Dad was loaded up with motel trivia and randomly fired off facts during the fifteen-hour drive. “Did you knowhotelfirst appeared in the English language in the 1600, butmoteldidn’t come along until 1925? Probably a portmanteau from motor and hotel. Motel.”
“He just likes to sayportmanteau,” Mom said.
“Maybe I do.” Dad reached over to squeeze Mom’s hand. “The Sands is what you’d call a motor court, where the cottages sit around a courtyard.”
“Dad, please ... One more fact and I’ll die before we get there.”
Did that stop him? Nope. Welcome to Douglas Quinn Land, where knowledge reigned supreme.
So, on a June afternoon, Emery arrived in Sea Blue Beach fully informed about motor motels but clueless about what to do with her endless summer days. When Dad and Mom had proposed the idea of a summer in Florida, she’d resisted.
“I have basketball camp in July. What about my friends? We were going to hang at the pool.”
Then Emery’s friend Brianna said two critical words that got her to see the beauty of a summer holiday in Florida.“Rocking tan.”Plus, Emery loved hanging out with her parents, even at sixteen. She’d be off to college soon. This would be a summer to remember.
Dad rarely taught summer classes and had finally talked Mom into using her horde of vacation hours. Her job at the bank had been super intense after last year’s housing collapse. She looked beat-up every night after work. More than once, Emery had found her asleep on the couch when she came home from school.
Mom never came home early. She never napped on the couch.
Dad packed sandals, socks, shorts, and T-shirts. And so many books that his suitcase weighed down one side of the Volvo. Mom brought all the “soft clothes” she loved but never wore to work, along with her crochet and a pile of novels. Emery brought half her wardrobe and shopped for two new bathing suits.
Day one, she went at it too hard. Burned herself bright pink from head to toe, front and back. Day two, she stayed inside, reading. The only electronics allowed on this vacation was the cottage’s radio for playing oldies.
Day three, she overdid it again. After her shower, she lathered on half a bottle of lotion and dressed carefully. The rough edges of her jean shorts scraped the back of her legs as she gently pulled them on. She hoped it rained tomorrow.
After dinner and a game of Uno with Dad, she said, “I’m going to sit outside.” The sun was still high but far enough west to leave a portion of the courtyard safely in the shade.
Getting this burnt was not the best start to the Quinn Family Summer of Fun, as Mom had coined the trip. She seemed fixated on making memories, but so far the only memories were of grocery shopping at a place called Biggs, Dad nearly burning off his eyebrows trying to light the gas grill, and Emery’s you-must-be-a-tourist sunburn.
Delilah popped out of Cottage 1 in workout gear, waved, and started down the Beachwalk at a clipped pace. Emery settled down in the Adirondack, keeping as much of her legs as possible away from the sunbaked wood slats.
“Nice burn,” a male voice said from the edge of the motor court.
Emery twisted around. “And you are?”
“Caleb.” He leaned his bike against the side of the cottage and pointed to her legs. “You should get some aloe for that.” He stepped closer. “Next time wear sunscreen.”
“Where were you two days ago? And this morning?” She regarded him for a moment. He was cute, if not “gorg,” as Brianna liked to say. Tan, of course, with lean muscles and a flop of dark hair that needed wrangling. But his eyes ... so bright. Like a pure blue sky.
He peered through the cottage window. “Your parents?”
“Yes, and my father knows Krav Maga.”
“Excuse me?”
“Krav Maga. It’s dangerous and—” She jabbed the air with her finger. “Lethal.”
“You have no idea what Krav Maga is, do you?”
“No.” She motioned to the chair next to her. “Tell me your name again and why you’re sneaking up on me.”
“Caleb Ransom. I was following my sister—well, trying to anyway. She left with a guy in a Jeep.”
“You were following a Jeep on your bike?”
“I know. Stupid.”
“I’m surprised they got away. Did they jump to light speed?” He laughed easily. “Why were you following her?”
