“He’s got you, Caleb, one of the good guys. You can help him understand her.”
“But he’ll always carry that wound,” he said more to himself than Emery. “Hey, do you ever think about our summer?”
“Lately, quite a bit. No offense, but I tried to forget everything about the year my mother died, except for her.”
“I wanted to forget Cassidy and remember you.”
“Was shereallyso bad?”
“Probably not, but I was angry at her for so long. Did I tell you she dropped out of high school? Her senior year. Our parents were devastated.”
“You did. Caleb, she’s not the first kid to rebel and choose a different path. If we ever have kids, we’d have to—” She angled back, laughing. “Hold up, I didn’t mean ‘we’ as in you and me. Just the general ‘we.’ People who might one day have kids.Andmoving on...”
She was pretty when she was flustered—so very pretty. Bentley hadn’t seen this side of her—the slightly lost and unsure girl, forgetting what she possessed. Caleb liked how their sixteen years apart melted the moment they found each other again. At least it seemed that way to him.
“So, your sister,” he said. “What are you going to tell her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe ‘I’m sorry’ since she believes I was emotionally absent. Then encourage her to have an honest conversation with Jamie about how she’s feeling and what she wants. I’ve known him a long time, and he’s definitely in love with my sister. He’d give her the moon if possible.” Emery looked over at him. “That’s the right answer, isn’t it?”
“Come on, Quinn. You don’t need me to tell you what’s already in your heart. You just said it out loud.”
She leaned against him. “Thank you,” she said softly. After another minute or two, she stood. “I’m cold and should probably get my emotionally unavailable self back to my sister.”
Down the street toward Caleb’s, she paused and turned back to the Org. Homestead. “I wish I had the money to save each one.”
“Me too. But saving it needs to mean something to the town. If it doesn’t, we’ll end up back here in another, what, fifty years? Maybe that’s why we’re so divided. Do we invest in our past history or our future history? Most people just want to have a nice place to live and a steady job and hope for their kids. A chance to dream a little.”
“Isn’t that what this neighborhood stands for, Caleb? If you can restore one of the houses, I think people will see the Org. Neighborhood as a really beautiful part of the city. I’d live here.”
“I just don’t know if the East End has enough clout to sway the West. They have more control than we like to admit.”
“Then we need to find a way to bring everyone together.”
“All ideas are welcome.” He liked that she said “we,” as if Sea Blue Beach was already her home. Even more, he liked walking with her through the quiet night. “I’m glad you came over.”
“I interrupted your basketball watching.”
“Let’s see ... watching sweaty guys toss around a ball or have a deep conversation with the lovely, sweet, perfumed Emery Quinn? Not a hard choice.”
At the end of Port Fressa Avenue, they cut across Pelican Way to pick up Bentley at his parents. Mom fussed over Emery, welcoming her back to Sea Blue Beach. Dad asked about her dad, which made them all laugh.
When they left, Bentley ran ahead for his nightly bowl of cereal, though Caleb was pretty sure he’d just finished one at his folks’.
“Can I give you a lift to the Sands?” he said in the light of his kitchen windows.
“Nah, you have Bentley,” she said with a shiver. “If I keep moving, the cold isn’t so bad.” She tugged on Caleb’s hoodie sleeve. “Thanks again. For the tour and the talk, Ransom.”
“Anytime, Quinn. On your walk home, remember one thing: Ava may claim you were emotionally unavailable, but you were the one she ran to when she needed help.”
15
EMERY
Ava sat outside Cottage 7 under a blanket in an Adirondack next to Delilah. A fire roared in the stone firepit, and soft music drifted from hidden speakers. Guests from one of the other cottages sat on the other side, talking quietly.
“Hey, you’re back.” Ava rose from the chair. “Delilah was telling me she used to be a big-time folk singer. Em, she even toured with the Beach Boys. Isn’t that wild?”
“You’re talking about your past?” Emery leaned around her sister, her eyes wide.
