by Jen McConnel
For Michael; wherever you land, my bags are already packed for a visit.
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Sneak peek
Acknowledgments
About the Author
From: CamieLuvsArt222
To: JoJotheGreat
Subject: Life’s a Beach
Dear Joelle,
Sorry things are so nuts there! Would it make you feel any better if I told you that you aren’t actually missing much? It’s been cold and rainy, so Sarah and I haven’t spent much time on the beach at all. We did find a cool little place to stay, but I’m seriously starting to get sick of hostels. I’d kill for a kitchen right about now . . . or a little privacy!!
Sarah says hey, but we both miss you. Let’s hope that the forecast in Italy is better than it’s been in Nice; I’m ready for that summer weather you talked about! When you know your travel plans, shoot us an e-mail and we’ll start heading to the boot. Are we still meeting back up in Florence?
Keep breathing and just remember: you love your family. Most of the time.
Hugs,
Camie <3
Chapter One
My brother Charlie had a death wish.
It’s not because he joined the army right after he graduated from State, although that sure pissed Mom off, and it seemed like a stupid idea to me, considering how many active war zones there still are around the world. So far, however, the army has been a relatively safe decision.
But then he went and got himself engaged to some foreign girl, and Mom about lost it.
“Who does she think she is?” Mom waved the cream-colored invitation angrily in front of my face.
I shrugged. “His fiancée, I guess.”
She glared at me. “What kind of girl gets engaged to a boy without meeting his family?”
“Isn’t it the guy who’s supposed to ask the girl’s family for permission?”
Mom wouldn’t answer, so I tried another tactic.
“You’re just mad because he hasn’t called home much.”
“No, I’m not!” She slammed the invitation down on the counter. “I’m mad because we don’t know anything about this girl. How could he do this?”
I leaned over and slid the stack of fancy papers over to me. “Maybe he loves her?”
Mom snorted, and I skimmed the invitation. I was a bit surprised, too; Charlie usually told me things before he told Mom and Dad, but the wedding invitation was the first I’d heard about any of this. I was hurt, but I didn’t want to admit it, not with Mom acting like a child already.
“Germany?” I raised an eyebrow. “This says they’re getting married in Berlin.”
Mom didn’t say anything, but I looked up at her, excited.
“Oh my God, we’re going to Germany?”
“What did you think, Joelle? He’s marrying some German girl. Of course her family would want the wedding there.”
I jumped up and hugged her tight around the middle. “But Mom, seriously, we’re going to Europe?”
She tried to grimace, but a smile slipped onto her face. “I know how much you’ve always wanted to go abroad. I’m not thrilled with the reason, but”— she patted my back—“yes, we’re going to Europe.”
I shrieked in excitement. “That’s epic! Oh my God, wait ’til I tell Mandy!”
“Your brother says the wedding is in July. Pops and I thought we’d go over at the end of June to help with all the proceedings.”
I stopped dancing around the kitchen. “Did you tell Charlie that?”
Mom smiled thinly. “No. But then again, he didn’t tell us about this girl, so fair is fair.”
My excitement soured. “Mom, shouldn’t you ask him if he’d like us to come so early?”
“I won’t ask my own child for permission to travel. Besides,” she added, folding the invitation up and sticking it back in its envelope, “he’ll be busy with work. I doubt he’ll have any leave to use before the wedding, not if they want a honeymoon. He might not even notice we’re there.”
Right. “I’m going to wear that blue dress we bought last summer.” Fashion was usually a safe subject to distract Mom, but I decided I’d e-mail Charlie that night and warn him about her plans.
“Oh no, you’re not. You only have one brother, Joelle, and he’ll only be married once.” She sniffed. “Well, at least I hope this only happens once.”
“So what should I wear?”
She smiled, and I could tell I’d successfully distracted her. “Why don’t we go shopping?”
I glanced at the kitchen clock. Damn. “I’d really love to, Mom, but I’m late for my shift.”
Her face fell, but she just shrugged. “Fine. We have plenty of time to get ready before the trip.”
I kissed her cheek as I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. “I can’t wait!”
My cherry-red Civic was waiting patiently for me in front of the garage, and I hopped into the leather seats, relieved to have an excuse to escape. Living at home for two years while I figured things out hadn’t been too awful, but lately, Mom’s mood swings were starting to get to me. As I drove, I rolled the windows down and cranked up the radio, trying to repress my irritation with her. The problem was, I sort of got why she was so upset.
Charlie had always been her favorite, but unlike me, he never even considered living at home and going to a community college. He was out of the house like a shot after he graduated from high school, and it seemed like every time I turned around, Charlie had found another way to step away from our family and prove that he was an adult. First the army, and now this. I shook my head and pressed down on the gas.
