Page 17 of Seashells and Other Souvenirs

The bathroom counter was littered with curling irons, brushes, and every kind of makeup imaginable.

“With that shirt, this eye shadow will be perfect.” I felt Sutton swipe the brush across my closed lids and knew instinctively the face of concentration she was making. “Done.”

I inspected her work in the mirror as Rebekah finished curling Elle’s hair.

“Think you used enough hairspray?” Elle coughed.

“Oh my gosh, Sutton. Did you stuff your bra?” Rebekah laughed as Sutton readjusted her shirt. “You’re ridiculous.”

I applied a final coat of lip gloss and yanked the cords from the outlets. “Come on. My dad’s waiting for us.”

Sure enough, my dad was standing at the bottom of the stairs, keys in hand. “You ladies ready for some seafood?”

We followed him to his SUV and crammed in. The smell of four different body sprays mingled in the air. “Y’all are awfully dressed up just for dinner with me. This restaurant you talked me into taking you to wouldn’t possibly have anything to do with one of those Allman brothers, would it?”

“Alford, Dad. And Gavin is bussing tables there this summer, but we aren’t going just to see him.”

“He told us that the shrimp was the best in town, so we want to try it,” Sutton explained.

“I see.” He turned on the music and began to sing along loudly with the CD Rebekah burned for us before the trip.

“You aren’t going to dance like this during dinner, right?” Elle asked from the back seat.

“Why not?” My dad met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “You’re not going there to see anyone. And the shrimp won’t care; they’re already dead.”

“Great,” Elle murmured. But by the time the Spice Girls had reached the bridge, we were all singing and dancing too. To an outsider that day, it might have looked like we were trying to be more grown than we were, but in truth, we were all desperate to hold on to any sliver of childhood we could.

“Hold your breath!” Rebekah called as we left the island.

I take one last look at my reflection, wishing I had a second opinion. I’ve opted for shorts and a dressy pink tank top. I want to look cute without looking like I overthought it, which I most definitely have.

I add one more swipe of color to my lips before I turn out the light. Gavin is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, wearing jeans and a blue button-up shirt that matches his eyes perfectly. “Ready to go?”

“Yep. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” When he holds the door open for me and I walk past, I savor the scent of his cologne.

He spends the drive over the bridge telling me about his job while I scroll through photos of his new puppy on his phone. He’s insanely cute. The dog. And Gavin. For a handful of minutes, I feel sixteen again.

But then he pulls into the parking lot of a building with a giant dragon on the sign, and the spell is broken.

“Gavin, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He brings the car to a stop and cuts the engine. “Nah. It’ll be fun.” He studies my face. “He’ll be fine, Alex.”

I follow him into a lobby draped in pirate flags with swords mounted on the walls. A hostess in a themed dress scans the tickets on Gavin’s phone. “Welcome aboard. You’ll be in Buccaneer Jude’s section.” She gestures with her arm. “Second door on the left and enjoy the show.”

“I don’t feel right about this.” I tug on Gavin’s sleeve. But he rests a hand on the small of my back and starts walking.

As we enter the dark main theater, I gasp. It’s so much better than I’d imagined. Long tables and benches surround a pool of water with a huge ship in its center.

“Where’s the dragon?” I wonder aloud.

Gavin points. “It’s under the water there; it doesn’t come out until the third scene.” We find our seats, and I’m so caught up in absorbing every little detail, I forget for a moment that we really shouldn’t be here.

“Ahoy, Landlubbers,” Jude’s voice echoes as our whole section turns our heads to watch him descend the steps.

He’s in full costume with a bandana on his head and a scabbard swinging from his hip.

He’s even sporting the earring Ty mentioned.

“Welcome aboard our ship. I hope you’ve all brought your courage with you as we will be hunting for treasure this evening and will likely encounter a frightful sea creature or two and maybe even the fearsome dragon rumored to guard the treasure.

” He smiles at a group of excited children to our left.

“I hope you’ve also brought your hearty appetites.

” He scans the crowd, and I see surprise briefly flicker across his face as he recognizes me and Gavin, but he doesn’t break character.

“We’ll be enjoying some of the finest fare in all the seven seas.

So, make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll be around to take your drink orders soon. ”

The lights dim, and several performers swing from the rafters onto the ship and start singing about a map and a quest. There is plenty to take in, but I can’t help watching out of the corner of my eye as Jude makes his way down the table, introducing himself and listing drink choices.

I feel terrible for showing up here when he specifically asked me not to come.

He stops in front of Gavin. “What can I get for you, sir?”

“I’ll have sweet tea, thanks.” The corners of Gavin’s mouth turn up, but Jude moves along.

“And for the lady?”

I fidget in my seat, searching for a way to convey my own surprise and regret to him, but he won’t meet my gaze. “I’ll have the same, please.” And then he’s on to the next guest.

He comes back to bring our drinks and then later to deliver a meal of soup, chicken, corn on the cob, and bread.

I watch him as much, if not more, than the show, noting how comfortable he seems in this role despite his apparent embarrassment anytime he’s spoken of this job before.

He takes extra time interacting with the kids in the audience, and I hear him answer at least a dozen questions about swords.

When the fire-breathing dragon finally emerges, an excited little boy drops his cup of coke.

Instead of treating it as just another mess to be cleaned, Jude brings out a mop and teaches him how pirate crews “swab the deck.” It makes me proud to know him. And even more guilty for being here.

But the truth is: I’m loving this experience.

The atmosphere is incredibly fun, the performance is amazing, and the food is delicious, especially the bread.

I’ve almost finished the last bite before I look at the plates to either side of me and realize that mine is the only piece with melted cheese on top.

A subtle olive branch, I hope. I finally relax and enjoy the rest of the hunt for gold, thinking of a thousand pirate-related jokes that I want to share.

But not with the blue-eyed man sitting beside me.

Gavin is oddly quiet, both during dinner and afterwards on the drive back. But he doesn’t seem angry, just content.

“Thanks again for this,” I say as we travel back over the bridge. “I had fun.”

“Me too, Alex. It’s been really good seeing you again.” He smiles. “I’m glad you’re well. We think and talk about you guys all the time, you know.”

I reach for my necklace. “Same.”

“Hey, one of my buddies is having some people over tonight. You feel like coming along?” He turns onto our street. “Or we could just go home if you’re tired.”

I’m suddenly exhausted, but in a way I don’t quite know how to explain.

I do know, however, that while teenage me would have jumped at this chance, I have no desire to go anywhere else with Gavin tonight.

“I have some laundry to do,” I offer lamely.

“But you should go. Will I see you tomorrow before you head back?”

“I’ll make sure of it.” He puts his truck in park, and I reach for the door handle.

“Alex.”

“Yeah?”

“My brother’s a great guy.” His expression makes me wonder if he’s feeling slightly unsettled about our choice of dinner venue too.

I look away. “I know.”

He waits for me to climb the stairs and wave before he backs out.

I’m not sure what I feel as I watch his truck disappear.

But this is nothing like the disappointment or heartache that Sutton was worried about.

Or the giddy nervousness I expected. It feels almost like . . . relief? Freedom, maybe? Closure.

I’ve just spent a whole evening with Gavin. He’s still Gavin. And I’m still me. And I still care for him very much. But the Alfords are just the boys next door on vacation, and that’s all they’ll ever be. And I’m at peace with that fact.

My phone buzzes in my purse. Sutton. I turn it off and go inside to find my notebook instead.