We call her Jules for short, though.
“Thanks for teaching her,” I say, laughing.
Water sluices off Lou as she reaches into the cooler beside her mom and pulls a sandwich out of it, flopping directly into the sand. The dog’s paws are wet, too, as she jumps on me and begins licking my cheek. It’s warm enough today to enjoy the water without a wetsuit, but it’s probably the last day we’ll have like it for a while as the late summer morphs to autumn.
The cove beneath the cliffside of Darby and Leo’s house is still brimming with summer color. The knolls rolling above it are bright green. The palm trees at the base rattle in the sea breeze, mingling with the crashing sound of the whitecaps against the shore. The azure of the sky clashes with the cobalt of the Pacific, casting the world in a hue of blue, while the sun sparkles above it, shrouding all of us in light.
“May seventh is the opening of the bookstore, right?” Darby asks me.
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I wanted to open it earlier, but with my release coming up in the spring, it just wasn’t going to work out. Too much going on at once.”
“Yeah, but you’re busy for the best possible reasons,” Leo adds. “Publishing your first book in over five years, opening a bookstore, and the rebranding of the tattoo shop.”
August draws circles over my shoulder blade, and though I can’t see his face, I can feel him smile.
My new book was picked up by a publisher earlier this summer for a release date of next spring. When I returned to social media and began reconnecting with my readers, I was so convinced they’d all have forgotten me. That I’d have to start from scratch. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. The supporthas been immense and overwhelming, and with the opening of my very own bookstore on top of all of it, I’ve never felt more fulfilled.
“The boardwalk will finally be filled, and it only took us six fucking years.” Everett laughs.
What started out as five empty suites—the ghosts of failed businesses from our childhood, now bustling and lively, updated with paint and decor, and red rose bushes that Darby planted along each of the entrances—will soon be repurposed by all of us:
Heathen’s Surf Co., Honeysuckle Florals, The Wicked Wildflower Cafe and Bakery, Sugar and Vice Romance Bookstore, and Ultraviolet Tattoo and Piercing.
“There is an author I’ve been chatting with online. She told me that her sister-in-law drove through Pacific Shores once and said it was beautiful. She’s been wanting to visit ever since. Maybe we should set up a signing for her when the store opens?” Darby asks.
“Yeah, I’d love that.”
“Well, I want those books with the sexy Canadian cowboys on the covers,” Dahlia adds. “That’s my request.”
“You need more surfer books,” Leo mutters.
“I’ll do my best,” I murmur.
“Hush.” Darby laughs at her husband. “But I do have a great recommendation for that. It has the cutest blue cover.”
“Oh, and your mom wants you to stock the series her book club has been reading. The multicultural small town one with the Latine love interests she keeps saying are to die for,” Dahlia says.
“Okay, someone email me a list because I can’t keep track of this, but yes. Those all sound great. Lou…” I turn my head back to look at her. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“I don’t like being put on the spot like that.” Her lips cluster at the corner of her mouth contemplatively. “Can I email you later too?”
“Sure, kid.” I laugh.
She nods before looking at my brother. “Dad, can you take me surfing now?”
“Yeah, Luz. Let’s go.” He smiles, kissing Dahlia’s stomach before lifting off the ground.
Leo follows suit, transferring Willow into Darby’s arms. “Auggie, you wanna come with us? I brought an extra board down from the house.”
“Oh, I…” August pauses.
I lift onto my elbows, placing my hand against his knee. “You should try. It’s a great day for it.”
Some kind of recognition flashes in his eyes, but he only brings my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over my knuckles. “I will if you will.”
“There is only one board.”
“You can ride with me, Lena.” Leo smiles. “Like the old days.”
