Page 54 of Distant Shores (Stapled Magnolias #2)

IRELAND

D elly whistled under her breath when we parked at the Locc. “Wow.”

“What?” I asked as I unbuckled my seatbelt, my head in the clouds.

Or rather, back at Camellia Lane.

“You just don’t see a lot of people who look like that around here.”

“Like what?” I frowned at her, but then followed her line of sight. A tall, muscular guy was leaning against one of the stone columns, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Delly, that’s Cody. You’ve met him.”

She pushed her face to the window to get a better look. “Dang, you’re right.”

Snorting, I put the hood of my rain jacket up and slid out into the drizzle. Delly didn’t at all bother to hide that she was looking for Cody on the way to the Locc’s front doors, but it seemed he’d disappeared.

“He’s taken, Delly,” I said with a chuckle. “Stop pouting.”

She huffed. “I know that, it’s just… I keep thinking I’ll have a summer romance, you know? But we’re already halfway through June, and there’s just… nothing.”

I opened the doors. “Besides the condom talk when we met, this is the first I’m hearing of your aspirations.”

She pulled her long hair from her hood and fluffed it once we were instead. “I thought Addy might’ve said something, but his brain probably redacted it for his safety.”

I laughed, but it died when she looked at me expectantly and asked, “What’s going on with you and my brother, Miss Indy?”

After he thoroughly wrecked me on the couch over a week ago? Not much.

Because to Adair Jacks, “careful” apparently meant only kissing and a whole bunch of looking.

Mostly in quiet, stolen moments.

A peck to the back of my hand whenever Delly left the room.

Lingering looks across our open bathroom doors every night as we fell asleep together—but apart—to music from my playlists.

And just minutes ago, “careful” was his hand shooting out of his bedroom doorway when I passed by and him yanking me inside before kissing me senseless within the shadow of his open door.

“Why did my brother think he could manhandle you into his room like that without me noticing?” Delly asked. “Even if I hadn’t, the look on your face and your puffy lips when you got in the Jeep would’ve been enough.”

Pulling my hood back, I stared at her, speechless.

She smirked at my expression, victory in her hazel eyes.

“Are you asking me what my intentions are with your brother?” I asked, my tone measured.

Delly studied me for a long moment, the teasing expression melting off her face. “Depends. Are you planning on hurting him?”

“No.”

After a few more seconds of her probing stare, she looped her arm through mine and tugged us toward the locker room.

“Good. His birthday is Monday.”

I released her to hang up my jacket. “I know.”

June 24th. It was immortalized on a note in my bedside drawer.

“I was thinking birthday dinner by the beach,” she said once we’d changed into our dance shoes and were in the studio. “I already ordered him a cake, but otherwise, he’s impossible to buy for.”

I smiled to myself, thinking of the gift I’d been working on for him in secret.

“When’s Cole getting in?” I asked, knowing the question would rile her up nicely.

Color came to her cheeks as she glared. “Later today. I keep looking around every corner, waiting for a dumbass jump scare.”

She’d been straight with me, so I did the same for her.

“So, you’ve had a crush for a while, yeah?”

Her glare hardened. “Tell no one.”

“To the grave,” I vowed solemnly.

Students filled the room fast, and just as I was deciding on a mixed CD, a hush fell over the space. I glanced up at the mirror to see Cody’s reflection as he walked in, followed by Liem.

Excited chatter erupted, and I bit back a smile at how fast Miss Lenny flew to their sides, Delly on her heels.

What kind of song mix should I choose for a class full of horny seniors and two young, hot men? Shrugging to myself, I put the CD I was going to use back and pulled out a different one.

“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica crackled through the room, and I led the class in a series of senior-friendly stretches during the intro.

Halfway through the long song, we got to work.

Cody stood in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest as Delly whisked Liem into the center of the room to teach him the steps.

His eyes cut to me when I came to his side, then back to Liem. Despite his imposing size and his general “don’t fuck with me” attitude, I recognized him for what he was.

He was like me.

When I shut down, I glared and pulled the strings of my jean shorts.

When he did, he glared and twirled the fidget ring on his index fingers.

“I saw Liem’s dance card on the website,” I said just loud enough to be heard over the music. “You planning to get a spot?”

He grunted. “Always.”

I extended my hand. “You better learn the steps, then.”

He narrowed his eyes and took my hand. “Well played.”

I guided him to the corner and whipped him into shape without mercy.

I may have been shit at texting Liem, but I could make sure he had the time of his life in two weeks at the gala.

The original of the song ended, and the Miley Cyrus and Elton John cover followed. Everyone was so caught up in their steps that they didn’t even complain.

I went to check on Mr. and Mrs. Hammond out of habit, then wanted to kick myself when I realized they weren’t here and that I hadn’t noticed until now .

“What’s that look for?” Cody asked, leading me in a basic sequence without major disaster. “I’m not doing that bad, am I?”

“I’m missing a couple of regulars.”

His hazel eyes, so similar to Adair’s, narrowed. “Then go find them, Cherie .”

