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“Wow, this is the beginning of a Shakespearean tragedy.” Emery laughed. “I was stuck, wasn’t I? Still, I deny that I ran away. I moved away. To college. To a new town.”

“Okay, okay, maybe I’m the one who runs. I’ve learned my lesson. Though when I woke up wanting to get away, you were the person I wanted to see.”

“I’m glad. And I mean it. So, what are your plans now?”

“My ticket is for Monday. There’s a hotel about five miles from here that has some rooms. I can take an Uber—”

“You’re staying with me.” With the fire dying, Emery motioned for them to head inside. “Little sister.”

“You do like me, don’t you? I knew it.”

“Okay, okay, don’t push it.” Emery wrapped her arm around Ava as they walked to the cottage. After all, she was a big sister.

While she showered, Ava made Joanna’s Sophisticated Sips hot chocolate. They drank their mugs on the settee under the window.

“Mom was sitting here when she told me she was dying,” Emery said softly. “She gave me the pearls that night.”

“What was she like? Your mom?”

“Like yours, to be honest. Loving, but didn’t take a lot of guff.

Being a bank VP, she could be very direct and businesslike.

She was the prettiest mom at my school, at least to me.

Adored the snow. She used to brush my hair all the time, which I loved.

” She stretched her foot to Ava’s leg. “I’m glad you’re here. ”

“Me too.” Ava set down her hot chocolate, and said she’d be right back. Ten seconds later, she returned with a boar bristle brush. “May I?”

Emery’s eyes filled. “Yes” was all she could manage.

On the settee where Mom used to sit, Emery’s sister brushed her hair until she drifted to the space between awake and asleep, to the place in her memories where Mom still lived.

EMERY

Then . . .

A float of orange and red clouds reflected off the water as Caleb walked Emery from the beach volleyball game toward the motel.

His arm brushed hers when the sand gave way under his step. “Sorry,” he said with a light laugh. Then she slipped and fell against him. “Sorry,” she whispered.

That’s when his hand clasped hers. It was warm and strong and magically filled her with the colors in the clouds.

“You’re still going home in two weeks?” he said without looking at her.

“I asked Dad if we could stay another week.” Dad’s answer was noncommittal, almost distracted, but he seemed more anxious to get home than she liked.

Apparently he had an additional class this fall, and Mom had things to “tie up” at the bank, whatever that meant.

Still, she was hopeful for an extended stay.

Emery was not ready to leave Sea Blue Beach. Funny to say since she didn’t want to come in the first place. Since the trashing of the West End High football field, she’d spent every day with Caleb. If he was working at the Starlight, she’d skate the late session, then hang out with him afterward.

Today, while playing volleyball, Jumbo said West End High was pretty ticked about the trashing and demanding those responsible to come forward.

“But we’re not talking, right?” Jumbo leaned into the huddle of Caleb, Emery, Alvarez, Kidwell, Crammer, Shift, and Hollingsworth, and zipped his lips. They all followed. “Loose lips sink ships.”

Emery loved being a part of their crowd. She loved sharing a secret with Caleb.

“I never thought I’d say this ’cause school means football, but I don’t want this summer to end.” He slowed as they neared the motel and pulled Emery into the shadows of the palms along the Beachwalk. “This is the best summer. Because of you.”

“Even though I made you ride the Ferris wheel?”

“I made you trash our rival’s football field.” His laugh resonated in his chest.

“And I didn’t get arrested.”

“Nope. I trust those guys with my life. Hey, my mom asked if you’d come to dinner one night. Your folks too.”

“You mean Mr. Ransom and Mr. Quinn will meet face-to-face? Not sure the world is ready for it.”

“I’m not worried about our dads. It’s my nutcase sister that scares me.” Still holding her hand, Caleb’s tanned arm rested against hers, which was finally a lovely burnished brown.

“Still trouble in River City?”

“That starts with C and rhymes with pass? Yeah. She was blaring her music the other night, and when Mom asked her to turn it down, she cranked it louder. I grabbed my keys and left.”

She squeezed his hand. “Wish I had some advice for you, but being an only—”

“Talking to you is enough.” He drew her into a hug, and she inhaled his scent—suntan lotion, salt water, and sand. He embodied everything she imagined about true love—trust, affection, friendship.

“Better get you home,” he said, releasing her too soon. “I don’t want to get in trouble with the Boyfriendinator.”

But she didn’t want this moment to end. She wanted to stay with him. Listen to his heartbeat.

“I love you, Caleb.” The words came with a soft sigh.

“What?” He snapped back, taking his warmth and affection with him.

“Nothing.” She spun around and made tracks for the Sands. What did she just say? Why, why, why? So dumb. He’d asked, “What?” but he heard. She knew by the way he released her. By the look on his face. Way to ruin everything, Emery Quinn.

“Emery, wait.” Caleb ran in front of her to cut off her escape. “I love you too. Can’t believe it, but I do.”

“Stop, stop.” She pressed her hands over her flushed cheeks. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say you love me. I don’t know how those words came out of my mouth without my permission, but you don’t have to say it back. Just forget—”

He was kissing her, covering her moving lips with his. There was no going back now. His arm cinched around her waist as she raised her arms to his shoulders. His mouth was hot and salty, the kiss more perfect than the one in the truck. Because love came first.

The moment ended slowly, then he touched his forehead to hers and gazed into her eyes. “I swore I wasn’t going to fall in love until I was twenty-five. You’re making a liar out of me.” He kissed her again. “You got some sort of power, Emery Quinn.”

His final kiss goodnight was sweet, drawing a second “I love you” from her. Then he whispered the same in her ear, igniting chills down her sunkissed arms and legs. She watched him go, her fingers resting on her tingling lips.

