Page 25 of First Street (Harbor View Cozy Fantasy #1)

“It means a lot to me,” Ocean said. “Knowing you’re real. And that my grandma had a friend, someone who was actually here for her while we were all the way across the country.”

“Well, Arthur was her friend. I was more of a charming nuisance.”

“Doubt it,” Ocean said. “And speaking of Arthur and his ghost...”

“He has a name. Henry. My beloved.”

“Right. Sorry.” Ocean held up her hands. “My bad. Henry.”

Jo gave a regal nod.

“So, your beloved. Do you miss not seeing him?”

“Of course, I do. Being stuck across the street from each other wasn’t exactly our plan for a dream life.”

Ocean tilted her head. “Have you ever thought about writing him a letter or something?”

“Recording words on paper seems to be beyond my abilities, it seems,” Jo said with a dramatic sigh. “But we’re fine. Really. I used to hear about him when Arthur came by and chatted with Clare. And knowing he’s over there waiting, and I’m over here waiting—well, it’s enough. It has to be.”

Jo waved a hand like she was brushing it all away.

“But enough about my tragic love story,” she continued. “What about you? Got a boyfriend? Secret admirer? Forbidden romance?”

“Boyfriend? No. Secret admirer? Definitely not. That’s not how high school boys work.”

Jo raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how do they work?”

“If they like you, they just walk up and go, ‘Hey, wanna hook up?’”

Jo blinked. “And that means…?”

“It means, ‘Wanna have sex.’”

Jo clutched her chest like she’d been shot. “Good heavens. That’s appalling. Whatever happened to courtship? To stolen glances and love letters and moonlit walks?”

“Yeah. Welcome to 2020s dating.”

“Have you hooked up ?” Jo asked, eyes narrowing with curiosity.

Ocean shook her head. “Nope. And no boyfriends, either. I’ve been to a few dances with some boys. And yeah, I’ve secretly drooled over a couple of hot guys. But nothing serious.”

Jo placed a hand over her heart. “I am so proud of you. This is shockingly different from when your mother was your age.”

Ocean narrowed her eyes. “Wait, you know about my mom’s boyfriends when she was fifteen?”

“One real boyfriend. Singular,” Jo said with a grin. “And yes. I heard everything. How they met. Their first date. First kiss. First time he brought her home to meet his family. She was mad about him. I could go on and on.”

For a second, Ocean’s thoughts drifted. Her mom had been in love with someone else before Dad? Was she supposed to feel weird about that?

But then she thought about all those social media posts. Her dad with one wannabe starlet or another draped over him like a beach blanket. Ocean was old enough to know those weren’t just innocent selfies.

And maybe that was the real reason Skye avoided social media like the plague. No account. No scrolling. No clicking. She didn’t want the digital proof of everything she couldn’t control.

“What was his name?” Ocean asked. “My mom’s boyfriend.”

“Caleb Reed.”

Ocean leaned in. “Okay. Tell me everything.”

Jo shrugged and smiled.

“Skye met Caleb the summer before junior year. He’d just moved to town.

His dad was hired as the new high school principal, poor kid.

Skye spotted him at the Fourth of July parade.

She was selling raffle tickets for the school band, and he bought five.

Didn’t even ask what the prize was. Just smiled that sweet, lopsided grin.

She told me he said, ‘Guess I already won something.’ It was charming. ”

Ocean groaned. “No way.”

“Oh yes. Full teenage heartthrob nonsense. But it worked. He was tall, quiet, always had a pencil behind his ear. Skye thought he was mysterious. I thought he was just shy. But they clicked. Debates, concerts, track meets, late-night talks on the phone. The kind of high school love that feels like it’ll last forever. ”

“And it didn’t?” Ocean asked.

“Obviously.” Jo shook her head gently. “They tried. Or at least that’s what Skye used to tell me when she came home for the holidays.

Caleb was in Boston for college, Skye was out there in California.

She said they had the usual relationship obstacles that occur with distance.

Time zones, course exams, new friends. You know how it goes.

The telephone calls slowed down. And then she met your dad. ”

Ocean guessed that was a good thing for her. She wouldn’t be here otherwise.

“So, what happened to Caleb?”

Jo shrugged. “No idea. But if you’re ever curious, Clare kept dozens of pictures of them in those old albums.”

“Which ones?”

But before Jo could answer, the front door swung open.

Jo vanished in a blink.

Skye stepped inside, and Ocean saw it right away. Red eyes, blotchy cheeks. She’d been crying.

“Mom?” Ocean said, standing up fast. “What’s wrong?”

Skye dropped her bag and sank into the chair by the door like her legs had given out.

Ocean rushed over. “What happened? Tell me.”

Skye looked up, her face pale and wet. “Your grandmother…”

“What about her?” Ocean asked, heart pounding.

“She knew,” Skye said softly. “She knew something bad was going to happen. Before it did.”