The Cajun drawl almost distracted me from what he’d said, but not quite. Because damn. He was right. It really was that simple.

I handed him off to Liem toward the end of class, not wanting to deploy the thirst trap of the two of them flirting and dancing earlier while there was too much time left, and did a circuit of the room.

“Two more weeks!” Delly announced at the end of class.

“Make sure you send your dance card links to your friends and family. If you need help to do that, see Jillie at the front desk or me around noon in the Zinnia House cafeteria! And don’t forget, glamor shots are tomorrow!

If you want a super hot photo for your dance card, make sure you come by the art classroom after three!

If you’re a Zinnia House resident, we’ll come to you, starting at ten in the morning. ”

Delly’s enthusiasm for helping with the project hadn’t waned at all.

She was basically our spokesperson, with me and Ari preferring the behind-the-scenes vibe.

Ever since she took that meeting with Ari and Cole, she’d thrown herself into planning the glamor shots aspect, leaving most of the gala to me and Ari.

Adair had chipped in, too, calling local restaurants while he convalesced on the couch and securing donations of food.

His proud smile when he’d announced the fruits of his labor had almost done me in as hard as seeing him crochet had.

Dozens of students swarmed Delly with questions, and I almost felt guilty for leaving her, but I had someone to find.

With a wave to her, a hug from Liem, and a nod to Cody, I was gone.

Instead of taking the elevator at Zinnia House, I took the stairs to the second floor, my momentum keeping nerves at bay.

Pinching the fabric of my dance skirt between my fingers, I walked straight to Apartment 2E and knocked.

“Ireland?” Mr. Hammond asked in surprise when he opened the door.

“Hi, Mr. Hammond. Is Mrs. Hammond home?”

He studied me for a second before stepping aside and holding his arm out in invitation.

I walked inside the apartment, which was more like a dorm, with just a bathroom and one open space, and found her sitting in an armchair by the window.

“Mrs. Hammond,” I said, crouching down by her side. “I missed you in class today.”

She turned her head toward me slowly, nothing in her expression or her eyes.

“Genelle wasn’t feeling up to it today,” Mr. Hammond said, sitting in the smaller armchair.

“Genelle?” I said, holding Mrs. Hammond’s blank gaze. “Genelle Hammond. That’s a beautiful name.”

A flicker of life flashed in her eyes when I said her full name.

“May I call you Genelle?”

Her lips curved up, and she nodded.

“Thank you. Genelle, I need help picking more songs for our gala in two weeks. Something special.”

She sat straighter in her chair and looked past me at her husband. “Melvin, could you get my…? ”

He smiled at her. “Your records are down in the rec room. Do you wanna go down there, sweetheart?”

She nodded and offered him her hand. He took it, helping her up.

On the way down to the first floor, Mr. Hammond told me to call him Melvin, then explained that he let the Locc borrow Genelle’s record player for a while, but now that she couldn’t get over there as easily, he’d brought it back to Zinnia’s rec room.

It was almost lunchtime, so the cafeteria was bustling when we walked past. I scanned the spaces for any sign of Dad or Beck but didn’t see them.

Genelle perked up when we got to the rec room, walking straight to the record player. Melvin and I flanked her as she sifted through the sleeves of records.

She finally pulled one out and held it out to her husband.

He looked at it for a long time, gripping the worn cover.

“Want me to put it on?” I asked softly.

He nodded and handed it over without looking at me.

My old ballet teacher had a record player in her studio, so I at least knew how they worked. I slid the record out, and I set it carefully on the platter. I lowered the needle, and with crackles and pops that raised the hair on my arms, the record started playing.

“Que Sera, Sera” by Doris Day filled the large room, and Genelle held her hand out to Melvin again.

He took it.

My breaths lodged in my throat as they seamlessly, flawlessly , moved together, dancing across the room.

I took an automatic step back, but I didn’t look away. Not for a single second. Tears welling in my eyes, I took my phone out of my pocket and started recording just in time to catch Melvin mouthing the lyrics to Genelle.

Que sera, sera

Whatever will be, will be

I tried so hard to not let the shaking in my body extend to my hand and disturb the recording, and I somehow made it all the way to the end of the short song, when Melvin dipped his wife, then kissed her sweetly when he brought her back up.

I stopped the recording and took a picture just as she smiled at him.

The future’s not ours to see

Que sera, sera

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as they swayed to the next song on the album.

Sudden, intense longing for that comfort, for that love, took my breath away.

For Adair’s arms to wrap around me like that and never let go.

When I walked the Hammonds back to their room, Melvin squeezed my arm in goodbye, telling me they’d try to be in class next week.

The echoes of that song rang in my head as I walked down the empty hallway to the elevator, and I decided to send a long overdue text to Liem.

It was good seeing you today. Tell Cody I said thank you.

Not even a minute later, my phone buzzed with back-to-back texts.

Liem

See you tomorrow, Ire 3 And thank you.

Unknown number

You’re welcome, Cherie.