“Holy shit,”Imuttered.
“Is it good?Tellme it’s good.”Ihad never heard my mom get this excited about anything related to my writing career.
“It’sreallygood,”Isaid asIquickly typed out a response toLucia.
Her squeal matched my own. “Oh, good!We’llhave to celebrate whenIcome out there.DoesJackknow yet?”
“About you coming or the offer?”
“The offer.Ofcourse he knowsI’mcoming.Wewere texting yesterday while he was at work.”
There was one downside to having sharedJack’sphone for a week after the house burned down.Heand my mom had bonded.Shewould text him for updates about me, and then the two of them would start talking.
The bonding was adorable.Theyhad figured out that the two of them were fans of rival football teams, which led to daily trash-talking as the year moved into preseason.
“He doesn’t know about the offer yet.HeandDrewhad to go down the coast for some meeting to plan a first responders’ charity kickball tournament.”
"Well, that sounds fun.Whenis it?”
“MemorialDaynext year.Apparently, it’s a big deal, so it takes a year to plan.”
“I’ll put it in my calendar.”
I paused. “Really?”
“Really.It’llbe a good time to visit.”
I smiled to myself. “Okay.”
Mom andIsaid our goodbyes so we could get on with our workdays, but it was hard to focus with the excitement.Luciaconfirmed that she had received my email accepting the offer and would get things in motion to get the final book in my series published.
TheAuroraArchernovel we found in the safety deposit box was another story.Wehad worked through the legal mayhem of who had the rights to make decisions for the work since my aunt had passed.Sinceit was an untitled manuscript,LuciaandIhad worked together to name it.
The book encapsulated everything my aunt loved to write: big, wild, reckless love, the magic and mystery of the coast, and how it consumed you.
700SensesofSummer—the long-lostAuroraArchernovel—was going to fly off the shelves.Especiallywhen we threw a bodice ripper cover on it.Iloved those.
“Roar!”Jackshouted from outside. “Canyou open the door?”
Shit.Ihadn’t even heard his truck pull up.Ishut his laptop, hurried through the house, and opened the front door.
“This thing weighs a metric ton,”Drewwheezed.
I blinked as the sight before me registered in my brain.JackandDrewwere moving amassiveclawfoot tub into the house.
“Where is that gonna go?”Iasked in disbelief.
“Right now?”Drewchoked out. “Onmy foot if you don’t move.”
I darted out of the way as they duck-walked the tub into the house and set it down smack dab in the middle of the living room.
“Okay.Cool,”Isaid asIfollowed them in and rested my hands on my hips. “Thiswill be great for . . . movie nights?Ican stuff it with throw pillows and make a nest.”
Jack laughed as he lifted his shirt and wiped the sweat off his face. “We’llget it in the bathroom eventually.”
I hooked my thumb over my shoulder. “Thatbathroom?Theone with the walk-in shower?Inwhat world can you fit a clawfoot tub the size of a small swimming pool inthatbathroom?”
Jack grinned. “Theworld in which we renovate the house and put on an addition.Wewere pretty good at it the first time.”
