Summer Island Book Club

by Ciara Knight

  “I don’t mind change.”

  Bri pointed to the studio-turned-storage-unit. “That’s why you still have every tool, gadget, and memory shoved in there, unable to let it go?”

  Julie didn’t like where the conversation was going. “What about you?”

  Bri shifted like the chair was as uncomfortable as the question. “We’re talking about you right now.”

  “Enough about me. I’ve lived my life. What about you? Did you quit your job and come home out of some misguided obligation that you need to take care of your mother in her dotage?” Julie spun around and withdrew from her daughter, far enough away so her aging eyes could focus on her. “I’m fine, so you can return to your life now.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  In that moment, Julie knew one thing. She needed to prove to her daughter that she was good and didn’t need her to stick around. The one change she wouldn’t tolerate in life was her daughter giving up her future to stay at home because she was worried about Julie. “You’re not staying here. I’ve moved on with my life, so should you.”

  Bri let out a long sigh. “Don’t worry. I’m set financially. I just wanted a break. I’m considering my options and what I want to do next with my life.”

  Julie thought about arguing that she needed to get back to work, but Bri was many things, and lazy wasn’t one of them. And as far as her finances? The girl had been managing her own since she scored her first babysitting job at thirteen. Responsibility was something she’d inherited from her father. “If you need a break, fine. But then you go return to your life after my birthday.”

  “We’ll talk about that later. Nice changing the subject, though. Listen, I get why you had a bad evening and you hate the guy, but maybe you should give him a chance.”

  “It wasn’t a bad evening, and I don’t hate the guy.” Julie lowered her cup to her lap. “He doesn’t want to change something. He wants to change everything. Did you know he plans on turning Summer Island into a cliché? A tourist trap where the charm of this town is replaced by billboards and chain stores?”

  “He said that he wanted to put up a billboard? That’s against town ordnance.” Bri arched a brow, as if to challenge her mother on the facts.

  “No. That’s just an example.”

  “Okay, so what exactly does he want to do to the town that has you so upset?”

  Julie eyed that darn storage unit and knew it had been long enough and she should empty it. She should let go of things that didn’t mean anything except to clutter up the studio she once dreamed of using. How could she, though? To clean it out was to officially say goodbye to her old life and accept she had to live again. Was she ready to do that? She took a few gulps of coffee, buying herself some time to think of an acceptable answer, but in fact, she didn’t know what his plan was. None of it. “Specifics don’t matter. He wants to bring in tourists. That’s enough.”

  “So you condemned his plan without even knowing how or what he was going to change? Hmm, sounds like you really have a great reason to snub the guy.”

  “I’m not snubbing him,” Julie said. “I saw him last night, remember?”

  “Yes, but you’re hiding on this porch instead of going for your morning walk.”

  She studied the world around her. “I didn’t feel like walking today.”

  “Then go for a swim or a paddleboard outing. How long has it been since you paddled across Banana River and out to Friendship Beach?” Bri stood, taking her cup and her meddling with her before Julie could even answer.

  The glass sliding door opened again to the sound of Houdini chattering his discontent at being left in the house. Bri gave her an over-the-shoulder move-on-with-your-life look. “I’m just saying, you could use some inspiration instead of hiding away here.”

  “I’m not hiding.” Julie snipped, but the door shut before her words could reach Bri. Not that she would’ve listened anyway. Her daughter was right, though. As much as she hated to admit it, Julie hadn’t been living, not really. And she had condemned Trevor’s idea without even listening to his plan, if he even had one. The guy had been through a lot with his divorce. That was obvious, based on their conversation last night. It wasn’t her place to pry, so she hadn’t asked any questions about what happened, but she gleaned it wasn’t pretty, whatever it was. It wouldn’t have hurt her to be friendly, neighborly.