When she turned for the courtyard, Mom sat by the fire, wrapped in a blanket. She called Emery to sit with her.

“Why the blanket?” Emery sat on the ground beside her. “It’s hot and humid out here.”

“I had a bit of a chill. Delilah wonders if it might be a summer cold. I’ll be fine.” Her soft palm stroked Emery’s wild hair. “Why don’t you get your brush?”

Mom brushing her hair was Emery’s favorite pastime. In the cottage, Dad was hovered over his computer with a serious expression.

“Hey,” she said, “whatever happened to our unplugged summer? No work. No TV or videos.” She ruffled his curly hair. “No computer.”

“Just researching.” He looked up, bleary-eyed. “Did you see your mother? How was she?”

“Good, I guess.” Emery ducked into her bathroom. “She wants to brush my hair.”

Dad reached for her as she headed back out. “Did Caleb behave himself?”

“Always. Oh yeah, his parents invited us to dinner at their house.” Emery glanced down, blushing, wondering if Dad could see through her. That she was in love. “Can we stay longer? Please?”

“We’ll see.” Okay, that was progress. Closer to a yes than a no.

Back at the firepit, Emery rested against Mom’s blanketed legs. With each pass of the brush, she drifted away with the sound of the night.

“You’re so tan,” Mom said. “I thought your Irish blood would never allow it.”

“How do you know if you’re in love, Mom?”

“Goodness, that’s a big question in this small moment.”

Emery twisted around to see her face. “I’m serious.”

“Are we talking about Caleb Ransom?” Mom said.

“Are there any other boys I hang around with?”

“Well, you’re young, but not so young to know love means you don’t count the cost. You don’t hold grudges or offenses.

You forgive. You sacrifice. You can imagine a life with them.

Be with someone you can live with , not live without.

” Mom ran the brush through her hair from the nape of her neck and then over the crown of her head.

“You might be a bit young to decide on a life partner, but if he makes your heart go pitter-patter, and if you want good for him over yourself, you might be in love.”

“He kissed me, and I thought I’d fly away and melt all at once.”

“Goodness, that was some kiss,” Mom said.

“The first boy who kissed me, Randy Needleman ... hmm, it was like kissing a toad.” Mom’s pretty laugh fluttered in the wind, along with a few embers from the smoldering fire.

“I’ve not thought of him in eons. Anyway, I told him if he ever kissed me again, I’d knock him down. ”

“Way to go, Mom.” Emery raised her hand for a backward high five. “How old were you?”

“About your age. He’d asked me to dance at a friend’s party.” There was a moment of silence, and Emery began to drift away when Mom said, “Emery, about being in love ... be careful, hear me? I want to take home the same girl I brought down here.”

“What?” Emery popped awake. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“Meaning I don’t want my girl losing anything on the beach or in the back of a Chevy S-10.” She made a face—brow arched, eyes wide.

“Oh.” Emery shrank down. Mom gave her part of the “the talk” when she was ten, then again when she was thirteen. But since Emery never had a boyfriend, the nitty-gritty details seemed more like theory than reality. A one-day-in-the-future-moment.

With Caleb’s kisses, the future had arrived. While their declarations of love seemed innocent enough, she wondered if he’d expect more than a kiss before she went home. Naw, not Caleb. He wouldn’t ... would he?

“You know I want you to wait. You’re too young for sex, Em. There’s more to it than physical affection.”

“I know,” she muttered, shrinking down further so Mom could only brush the top of her head.

“But if you feel things are getting out of hand, talk to me. Do you hear? I’ll have your father kill the boy.”

“Mom!”

She laughed. “Okay, just kidnapped until we leave.” She reached down to raise Emery’s chin. “Listen to me, you have command of yourself. No one can make you do anything you don’t want. I joke about Caleb, but we shouldn’t have to kidnap him because we know and trust you. Understand?”

“I understand.”

Mom’s honesty blew away some of Emery’s romantic clouds. Nothing was ever as it seemed, was it? She continued to brush her hair, humming softly, as the fire burned lower and lower. Delilah popped out of Cottage 1 to see if they needed more wood. But Mom said they were going in soon.

“What do you and Delilah talk about all the time, Mom?” Emery said.

“Life. Death. Jesus.”

“Jesus?” Emery said. “Why? We have love. We have each other. We don’t need religion.”

“Delilah’s not talking about religion.” Mom leaned on Emery as she tried to stand but lost her balance and fell back into the chair. “Goodness, I’m a bit weak tonight.”

“Mom, what’s going on?” Emery took the brush, then helped her to her feet. “Do you really just have a cold, or is there something else? You sleep a lot. You’ve lost weight. I don’t believe you and Dad visited old friends when you disappeared.”

Mom started for the cottage ahead of Emery. “How about we go in and read? What happened in the chapter we finished, Miss I’ve-Just-Been-Kissed?”

“Mom, don’t tell Dad about the kiss, okay? Just you and me.” Emery folded Mom’s blanket and hurried after her.

“It’s our secret.” But Emery suspected she’d tell him the moment they were in bed and the lights were out.

“Mom, can I ask you one more thing?”

“Anything.”

“You said kissing Randy Needleman was like kissing a toad?” Emery cocked her head to one side, resting her hand on the cottage latch. “When did you ever kiss a real toad?”

The Sunday Gazette

February 9

Happenings Around Town

West End

The Beach Boys!

Sunday Night

February 16

7 p.m.

Blue Shell Amphitheater

Tickets available online.

East End

Starlight Roller-Skating Rink

18 sessions a week.

Tickets at the door.

Fish Hook Bonfire

Open Mic Night

Monday, February 24

First come, first serve.

Mural Painting

By Lulu Chan

Call city hall for more information.