wishing Beau were here to appreciate it.
“What do you want to do now?” My mind insists on wondering what Beau’s up to and whether I’ll actually get to spend any time with him today.
“I want to go dancing,” Grams says without missing a beat.
I ignore the relief flooding me and pretend I’m indifferent to the fact that we’ll be heading back to where Beau is. Deedee’s still asleep, so Grams and I get a snack from the cafeteria while we wait for her to wake. It’s six o’clock by the time we get back to the beach. My gaze searches for Beau and finds him helping set up the stage with Jane and a couple other people.
I take a quick video. I’m pretty confident this isn’t part of his job description as a cop, but it’s perfect evidence of how much he puts into this island that he’s not being compensated for.
I head to the Beach Break Bar to get Grams and Deedee adrink, and while I wait, I notice the guests from next door. It’s hard not to notice them—a bunch of loud, shirtless guys with beers in hand at one of the tables in the sand. There are already a few empty bottles, but each of them is holding a full one as well.
Grams and Deedee are already getting down on the dance floor, joined by a few others from the retirement center. I hang out on the edges, observing for a minute with an irrepressible smile. Watching old people dance has to be one of life’s greatest joys.
