Page 31 of Seashells and Other Souvenirs

“Jude just got off work; he’s on his way.

” Kelsey tucks her phone into her purse and sits back down at the table where an intense game of cards is underway.

“Thanks again for letting us hang out for a while; I still can’t believe I locked myself out.

I swear there used to be a spare key under the back mat.

” The key that’s attached to my key ring at the moment.

Elias draws two cards, discards one, and draws another.

“It’s no problem at all. The kids are excited to have an extra foosball player in the basement tonight.

Plus, you get to see me and Elle wipe the floor with everyone else.

Again.” Rebekah flicks a gummy bear across the table, hitting him in the forehead. “Hey, now. Don’t make me call Mom.”

My granddaddy is on the couch, flipping back and forth between World Cup highlights from earlier today and a baseball game. Sutton’s checking the batch of brownies in the oven with a toothpick to see if they’re done.

A loud chorus of yells drifts up from the basement, and Kelsey starts to stand, but Elias waves her off. “He’s fine, I promise. Someone will come up and tattle if things get too wild.”

“It's a wonder Marcail’s sleeping through all this,” I comment.

“Oh, the magical powers of a day in the sun and a good sound machine. I’m sure she’ll make up for it in a few hours, but for now, we’ll take it.” Sutton smiles across the room at Chris.

“Alex,” Rebekah hisses as she kicks me under the table.

Elias beats me to it. “Cut!” Rebekah throws her cards down as Elle and Elias slap hands.

“Sorry,” I mumble and try not to let my sight wander to the front door again.

Three hands later, it finally opens after a faint knock.

“Jude!” Chris ushers him in. “Come watch some sports with us. We’ve got a little bit of everything going on.

” He points over to the kitchen area. “Or there’s a cutthroat game of cards happening if you’re looking for something a little less civil. ”

Jude crosses the room and drops his keys into Kelsey’s hand before moving to stand behind my chair. If I thought it was hard to concentrate before, it’s nearly impossible now.

Donovan thunders up the stairs with my cousin Lucas. “Oh, good.” Kelsey shakes the keys. “Ready to head home, Donovan?”

“Not yet.” He takes one of the Oatmeal Crème Pies Lucas has just pulled from a cabinet. “Just getting a snack.” Before Kelsey can protest, the boys disappear to the basement again.

Elias chuckles. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to drag him out of here anytime soon. Your turn, Alex.”

I reach for the five in my hand, but Jude leans over my shoulder and taps the three instead. I look at the cards on the table. It’s a much better move, but Jude shouldn’t know that.

“No cheating!” Elias scolds, then pauses. “You know this game?” He cocks an eyebrow.

“Ah, no.” Jude clears his throat. “Just trying to figure it out by watching.”

“Was he right?” Elias turns his attention to me.

I mentally apologize to Rebekah for blowing this hand and pluck out the five I had my fingers on first. “Nope. But I can see why he thought that. It’s a complicated game, Jude.”

“Sounds like it.” He lets his hands rest on the back of my chair. “You’ll have to explain it to me sometime.” I feel my cheeks warm, thankful for the sunburn from yesterday.

Sutton walks around the counter. “Are you guys almost done? The brownies are ready, and I’d like to get in a decent porch talk before Marcie wakes up.”

“Those smell amazing,” Kelsey comments.

“They’re even better when you eat them straight from the pan,” Elle says. Then, “Hey, you should join us, Kelsey.”

“Yeah,” Sutton says as she starts to load the dishwasher. “Up for a little chocolate and girl talk?”

Kelsey stands. “Oh, I don’t want to intrude on your family time. I probably need to get Donovan to bed soon anyway.”

“You’re not intruding,” I say. “We invited you. And Donovan can stay a little while longer; maybe he’ll even sleep in tomorrow.”

“I’ll bring him home in a little while,” Jude offers. “I’d like to watch some highlights with Chris anyway, see how many goals Chad scored today.”

My blood runs cold even as the room seems to heat up. Sutton fumbles the silverware in her hand, and Rebekah and Elle look at each other across the table.

Kelsey, oblivious, says, “I’m gonna go grab a sweatshirt. I’ll leave the house unlocked for you if that’s okay.”

“Sure.” Jude tucks his hands into his pockets and steps away from my chair. I don’t dare make eye contact with him as I stand.

“I’ll walk with you, Kelsey,” I volunteer.

After a brief stop in Jude’s living room, during which I very nearly check the notebook drawer just to verify that all of this is real, Kelsey and I head back over to the porch next door to join my cousins.

I’m hopeful that her presence will deter them from asking me how Jude knows about our little game.

When we join them, they’ve already arranged the rocking chairs in a circle and are digging into the brownies. Sutton looks up, and I can tell right away that I’m not off the hook.

“So, Al,” she starts.

I take the pan Elle extends to me and pass it to Kelsey before settling into my rocking chair. I squint into the porch light. “So?”

“You want to tell us what’s going on between you and Jude now?” I don’t know why I expected anything else; Sutton never beats around the bush.

My eyes shift to Kelsey, and all my cousins follow suit. “Don’t look at me.” She raises her palms. “I didn’t even know she was living with him until I got here last weekend.”

