Island Girls (And Boys) Read online

  ISLAND GIRLS (AND BOYS)

  RACHEL HAWTHORNE

  For Amanda Maciel

  Whose guiding hand

  made this story so much more fun!

  Thanks for the

  �unexpected journey.�

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  You’re going to take an unexpected journey.

  CHAPTER 2

  “Why do you get the main bedroom?”

  CHAPTER 3

  I’d attended a funeral that was more joyful than we…

  CHAPTER 4

  I loved being on the island as dawn hovered, not…

  CHAPTER 5

  I watched as the guys got on their motorcycles, visible…

  CHAPTER 6

  Our usual shift was ten until four, but with the…

  CHAPTER 7

  We ended up going to the Sandpiper, a restaurant in…

  CHAPTER 8

  “This is cute,” Chelsea said.

  CHAPTER 9

  “When is Noah leaving?” I asked.

  CHAPTER 10

  I wasn’t even irritated that Noah was camped out on…

  CHAPTER 11

  We returned to the house to see if anyone wanted…

  CHAPTER 12

  “What else do we need?” Chelsea asked.

  CHAPTER 13

  I’d never been to a drive-in before. The designated parking…

  CHAPTER 14

  The movie was over a little after midnight, and we…

  CHAPTER 15

  The next morning I woke up to the patter of…

  CHAPTER 16

  “Do you know karate? Because your body sure is kickin’.”

  CHAPTER 17

  The rain stopped and the sun came out just a…

  CHAPTER 18

  By the time we got to the house, Dylan and…

  CHAPTER 19

  Hunger returned with a vengeance, though. We sat on the…

  CHAPTER 20

  I drank the wine cooler, because I didn’t want to…

  CHAPTER 21

  I loved it!

  CHAPTER 22

  I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, my…

  CHAPTER 23

  The hours slowly ticked by. The campground was full and…

  CHAPTER 24

  I felt wickedly wonderful. Not a shred of guilt. Okay.

  CHAPTER 25

  While I puttered around in the kitchen fixing lunch, I…

  CHAPTER 26

  I was in the bathroom getting ready for my big…

  CHAPTER 27

  Wednesday morning I basked in the luxury of sleeping in.

  CHAPTER 28

  I needed to talk with someone. And I couldn’t talk…

  CHAPTER 29

  It was early evening before I finally found the energy…

  CHAPTER 30

  “We are so over!”

  CHAPTER 31

  We sat on the couch in the dark with a…

  CHAPTER 32

  “I quit.”

  CHAPTER 33

  “What was that for?” Amy asked.

  CHAPTER 34

  Tonight Cupid will have you within his sights�retreat if you…

  CHAPTER 35

  “You what?!” Chelsea asked.

  CHAPTER 36

  It was almost two in the morning when we returned…

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY RACHEL HAWTHORNE

  COPYRIGHT

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

  Chapter 1

  You�re going to take an unexpected journey.

  My horoscope for the day. Totally inaccurate. I was taking a journey all right, but it was one I�d been planning for months. I was exactly where I expected to be: crammed in the backseat of Amy�s tiny car. Boxes were pressed against my side, a heavy sack of groceries rested on my knees, and assorted smaller items had been wedged around my feet, which were now numb.

  This summer�the last before I started college�was going to be the absolute best of my life. I was embarking on my first summer of total independence, of saying good-bye to high school, good-bye to friends. The last�saying good-bye to friends�would be the most difficult, but I planned to spend three months doing it, saying farewell to the best of the best: Chelsea Franklin and Amy Riley.

  We were going to be together the entire summer�just the three of us. Working, living, playing. Saving up our memories for the days, weeks, and months ahead when only phone calls and an occasional weekend spent together would strengthen our bonds of friendship.

  �How long before we�re officially island girls?� Chelsea asked.

  She was sitting in the front passenger seat with no more room than me. This was our third�and final�trip for the day. When we got to the island, we were staying for the summer.

  �I think Jen and I already look like island girls,� Amy said.

  And we did. We were wearing shorts, tank tops, sneakers, and baseball caps. Amy�s dark hair was held in place with a clip, and she�d pulled the long strands through the opening in the back of her cap. I�d done the same with my blond hair. Chelsea was also in shorts and a tank, but�

  �Are you saying that I don�t look like an island girl?� Chelsea asked.

  �You�re too put together,� Amy said.

  Chelsea�s black hair was cut short and fluffed out at various angles. She had deep blue eyes that were almost violet. She was tall, slender, and already totally tan, thanks to a gift certificate to a tanning salon that she�d received as a graduation present.

  �This is called the ocean breeze look,� Chelsea said indignantly. �I spent three hours working on it.�

  �That�s my point,� Amy said. �I don�t think island girls spend a lot of time primping. They�re more relaxed with their looks.�

  �And they�re way more tan than us,� I said. My skin was almost too pale to believe, almost as pale as my hair. I had to use X-Men-strength sunscreen, while Amy and Chelsea seldom worried if they forgot to use any at all. Two minutes in the sun and I was like a boiled lobster.

  �I still can�t believe we�re doing this,� Amy said.

  It had been my scathingly brilliant idea: getting jobs on the island, staying at my grandparents� beach house over the summer.

  A week ago, Grandma and Granddad had left for an extended vacation in Europe. Wouldn�t need the house for several months. We could have it. As long as we agreed in writing to pay for the utilities, maintain the house, fix whatever broke, not have any wild parties�the last was stressed several times�and never make them regret leaving it in our care.

  Not a chance were they going to regret it. We wanted this too much not to play by their rules.

  Convincing our parents had been absolute torture: a series of arguments, pleadings, and promises. My mom had caved in first, narrowing her eyes and saying, �Jennifer Taylor, you�d better make darn sure that we don�t come to regret our decision.�

  I didn�t see how they could. It wasn�t like we planned to do anything more than work and spend time together.

  �I already miss Noah so much,� Chelsea said with a low moan.

  All right. So Chelsea also planned to miss Noah. Her boyfriend�when he was in town. Which wasn�t very often.

  Noah shared a dorm room with Chelsea�s older brother. He�d come to town to visit her brother during Christmas break�and had ended up visiting with Chelsea more. He�d seen her several times since. I didn�t know him well, but he seemed okay�except for the way that he always leaned on Chelsea like he didn�t have the strength in his legs to hold himself up. Although I had to admit that it was cool to have a boyfriend who was already in college. Heck, it would be