  That was it. If he understood what the town was all about, he wouldn’t want to bring in strangers and big business. He’d fall in love with the way it was now and not want to change it. And if she spent more time with Trevor, Bri would see she’d moved on and return to her own life. Julie entered the house and spotted Bri at the refrigerator. “Change of plan. I’m taking that walk after all.”

  There was no I told you so or it’s about time, not from Bri anyway. But when Julie spotted the big red circle on the calendar around the number fifty she paused. Avoidance wasn’t going to work for her anymore. “And this afternoon, if you’re not busy, why don’t we go through your father’s old things and donate what we don’t want.”

  Bri wrapped her arms around Julie’s middle and rested her head on Julie’s shoulder. “I’d like that. Dad would love the idea of donating his tools and possessions to someone in need. There’s the shelter in Cocoa Beach… We could ride out there tomorrow and deliver the stuff if we get done tonight.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be fine. Unlike what everyone thinks, I’m strong enough to handle life without your father. And as for change? I might not love it, but that doesn’t mean I’ll hide away here from it.”

  Wind sauntered down the hall, stretching her arms over her head and squealing loud enough for people to hear three doors down. “Why, is our little Julie Boone finally growing up and ready to spread her wings? It only took fifty years.”

  Chapter Seven

  The engine purred like a lion with a head cold. Sure it sounded rough, but it was a classic and still had years left in it. And best of all, Trevor had fixed it himself.

  “Can’t believe you did it, man.” Dustin came from the house, where he’d been sleeping the morning away, and eyed the contraption Trevor had rigged to test the engine with the hose and bucket. It would’ve been easier to hold things in place with some zip ties. Tomorrow he’d head to the store to get some. “Ah, should there be water coming out of it like that?”

  “Yes, that’s a good thing,” Trevor shouted over the noise before he turned off the motor.

  “We should celebrate.” Dustin pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “Hold up, Romeo.” Trevor unhooked the hoses and pointed to the boat. “We need to get her back on board.”

  “Can’t we do that later? Wind and I thought it might be fun to go to the beach. There’s some sort of special place only locals know about. It’s called Friendship Beach.”

  “You do know that is only accessible via watercraft, right?”

  “Watercraft?” Dustin slid his phone back in his pocket. “Like you have to get to it by boat?”

  “Or paddleboard, kayak, or swim.”

  “Swim? In the ocean?” Dustin shook his head and must’ve decided manual labor was the lesser of the two evils rather than facing his irrational fear of the ocean and sharks.

  Trevor grabbed one side of the blanket while Dustin grabbed the other, and they slid the motor back to the ropes and pullies he’d rigged to get the engine out. His cut looked a little irritated but better than yesterday, so he’d go in and clean and disinfect it once they had the engine back in the catamaran.

  It took longer to maneuver it back into the engine bay than it had to remove it, but they managed the job after a few curses and a few more cuts and bruises. “I must be a really good friend to stick around and help with this. You should appreciate me more.”

  “Don’t lie. You’re here for the sun and women.” Trevor managed to reconnect everything and then decided he should get cleaned up and attend to the cut, which had turned red, on his hand.

  “Speaking of wome
n, before I hop on a concall, I’m going to text Wind and see what’s going on today. Maybe we can find some trouble somewhere.”

  “I’ll get cleaned up and make some brunch. I’m starved.” Trevor stripped off his dirty shirt and wiped his face and neck free of sweat.

  “You do that. You’re starting to look like a beach bum.” Dustin went inside, and Trevor followed.

  He went up to his tiny, rabbit hole sized bathroom and retrieved his towel and overnight travel kit he hadn’t unpacked since arriving in Summer Island. Well, except for his toothbrush and paste. With a lightness he hadn’t felt in a long time, he headed back outside.

  The best part of the outdoor shower as opposed to his one upstairs was that it would allow someone bigger than a model-thin hobbit to wash themselves. And there was one good thing about living without any real crowds. You didn’t have to worry about indecent exposure. No one would be around to see anything.

