“No,” I said. “I have something much more important to attend to.”
“Well, time’s a-ticking. Are you going to take me to bed or not?” she sassed, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
I slapped her on the ass, eliciting the perfect squeal.
Always so damn sassy. Just the way I liked it.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
“He’s not going to tell you.” Sebastian smirked.
“Of course he’ll tell me. He’s my brother.” I turned to Luke and plastered on my most endearing little-sister smile. “Please,” I said, drawing out the word for a solid five seconds.
“Nope.” Luke shook his head, one arm holding Colton against his chest. His other arm draped over Scarlett’s shoulder.
“Do you know what’s going on?” I asked Scarlett.
She smiled a Cheshire grin, her wild red hair blowing in the breeze. “Don’t worry. I think you’ll like this,” she said.
Luke and Scarlett (and Colt) had met us at our house, but we were all walking toward Calla Bay’s version of downtown now. It was a beautiful September afternoon, still pleasantly warm but with the telltale sign that we were nearing the end of season. The tourists had mostly packed it up and gone home, which left our town quieter and emptier, but also feeling a whole lot smaller.
“Don’t say too much. You don’t want to give anything away,” Seb teased. His eyes danced with amusement, laughing at my scowl.
“Yes, yes you really do.”
“We’ll be there in five minutes, Lyds. It’s not exactly a long wait,” Luke said, shaking his head.
I let it go with a huff.
We turned the corner onto Main Street. A row of old stone storefronts lined one side of the street while the opposite side was open to the sandy beach, a blue horizon stretching the ocean as far as the eye could see.
About halfway down this block of stores, I spied a split second of Wes entering one of the units. He was out of sight so fast, if I blinked, I could have missed it.
“Was that Wes?” I asked.
Luke and Seb exchanged a glance, but no one answered.
A minute later, we were upon that unit. Luke opened the door for Scarlett, and he turned back to me with a smile. Seb tugged on our laced hands, pulling me to a stop. The door shut behind Luke, leaving us alone on the sidewalk.
“What is this?” I tried to peek through the windows, but the tint was making it difficult to see. There were people inside, but I couldn’t tell how many or who they were.
“Are you ready to find out?”
“Yes,” I replied, apprehension and anticipation whirling in my gut. Not that I thought it would be anything bad. All three of them had been clear that whatever this was should be a good time.
Seb chuckled at my impatience. “Come on. Let’s get this party started.”
He opened the door for me. Immediately, I was flooded with emotion. Dozens of people from all over town were here, cheering. My dad and Sheila stood at the front of the gathering. Beside him was Wyatt, Maeve, Jane, and Veda. Reid and Claire were on the other side of Sheila. Luke,Scarlett, and Colt. Wes. Lisa and Jerry were here, along with Brenda, Amy, and Lauren. Jeannie from the candy shop and Scarlett’s boss, Daisy, were both here. Both clients of my newly established PR and Social Media Management company.
Along the walls was a series of photographs. Some had been blown up, like the group pictures of the ladies, topless, tatted, and proud. Some were small, framed photos, like the one I took of Jane and Veda laughing at each other laughing during a Sunday night dinner.
But every photograph was mine.
A gallery of my art.
Someone had set up tables with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Two teens in pressed white shirts, dark trousers, and floppy heads of hair stood at the ready to serve the guests.
