Island Girls (And Boys) Read online

  �Thanks for hooking us up with this gig.�

  �No problem,� I hastened to reassure him.

  He pulled the hose out of the car, dropped it to the ground, straightened, leaned his hip against the grille, and crossed his arms over his chest, drawing my attention to his wide shoulders and impressive biceps.

  �I couldn�t believe all the people at the campground today. Where did they come from?� he asked.

  I held out my hands in surrender. �All over. They are all the fortunate ones who don�t have to work over the holiday.�

  �You�re not one of those, I take it.�

  �No way. This is what I live for. Incredible weekends like this.�

  He laughed. �Yeah, I bet.�

  The passing vehicles suddenly seemed to get louder, and I realized it was because one of them�a motorcycle�was pulling off the road and parking beside us. Amy was sitting behind Zach, a sack nestled between them. It turned out that they�d bought not only a hose but a couple of jugs of water.

  It didn�t take Dylan long to attach the new hose and empty the jugs of water into the radiator. We were all set to go, which should have filled me with jubilation. Instead, I was a little sorry that our reason for having the guys around was gone.

  Chelsea walked back to the car and snapped her phone closed. �I finally got in touch with Noah. For some reason his phone wasn�t getting a signal earlier.�

  �Doesn�t matter,� I said. �Everything worked out.�

  �So how do we get to your place?� Zach asked.

  I looked at him like he�d spoken in Klingon. �Our place?�

  �I offered to fix them dinner, to thank them for helping us out,� Amy said.

  �That�s cool,� I said nonchalantly. I had a crazy urge to hug Amy. Great plan! Great plan! Wish I�d thought of it.

  �Just follow this road until it dead ends,� I said. �Take a right. And follow it until you reach the end of the road. Pull into the drive. That�s our house. Or follow us.�

  �We�ll follow.�

  Chelsea, Amy, and I got back in the car. We were chugging down the road before Chelsea looked back over her shoulder and asked, �So, is Jen going to have a little summer romance?�

  I felt myself blush. �I doubt it.�

  �Well, if you do, I�ll be a lot more understanding about you having your boyfriend around than you are about me having mine.�

  �That�s not fair, Chelsea.� It felt good to finally release what I�d been holding in all day. It had been between us, festering.

  �No, it�s not, Jen. You shouldn�t make me feel guilty for having a boyfriend.�

  �This isn�t about you having a boyfriend. It�s about you having your boyfriend hanging around at our place 24/7.�

  �Why don�t you like Noah?�

  I wanted to scream. Other than jabbing her with a sharp stick, I didn�t know how to make her get my point. �I like him just fine, but he wasn�t part of the original plan.�

  �Love never is. It just happens.�

  How was I supposed to respond to that?

  �I don�t want to fight about this, Jen.�

  �I don�t either.�

  �Then let�s not.�

  I thought about asking Amy what she thought, but her shoulders were slightly hunched, and she was watching the road like she expected it to disappear any minute. Confrontation wasn�t her thing.

  Noah wasn�t a bad guy. Just an unexpected addition. Learning to live with him in the beach house would really prepare me for living in a dorm room with a stranger. I could put a positive spin on this situation, look at it in such a way that it would stop driving me crazy. Because it looked like he was here to stay, regardless of how much Amy and I wished he wasn�t.

  �Fine,� I said. �Noah can stay.�

  Chelsea twisted around and looked out the window. �Know what I discovered today? Old fishermen never die. They just smell like they did.�

  Amy and I were still laughing when we turned up the road to the house.

  CHAPTER 10

  I wasn�t even irritated that Noah was camped out on the sofa. I introduced him to Dylan and Zach, while Amy and Chelsea went to their rooms to change.

  �Beer�s in the fridge, dudes,� Noah said. �Help yourselves.�

  �Did you go grocery shopping?� I asked hopefully, because there hadn�t been any beer when we left that morning.

  �Nah, just made a beer run.�

  Of course. Let�s not overlook the important things. I tamped down my irritation and walked into the kitchen. My feet were starting to ache from being on them all day. I searched the pantry and the cupboards. Nothing much. Half a package of crackers. Two heels of bread.

  I went to the refrigerator. Lots of beer. I ground my teeth together. I could make beer soup.

  I heard footsteps and turned. Dylan stood there.

  �I have to go to the grocery store,� I said.

  �You don�t have to cook for us. We owe you anyway.�

  �No, you don�t. Besides, we offered to cook.�

  �So do it another time. It�s late. Let�s go out.�

  Everyone agreed with Dylan�s suggestion. I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of low-riding jeans and a lacy top that left my midriff and pierced belly button exposed.

  We went to Joe�s Surf �n Turf. Because it was Friday, a holiday weekend, the true beginning of summer, the place was as crowded as our campground. Maybe even more so.

  Wall-to-wall people. I normally wouldn�t have minded, but I was seriously hungry. We�d walked there, which turned out to be wise, because we wouldn�t have been able to find anyplace to park outside.

  But standing just inside the doorway, I was beginning to think we�d made a mistake. It would be forever before we would be able to find a place to sit and could get our food. Rock music was blasting from speakers somewhere. The place was dark with candles flickering in hurricane lamps. Along the walls hung thick ropes and netting holding seashells and starfish. Anchors leaned in the corners.

  �There�s a table!� Chelsea yelled.

  She headed for it, with Noah right behind her. As I started to follow, Dylan put his hand on the small of my back. It was warm against my skin.

  I wondered if we were on a date. Or was he simply touching me because it was so crowded in here and he didn�t want to lose sight of me?

  The round table was set near a wall. Dylan sat beside me. As soon as everyone was seated, Noah planted his mouth over Chelsea�s like he hadn�t seen her all day. Uncomfortable�again�I shifted away from her.

  Which placed me almost in Dylan�s lap thanks to the cramped quarters.

  He grinned. �They�re pretty serious.�

  �Yeah.�

  We reached for the menus stacked in the center of the table between the napkin holder and a tray of condiments. Our fingers touched. I froze, feeling silly and self-conscious. He grabbed a menu, opened it, and set it between us.

  �Hey, I get it,� Noah, suddenly unlocked from Chelsea�s lips, said. �Fish in the surf, cows on the turf. Cool.�

  I sneaked a peek at Dylan and wondered if he was studying the prices as carefully as I was. I leaned over to Chelsea and whispered, �Noah�s going to have to pay his own share tonight. We walked. We didn�t use his gas.�

  �He doesn�t have any money.�

  �How did he buy beer?�

  She gave me a pained look like I�d taken my fork and stabbed her in the back.

  �Look,� I said, �We can�t ask the guys to pay for him, and Amy and I aren�t made of money either.�

  �I�ll take care of Noah�s share,� Chelsea said.

  �Okay. Thanks.�

  One worry over with. I felt bad that Noah was broke, and I didn�t like being stingy with my money, but I really didn�t think it was fair for everyone else at the table to have to pay his way. Especially when the waitress came over and he ordered a triple-decker cheesebur