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“Stop. It was the best weekend. Just spending time with my girlfriends.” Kells hugged me hard as I stood by the door. I turned to the rest of the girls. “We need to clean up. Because of the power outage the owner extended our stay until 2p.m. Please Venmo me your share…”

“Don’t worry. We’ll clean up,” Soph assured me. I put my bags in my car, turned the engine on and let it warm up for a few minutes. My boots sunk in the sand as I took a path behind the house to the beach. It was windy, cold and the swells from the low-pressure system, offshore were still high. It was wild and beautiful. The sea grass behind the dunes rustled and danced. This was peace. This was heaven. I vowed to come back here someday.

I turned back to the house, no one was downstairs, they probably all went up to take showers. The backdoor was unlocked. I let myself in, I had plenty of time to make my appointment. I poured the last bit of coffee into my cup that was left on the counter before taking the ones from the sink and loading them into the dishwasher.

I cleared the table, looked around one last time my eyes widening as I saw my pink bra dangling from a tree branch out the window. I grabbed a broom from the closet, using it to wrestle the branches for my bra. Snagging it, I sighed in relief. I moved through the living area, wincing at the back of the couch. I’d have to contact the owner and hope for the best. Candles and the flashlight were littered on the coffee table. No one else knew where they belonged. I scooped them up, went back to the kitchen and moved the stool. “There.” I tucked them all back up in the cupboard above the fridge. My fingers brushing the mysterious Christmas box. I don’t know why I did it. It was purely impulsive. My hand reached in lifted a few calendars. I hugged them to my chest. The clock on the mantle told me I really needed to leave. Cuddling my calendars, I got into my car, flipping the first calendar in the pile. There was my man on the back cover. Mr. July. So hot. Hannah was a bitch, but she was right about one thing—I did need a real love life. Maybe after I figure out my next move, I’d work on that.

I flipped the visor back up. After checking my appearance, I grabbed my papers and cell. Dr. Winnfield’s office was right at the marina. A huge white vessel with Duke’s emblem painted on the side gently rocked in the water.

The air smelled of faint diesel fuel and the ocean. Sea gulls hung suspended in the air; wings spread letting the breeze do the work for them. My cheeks were red from the wind, a few locks of my hair clung to the side of my face as I entered the building.

“Hi, I’m Ryan Hill. Dr. Winnfield’s expecting me.”

“Yes. I see you on her list of appointments.” The receptionist smiled politely. She led me to a small sitting area where I waited.

“Ryan?” I looked up from the papers in my hand. I liked Dr. Winnfield immediately. She was dressed casually in skinny jeans and a DUKE sweatshirt. Her water boots came up to her knees. Her hair was in a ponytail.

“Sorry. I was out taking air samples earlier.”

“Are you kidding?” I grinned. “I wish I could’ve been with you.”

When she smiled the fine lines of her face stood out. You could tell she spent her days out under the sun. She was young but seasoned. She reminded me a bit of Captain Sandy from that reality show about yachting. “Well, you are here now. I’m a straight shooter, Ryan. You made some serious allegations, which took some time to look into. However, the final decision of selecting next year’s candidates was left to the department head at Chapel Hill.”

“Let me guess. That person belongs to the same country club as Wade Harrington V’s family.”

She grimaced. “If Mr. Wade Harrington V does not or cannot perform up to my standards, he and Sierra will both get cut. I have the say on who stays in my program.”

“Great. But how does any of this help me?”

Dr. Winnfield sat back in her seat assessing me. “Like I said. I decide once students are in the program if they stay or go. Lucky for you I had to cut someone from this spring. Leaving a slot. You’ve missed a few weeks, but it’s yours if you can manage housing. My admin will work the rest out with the admissions office as far as transferring your credits from Brookhaven and handling tuition.”

My mouth fell open.

“There’s nothing I can’t stand more than good-old-fashioned nepotism. If you work hard which I can see you have, then you deserve a shot. What do you say Ryan?”

“I’m in. Even if it means sleeping in my car. When do I start?”

She hands my papers back to me. “Two days.”

Heart pounding, I shook her hand. When I walked back outside. My whole world changed. Just like that, I was on a different road. Changing lanes. The tides of change had come for me and I couldn’t wait to dive right in.

I called Gran immediately.

“Ryan darling!”

“Gran! I did it! I busted Wade for his shenanigans and guess what? Dr. Winnfield gave me a spot this term. She had a vacancy.”

“Congratulations, honey! But what does that mean? Wade and the she-devil will be with you next fall?”

I shrugged. “Guess so. But I have the jump on them. Besides, who knows what could happen between now and then?”

“That’s my girl. Charting a new course.”

“I just need to find housing and get Pop’s boat!”

“Bunny! No personal calls at work. I have a deadline.” The man’s voice took me by surprise. It was rich, deep, and smooth. Sexy. The sound of it like hands running down the bass clef on a piano.

“Who is that?”