  He turned the lever to full blast and stripped off the rest of his clothes. The refreshing fresh water was warm but not hot. The pressure was better than inside, and it beat against his sore muscles. This was the life. Standing naked near the ocean without a care in the world. Sure, he was flying high on his sense of accomplishment, but there was something about the peace and quiet…

  With his eyes closed, he relaxed into a state he could only describe as peaceful. He could’ve stayed there all day, but his stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten anything but one hot dog and a few chips last night.

  Last night… That had been a boat wreck on a jagged coral reef. How could he have been such an idiot? Julie wasn’t struggling with being alone because she had divorced someone. She was a widow. He’d been a fool and knew if his sisters were here, they would’ve clobbered him over his head with a curling iron.

  He finished shampooing his hair, bathing, and shaving, but the entire time he thought about the beautiful, wounded woman who needed a hug, not a cross word or judgment. Of course, that’s what got him in trouble last time he’d noticed a woman. He’d fallen for the wounded girl who needed someone to take care of her. That was a dangerous job he wanted nothing to do with in the future.

  That being said, he wasn’t going to hold back his business plan until she became comfortable with his goals. The woman hadn’t even listened to his ideas before she’d packed up and headed home the minute Wind and Dustin had finished eating.

  He flipped off the water and snagged his towel. Still in deep thought about Julie and her issues, he stepped out while drying his grown-out, shaggy hair.

  “Oh my! Sorry!”

  Trevor dropped his towel at the screech of Julie’s voice. The woman stood there staring at him in all his bare glory. Her gaze traveled from his head to his toes before she squealed and turned, covering her eyes.

  He snatched the towel from the ground and wrapped it around his waist.

  “I’m so sorry. I, ah, didn’t mean to see you. I mean, I came to see you but not to see you.” She retreated while stammering on about seeing him.

  “Wait. It’s fine.” Trevor felt the heat rising up his chest, and he didn’t think it was from the sun this time.

  “I know. I didn’t expect you to be naked.” She kept her hands over her eyes as if to shield herself from his exposure. “What are you doing out here with no clothes on?” She twisted at her middle to half face him and peered through two fingers. She must’ve decided him in a towel was decent enough to face, since she dropped her hands to her side.

  “I was taking a shower.”

  Julie huffed. “I get that, but why’re you showering outside?”

  “Why not? It’s nice out here, and I was dirty from working on an engine. Not to mention my bathroom’s too small up there.”

  “Are you saying you’re going to make this a common occurrence?”

  “Why not?” he asked, not sure why it was a problem except that she walked onto his land without announcing herself.

  “Because you’re exposed to anyone who might see you.”

  He shrugged and stepped toward her. But she shuffled back a step, her gaze stuttering on his bare chest. She blushed. When was the last time he saw a woman blush? Most of the ones he’d met were the aggressors. “Small town, remember? Only crazy ferret ladies might see me,” he teased, but held his breath, hoping she didn’t mind the humor.

  She laughed, so he figured he was in the clear. “Touché’. That’s what I was here to talk to you about.”

  “About being naked?”

  “No!” She waved her hand in front of her as if to distract herself enough to pull her gaze away from his body. “I mean stop saying that.”

  “It’s true.” He nudged closer. This time she didn’t back away.

  “I actually came for two reasons. Have you seen Houdini? It appears as if he’s managed to sneak out somehow again. He was mad that I drank my coffee outside this morning instead of inside with him.”

  “No, I haven’t. Sorry.” He was half sorry. That creature could steal something else if he came around. “And the second?”

  “Oh, right. I’m here to talk about your plans for bringing in tourism to Summer Island. You were right, I don’t love change, but it’s for good reason. When you’re dressed, maybe we can talk and figure out a way to get some new tourism here that isn’t destructive to the town.”

  “I can talk now.”

  She shook her head. “No, not here. Not with you standing there…” She waved her hand up and down in front of him.

  “Naked?”

