Page 5 of The Edge of Summer

Gabe rubs his temples. “I am not getting involved with this. Every time I pick a side, it doesn’t end well for me.”

“Because you always pick thewrongone!” Clara counters, stomping her foot. “I’m your twin. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

I shrug. “Brothers have to stick together.”

Clara sticks out her tongue, and then her gaze focuses on Abbie. “Well, so do aunts and nieces,” she says. “How would you feel about a sleepover tonight?”

Abbie’s eyes light up. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Clara holds a hand to the side of her mouth, as if shielding her words from me and Gabe. “I’ll even let you have ice cream before dinner. But don’t tell your dad.”

Abbie’s excited eyes flit to Gabe and then back again. She holds out a palm to Clara. “Deal.”

As they shake hands, Gabe looks on in amusement. Thenhis head swings my way. “Apparently I have a free night. Want to grab a beer later?”

I grimace. Usually the majority of tourists and cottagers don’t start to arrive until after the May long weekend, but already the island is starting to notice an uptick in traffic. With that comes more accidents. More accidents mean more paperwork.

“Rain check?” I ask. “The summer volunteers start next week, and then I’ll have more free time.”

Gabe snorts. “Free time.Right.”

“You work too much,” Clara says.

I groan. “You sound like Mom.”

“You mean we’re both incredibly intelligent women? Yes, we are. Thanks for noticing.”

I cover Abbie’s ears with my hands. “I mean you’re both a pain in my ass.”

Abbie wiggles in my hold. “I know you’re saying bad words, Lukey!”

“Yeah,Lukey,” Clara chastises, “cut it out!”

I throw a fry at her, but she expertly catches it in her mouth. A lifetime of running around with me and Gabe taught her that.

“What about him?” I ask, pointing to our brother. “You never get on his case about work.”

“There’s a difference between a little overtime and making work your entire personality,” Clara replies.

“I can’t just dump my responsibilities. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in charge of an entire fire department.”

“Yeah,” Gabe says with a roll of his eyes, “we’ve noticed.”

No matter how many times I explain it to them, myfamily just doesn’tgetit. The constant worry is a foreign concept. Our parents, Clara, Gabe and Abbie—they’re all I have. One misjudgment almost cost me someone I love once before. I can’t—Iwon’t—make that mistake again. If that makes me the no-fun uncle and the always busy brother, then so be it.

At least I won’t have to race through fire again, wondering if it’s too late.

CHAPTER

TWO

DELILAH

“Sissy, look!”

My brain, lagging from the lack of sleep I’ve gotten in the past week, is slow to register my sister calling for me. While I’m in desperate need of a bed, Sophia is wired, as if we didn’t wake up before the sun in order to catch our ferry from Tobermory.

I’ve always been a little impulsive. When I decide I want something, I go for it. But I truly never thought a postcard would be the thing to prompt a move halfway across the country.