“He’s practically yours anyway. We hardly ever see him,” she’d said as she handed him over in a travel cage. “He’ll probably find his way back to town, but anyway, you can see if he’ll stay with you at the cottage.”
And he had stayed. He’d never missed spending a night with her and seemed to love the beach lifestyle. She’d bought him a collar with a bell so the wildlife could stay out of his reach, but he spent most of his time wandering around near the sand and then throwing himself down into a warm patch to sleep.
It didn’t take her long to ride her bike into town, although she was bathed in sweat by the time she got there. It was her day off, and she’d agreed to meet the girls for brunch at a new casual dining place calledAmbiencedown by the dock in Kellyville. It wasn’t the same as a trip toBea’s Coffeehad been, and she missed the café terribly. But she’d decided to give the new establishment a chance. After all, where could they meet for brunch otherwise?
She climbed off the bike in front of the restaurant and bumped the tyres up over the gutter, then leaned it on the bike rack. No need to lock it up, since nothing bad ever happened on Coral Island. Unless, of course, her brother visited. Then all bets were off.
With a shiver as the memory of his last stay on the island washed over her, she hugged herself briefly before stepping into the cool, air-conditioned, cosy restaurant. Bea, Taya, and Evie were seated in the back section in a corner away from the few other diners. Bea waved to Charmaine, and she waved back, then strode to meet them.
She kissed their cheeks, then took the only remaining seat across from Bea.
“It’s good to see you, Chaz,” Evie said. “We need your advice as an event planner. Bea wants us to have the reunion at a restaurant.”
“I don’twantus to have it at a restaurant. It’s simply the only thing I could think of,” Bea protested with a shake of her head. Her blonde bob grazed her tanned shoulders, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I think we should go scuba diving,” Evie said. “We could hire one of Bradford’s yachts.”
“Scuba diving?” Taya blanched. “I’m afraid of the ocean.”
“You live on an island!” Evie blurted.
Taya’s cheeks reddened. “I know—I mean, the deep ocean. I can swim and snorkel in the shallows, but I think the deeper parts are spooky.”
Charmaine listened to the back-and-forth banter for a few minutes before interjecting. “Scuba diving might be a bit intense for some people, and a restaurant could be a touch tame for others.”
Bea shrugged. “Any other ideas, then?”
“What about a scavenger hunt?” Charmaine offered.
The ladies looked unconvinced.
“A scavenger hunt? I don’t know.” Bea fidgeted with a napkin.
“Isn’t that a bit childish?” Evie asked.
Taya sucked her cheeks in, but didn’t say anything.
The waiter came to take their orders and disappeared again, leaving them to continue their conversation. The break had given Charmaine a chance to gather her thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.
“Bear with me, ladies. We could have an adult scavenger hunt and make it fun. The clues could lead to drinks or challenges, and we could make sure everyone gets to interact. We can use the challenges for people to find out things about each other, since it’s been so long since everyone’s gotten together.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Bea replied. “We could make one of the challenges how many people you can recognise.”
“Like a facial recognition bingo,” Taya added, laughing.
“That would be fun,” Evie admitted. “I’ll bet I’d win that one.”
“My memory is terrible,” Bea said. “I’ve probably forgotten everyone.”
They talked about their teenaged antics and who they remembered doing what from those years. There was the time that Rowan had hidden the school mascot on the roof and then climbed up to retrieve it and broken his arm when he fell to the ground. An incident involving the entire football team and a dozen cream pies was forever seared in each of their memories. And the moment Bea found out about her mother’s death — that was something they’d never forget. She’d stood there, silent and still, according to her friends, until she’d spun on her heel and ran from the school grounds. Charmaine was glad she hadn’t been there as a witness, her heart clenched at the thought of it.
She pulled out a folder as the waiter returned with their meals. She had ordered scrambled eggs on toast with bacon and avocado, Bea had a plate of waffles with ice cream, and Evie’s plate was stacked with pancakes and buttery syrup. Taya had ordered an açai bowl topped with sliced fresh fruit.
Charmaine set the folder on the table next to her plate and made notes. “We don’t have to go with a scavenger hunt, but I’ll jot it down as an idea and we can each think about it some more and see how it feels the next time we get together.”
“That sounds good,” Bea said.
“Phew. At least we might have one part of the reunion planned.” Evie drew a deep breath. “Bea, when you called and asked me to help with the event, I honestly wasn’t sure what I could do. I’m not very good at party planning. The biggest thing I’ve planned is my book club, and that’s usually basic.”