  That blush reappeared, and it dusted her high cheekbones. “Go get dressed, and then we can talk. I’m not a fancy businessperson like you, but I believe clothes are usually expected at meetings.”

  “Is that what you want from me? A business meeting?” he asked, toying with her a little to try to see more of that blush.

  “Yes. What else would it be?” Julie asked, her chest moving up and down a little quicker than before, and he knew he was getting to her. And she was adorable when she was flustered.

  “Okay, I respect your boundaries, and we both decided that we weren’t interested in each other, so you don’t have anything to worry about. Friends, right?”

  “Friends?” The way her voice dipped made it sound like she was disappointed, but she straightened and nodded. “Right, friends who need to meet.”

  “Then if it isn’t all business, can we at least have a brunch meeting? I was just about to cook for Dustin and me.”

  “It depends.”

  “On what?” he asked.

  “Are you going to be wearing clothes?”

  Chapter Eight

  Julie sat at the wooden table with two boxes for chairs, fanning herself. It was definitely a bachelor pad. The air conditioning was blowing from a wall unit, but that didn’t soothe her possible summer moment. Her mother hadn’t gone through the change until she was in her sixties. Certainly at forty-nine, Julie wasn’t really facing that now. The hot flash felt different than some of the others she’d had. The ones where she stood at her freezer with the door open, feeling like someone lit a match of kindling inside her body and doused it with kerosine and it only escaped through her pores.

  After a few minutes, the heat subsided. Julie could hear Trevor upstairs, and Dustin had to be in another room around the corner on some sort of call since she heard multiple voices, but she thought it sounded like they were coming from a computer.

  The aircon cut on again, and she managed to cool off and peer out the window to make sure Houdini wasn’t scurrying about. Hopefully he’d gone to Mannie’s place, which was most likely what had happened. That’s what he usually did when he was pitching a fit from lack of attention. She should’ve checked there first, but for some reason she figured Houdini might come back for a second round of rusty treasures.

  She watched the waves crest in the ocean. There were probably fifteen-knot winds out today. Great sailing weather if Trevor managed to get his boat running. If he didn’t, then that would end his d
esire to start a big destination site. Her emotions were conflicted between wanting to see him succeed and wanting him to fail at the same time.

  Trevor passed by, this time in a T-shirt and shorts. Heat surged through her, and she realized it wasn’t a hot flash but a hot guy flash. She forced her hand not to fan at her face, but the image of him standing with nothing on awoke something in her she thought was grown over with cobwebs and Bengay. Okay, she’d only used Bengay once, after she had hurt her neck.

  “Eggs, toast, fruit, pancakes?” Trevor retrieved a skillet. “I know how to make an egg-white scramble if you prefer.”

  “Waste the yolk?” She blinked at him. “I mean, that’s fine if that’s the way you prefer them.”

  “Me? No. I just thought… Never mind.” He placed the pan on the stove and took some eggs from the refrigerator.

  “Stop thinking all women are the same.” She decided it was safe enough now that he was wearing clothing that she could be within six feet of him, so she went into the kitchen. “She did a number on you, didn’t she?”

  He cracked some eggs into a bowl and used a small fork to beat them into submission, but she guessed he was taking out his regrets on those poor yolks. “Listen, I owe you an apology.”

  “For what? “ she asked. “Wanting to turn my town into a tourist trap? Scaring Houdini? Strutting around naked in front of me?”

  “Hey, that wasn’t my fault. It’s my property, lady.” He played it off, but she could tell he was embarrassed by the way he looked away and kept stirring the eggs way after they’d submitted to any cooking he had planned for them. He finally poured some milk into the bowl, stirred a few more times, and then dropped a bit of butter into the pan with a loud sizzle. “No, for what I said last night about being divorced. I didn’t know—well, that, you know.”

  “What? That I’m a widow?” She said it aloud as if she were sharing a vacation she’d been on instead of an entire life she’d lived with a man. “No need.”