Elle spits out the sip of water she’s just taken. “WHAT?!” Rebekah gasps. Sutton’s practically shooting lasers across the deck at me.

“Oops,” Kelsey mumbles.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, everybody calm down a minute. It’s not that big of a deal.

” I fight to keep my expression neutral.

“I needed a place to stay, and I ran into Jude. He had an extra room. He’s mostly been working all summer, but he’s helping me a little with my writing.

And . . .” I’m not sure what else to say, how to end this conversation and get them to move on to another topic.

“And now the two of you can’t be in the same room without having to stand as close as humanly possible without touching. And when Jude flirts with you, you can’t keep from smiling and turning pink.” Rebekah winks.

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.” I try my best to sound nonchalant, but there’s no way I’m going to fool them when I can’t even lie to myself.

“It’s okay, Al.” Elle leans forward. “This is a good thing. We love Jude. He’s a great guy.”

“He’s not just a great guy,” Kelsey chimes in; I’d all but forgotten she was here for a moment.

“He’s amazing, Alex, and he’d do anything for the people he cares about.

No one I know would have more of an excuse to be bitter and messed up because of the crappy hand life has dealt them, and the people who haven’t shown up for them like they should have.

But somehow, my brother has held on to all the kindness and gentleness and goodness he’s always possessed.

He’s pretty much the only reason our family can still be considered a family at all.

” She’s staring at her fingernails, and none of us move as she takes the time to gather her thoughts before continuing.

This is the most I’ve ever heard Kelsey say.

“Jude put himself through school and even loaned our brother money to start up his real estate business. Up until a year and a half ago, he came up to see me and Donovan every Christmas; fixed stuff around the house, made sure we had what we needed, even stood up to Donovan’s sorry excuse for a dad.

And when my husband told him to get out and never come back, I let him.

” She shakes her head in disgust. “I hadn’t talked to him since or returned any of his texts, but when I showed up the other night, he did what he always has.

” She smiles up at me sadly. “He loved us, no questions asked. My brother is a gem, and anyone who gets to spend time in his company is lucky.”

Whatever defense I’d been building for myself crumbles. “I know,” I whisper. “I’m the last person who needs to be convinced of how incredible Jude is, I promise. I just . . .” I run a hand over my face. “This is a new feeling for me, and I don’t quite know what it is.”

“Oh, but I think you do.” Rebekah grins.

I bury my head in my hands. “I just wish I knew what he was feeling.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Elle laughs, and I raise my head again. “Jude’s been crazy about you for, like, forever.”

My puzzled eyes bounce from face to face, each one as incredulous as the last.

“I thought you just pretended not to notice,” Rebekah says. “Surely no one is that oblivious.”

“Alex is,” Sutton scoffs.

I feel like the whole planet has just turned upside down.

Even Kelsey is nodding. “I’ll never forget the summer he called from the little beach shop and spent the better part of an hour on the phone with me trying to decide between the necklace with a conch shell charm on it and your sand dollar one there.

It was obvious before that he had a crush, but that’s when I knew he had it really bad. ”

“What?” My hand closes over my necklace. Sutton rolls her eyes at me, and everyone else disappears for a moment.

“You knew?” I ask her.

“Of course I did.”

My head is still spinning. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“For one thing, Jude asked me not to.” She shifts in her chair.

“But, aside from that, Al, you were so enamored with Gavin. It’s like you couldn’t even see what was right in front of you.

And that summer . . .” I feel sick. “Alex, you know we all love Gavin, but guys like him leave a string of broken hearts behind them. I knew you were probably going to be disappointed. You had us; you’d be okay.

But if you hurt our Jude —” She shakes her head.

“I wasn’t sure his heart would ever recover. ”

I tighten my grip on the necklace, still trying to reorient myself. “You did always have a soft spot for Jude.”

“And why do you think that was, Alex?” Is it just the lighting or are her eyes damp? “When you see a person look at someone you love the way Jude’s always looked at you, you can’t help but love them too.”

Tyler. Mr. Bruce and Mrs. Becky. Donovan. Isn’t that what’s endeared them to me so quickly? The way they recognize all the wonderful things in him that even Jude himself doesn’t see? Isn’t this what won me over to Chris? Even Dr. Dillon?

“Sutton.” My voice catches.

She looks down at her phone, bringing us both back to the present. “I’m gonna go check on Chris and Marcie.”

“I should probably head back too,” Kelsey says.

“Before the boys get home.” She looks over at me.

“Don’t worry; I won’t breathe a word of this conversation to my brother.

I just appreciate you guys letting me be part of your girl talk.

I was always jealous that Gavin and Jude had an in with your family and I didn’t. ”

“You wanted to hang out with us?” Rebekah asks. “We thought you were way too cool for us.”

Elle nods. “Way too cool. We wanted to be you sometimes. Living with our best friends at the beach year-round? I mean, really.”

“Funny.” Kelsey rises and slides her arms into the front of her hoodie. “Because all we ever wanted was what you guys had.”

“I wish we’d realized that,” I say. I wish I’d realized a lot of things.