Caleb chased her out to the patio, where she paced, weeping and swearing like a ticked-off football coach. He flipped on the string lights, then retrieved a long lighter from his outdoor storage container.
“This always happens to me, you know? I find a good guy and then BAM! He takes off with another woman.”
As he listened, Caleb stacked wood in the brick fireplace, glancing at his phone to see that Emery had texted.
Emery:
Beach Boys concert the 16th. Wanna go?
Caleb:
I’m in.
“We were engaged,” Cassidy said, scowling as Caleb tucked his phone back in his pocket. “I was planning a wedding.”
With a couple of twigs for kindling, the dried logs caught quickly. Caleb set the lighter aside and perched on the table.
“I’m never good enough. Not for anyone—not for Mom or Dad. You. Perfect Caleb.”
“Woah, where’d that come from? No one ever said I was perfect, Cassidy.”
“The good son who did as he was told. And now the perfect uncle, knight in shining armor. Taking in his crazy sister’s kid cause she’s a relationship disaster.”
“No one is saying that, Cass.”
“They’re all thinking it.”
“Are you sure it’s over with Arturo?”
“Yes. Over. Finito. How many times does the love of my life have to walk out for me to learn my lesson? Once, twice? Three times? Four? No, no, I’m done. From now on, it’s Bent and me. Deuce.”
“Fine, but where are you going to live?”
“I don’t know, but not in Sea Blue Beach. Under Mom and Dad’s condemning eye. Or yours. And all of their friends. My former friends. Forget it. I can hear all the whispers. ‘There goes Cassidy Ransom, Hayden and Billie’s messed-up daughter. She hadsomuch potential.’” She made her way over to the fire, stretching her hands to the warmth. “You want the truth? Here it is: I’m a nobody. No. Body. Not worth the time and effort.”
“How do you make that out?” Caleb took his sister by the shoulders and turned her to him. “Cassidy Ransom, you’re a somebody. Listen to me! You are your father’s daughter. Hayden Ransom has given you a name—his name—and maybe people today don’t think that means anything, but it does. You are not alone.You are your father’s daughter. Start acting like it.”
“I’m not anyone’s anything.” She shook her head and pulled away. “I have a job in Mobile. I’ll find a place to live there.”
Caleb wanted another stab at convincing her of the power of being Hayden Ransom’s daughter. Of having a family that loved her. But he’d pressed enough
“Do you need any money?”
“No, and even if I did, I’d not ask you.” She looked toward their parent’s place, then started inside Caleb’s. “I’m leaving. Bentley can stay here. I’ll send you my new address and try to call him more.” She stopped on the steps to look back at Caleb. “By the way, little brother, what’s with all the boxes? Unpack, you moron.”
“I just haven’t gotten around to it,” he said. “Stay overnight, please. Talk to me.”
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “There are some things I can’t tell even you.”
CALEB
Then . . .
In one hour, oneverylong hour, he was picking Emery up for dinner. With his parents. He’d never brought a girl home for dinner before.
He went to the eighth-grade dance with Sally Peterson, but he met her at the school, and her dad sat in the bleachers the whole time. Caleb barely touched her during their one slow dance.
Inviting Emery had really been Dad’s idea.“Might cheer up yourmother,”he’d said.
