I know she’s trying to make a joke, but it doesn’t make me feel better.
I change and crawl into the sleeping bag with Laine. I settle in and look over. Brady’s in his sleeping bag, gaze on me. His eyes are heavy with emotion, reflecting my own.
Finn probably made the best choice, but we both wish he was inside with us.
25
Now
“Good morning,”a deep voice says behind me. I twist my upper body as much as I can; I’m sitting on the end of the dock, my feet disappearing beneath the smooth surface of the lake.
Brady’s walking down the dock, holding two coffee cups in his hands. He looks handsome in his pajama pants and gray T-shirt. He settles beside me, legs criss-crossed in front of him, and offers me a cup.
I make a sick face. “Please tell me that’s not wine.”
Brady laughs quietly.
My hands slip around the cup, its warmth seeping through. I bring it to my nose, breathing in the coffee’s bitter, acidic aroma.
“Headache?” Brady scoots back, unfolding his legs and stretching them out in front of himself.
“A little, yeah.” My right foot comes out of the water, and I trace a pattern on the surface with a pointed toe.
A bird calls from a nearby tree then launches itself from its perch. Brady and I watch it, a sleek black arrow in the air, and it skims the surface of the lake, talons down, and lifts off the water with a wriggling fish in its grip.
“Game over,” I murmur. “Poor fish.”
“Birds have to eat too.”
“I suppose.”
Brady sips his coffee. “What are your plans now that the funeral is over?”
I take a deep breath and blow it out. “Salvation Army comes tomorrow. I’ll get a realtor. I need to figure out what my mom owes on the house. She has a safe deposit box I need to go through. I’ll go to the bank and figure out her accounts.”
“She left you everything?”
“That’s what her letter said.”
“Are you going to buy a push-to-start car?” Brady smiles as he says it.
I laugh. “Maybe. I’m not getting my hopes up though. The accounts might be empty, she could’ve taken out a second mortgage on the house, and for all I know the safe deposit box might have a blank piece of paper in it.”
“So you’re looking on the bright side of things?”
Brady’s sarcasm makes me smile.
Footsteps on the dock draw my attention from Brady. I twist again and watch Finn as he makes his way toward us. He’s carrying his own steaming mug and his clothes are rumpled. He sinks down on the other side of Brady.
“Nice morning,” he comments, running a hand through his messy hair. “This is my favorite time of day here.”
“I bet that fish would disagree.” Pulling my feet up from the water, I shake them off and bring them up onto the dock, turning so I can face the guys.
Brady chuckles. “Would have disagreed.Past tense.”
Finn sips his coffee and looks out. For someone who slept in his truck, he looks well-rested. The hazy morning sun glints off his blonde hair.
He screws up one eye against the sun’s glare and looks at me. “What are your plans now, Lennon? You did what you came to Agua Mesa to do, right?”
