“Yeah, maybe someday.”
“How come not now?” I ask.
“Because I don’t have millions of dollars to buy this place.”
“Maybe someday you will have lots of money, and then you can be happy forever.”
“Sure,” he replies. “Maybe someday.”
I flop back into the sand, happy with the plan. “And maybe someday I’ll need a place like this to be happy forever too.”
Jake smiles at me. “I hope you never need that, Grace.”
“But what if I get sad and need to come here?” I ask him.
He sits up and looks at the beach house, then points to the stairs that lead up to the back deck. “If I ever buy this place, and you need to come here because you feel sad, count eight stairs up and look under the small awning.”
I tilt my head and ask, “Why?”
“Because that’s where I’ll keep a key for you.”
* * *
32
GRACE: GOLDILOCKS
Technology had evolved since Jake made his promise. Physical keys were now almost as extinct as dinosaurs. The canister tucked into the awning had only a note inside, from Jake. A clue. Genius, really, because no one outside of immediate family would ever guess the answer, but everyone inside would know it instantly.
What does Keith want to be when he grows up?
I entered “pirate” into the touchpad, and Jake’s beach house was mine for the night. After lighting the place up, I went straight for the liquor cabinet. I wasn’t a huge drinker, but sometimes nothing else dulled the senses. From the looks of his extensive alcohol selection, it looked like Jake did this himself from time to time. Hmm… what to choose? I needed something that would go straight to work. I selected a drink I’d never tried before—bourbon whiskey—because its formidable black bottle with gold writing screamed intoxication. I was right. Two oversized glasses of that warmed my insides right up. Soon even bad decisions seemed good, and I easily finished off an entire box of questionably expired crackers.
Leaving my whiskey friend for later, I took a shower and wandered the house in a towel, looking for the best spot to sleep. There were four rooms to choose from, but in my bourbonated state, I decided it was perfectly fine to bunk in Jake’s master suite and borrow some clothes from the dresser. Slipping under the sheets of my big brother’s bed, I fell fast asleep.
I couldn’t tell you how far into dreamtime I was when I heard my name whispered in conjunction with the shaking of my shoulder. My eyes shot open and I flailed wildly, trying to dislodge the world’s most downy-soft bedding. Somehow it had wrapped itself around me like a high-end swaddle. With one last swing of my legs, I kicked the comforter off and flipped onto my butt.
Jake was standing beside the bed, looking both alarmed and amused.
I peered up at him, my sleepy eyes crossed.
“Nice hair,” he said.
“You scared me,” I whined, suddenly very aware that I was in a t-shirt and panties in front of my superstar brother; and not just any t-shirt and panties, buthist-shirt and hiswife’spanties.
Smoothing down my mane, I cursed myself for choosing not to dry my hair after showering. The thought had been to deal with the aftermath in the morning when I woke up alone… without Jake.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Me?” His voice elevated in surprise. “That’s my bed you’re sleeping in, Goldilocks.”
“I know, but I tried the one down the hall and it was too soft, and then I tried a bed in the kids’ bunkroom but it was too small. So I made my way down the hall and lay in your bed and it wasjust right.”
“I see you helped yourself to my bottle of bourbon, too. Did you know that was a gift from the crown prince of Abu Dhabi?”
My eyes rounded in horror. “Oh my god. Seriously?”
“No. But it was fucking expensive, so I hope you enjoyed it.”