I wanted to stay annoyed with him, but it was hard. Even though he’s seven years older than me, I’ve always adored him. So what if he hadn’t told any of us that things were serious with this girl? At least he was happy, right?
And, I thought as a smile spread across my face, because of him, I would finally get the chance to travel! I sped up and pulled onto the highway, fitting my car into the rapid traffic without a problem. I’d always wanted to travel, but I had never been quite sure where to start.
Just like with college, I mused as I drove. When I graduated from high school, I could have gone to State just like Charlie; I had my acceptance letter and everything. I’d gotten into a couple other schools, as well, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. So I picked Tech instead and decided to live at home for a couple of years, taking my gen eds and figuring things out. Pops was disappointed, I know, but I think Mom was relieved; she missed Charlie, and I don’t know if she would have been ready to let me go.
A truck blared its horn at me, and I realized I’d started to drift in my lane. Speeding up, I got out of his way and took the next exit, making a sharp turn into Beautiful Bean, the coffee shop I’d been working at since graduation.
I pulled my black apron out of the backseat and hurried inside. Mandy was behind the counter, juggling cups and trying to work the espresso machine, and I slipped in beside her to help. “Sorry I’m late.”
She blew a chunk of electric blue hair out of her eyes. “S’okay. It wasn’t bad until, like, ten minutes ago, and then we got slammed.”
I nodded, hurrying to complete the drinks. “Want me on register?
”
“Would you? I’m sick of talking to people today.”
I grinned. “That’s why I love working with you. You’re such a ray of sunshine!”
Mandy stuck her tongue out at me, but she smiled. “Bitch. Get to work!”
Mandy and I had sort of been flirting for a few months, but I wasn’t ready to make a move. Besides, I still hadn’t figured out how to tell my folks that girls got my heart pounding as much as guys, so even though I’d fantasized about snuggling up with her in the back freezer sometimes, I tried to keep a careful distance from Mandy.
She flicked me with a dish towel, and I dodged, laughing, before I turned around to the register. An older man in a business suit was standing there, staring up at the menu in confusion, and I smiled at him. “What can I get you?”
He hesitated for another minute, but then he ordered a cup of French roast.
That was the slowest moment of my shift. For the next six hours, I rang up orders, made change, helped Mandy make drinks, and almost slipped on melted ice when I went around the corner to bus the tables in the seating area. Luckily, I caught myself, but I was still panting and tired by the time I headed out to my car.
The parking lot was dark and deserted, and for once, I didn’t mind the busted streetlight. Stars stretched overhead, and I tipped my head back, sucking in the warm night air and studying the sky. I’d missed Charlie so much when he first moved out, but now I’d sort of gotten used to it. Still, getting married in Germany felt so . . . permanent. Would he ever want to come home again? A flicker zipped overhead, and I caught it out of the corner of my eye. Shaking off my melancholy, I blew a kiss to the falling star, and old habit Charlie and I had come up with when we were kids. I wish this trip will be amazing! As I unlocked my car, I felt a tingle of anticipation slip down my back.
Chapter Two
Even though I’d gotten home close to midnight, Mom pounded on my door at 7:00 the next morning. I groaned and pulled a pillow over my eyes, but when I didn’t answer, Mom just opened the door and marched into my room.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. We’ve got lots to do today to get ready for this trip.”
I cracked one eye open. “What could we possibly do this early in the day?”
“I’ve booked us at the salon at eight, and then we need to go shopping. Do you have a sturdy suitcase?”
I shrugged and rolled over. “I don’t know. Why do we need to go to the salon?”
She crossed my room and pulled the curtains open. “My roots need a touch-up, and I thought you might want a new style before the wedding.”
I ran my hand through my ratty black hair. “What’s wrong with my hair?”
“I don’t know. Wouldn’t you like it cut, or maybe highlighted?”
I laughed. “Mom, what kind of highlights are they going to put in my hair? Blue?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They’re professionals; they’ll figure something out.”
I wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but I felt guilty. “Okay, fine. Let me shower.”
“I’ve got breakfast waiting!” She smiled and almost bounded out of my room.
I rolled out of bed and studied my face in the mirror on the back of my door. “If she keeps this up, you’d better figure out which four-year school to transfer to, and fast!”
My reflection smiled grimly back at me.
“Joelle!” Mom’s voice rang up the stairs. “Are you in the shower yet?”
“This is going to be a long day,” I muttered, heading across the hall to the bathroom and slamming the door.
After wolfing down a bowl of cold oatmeal, I allowed Mom to tow me along to her salon. Dark tinted windows looked out on the mall, and pink orchids bloomed on each stylist’s stand. Quiet music was filtering through the place, and even that early in the morning, women were already chatting and getting teased, plucked, and polished. I slunk down into the black twirly chair and waited for my stylist.
“What did you want to do today?” She was a girl about my age, and she looked tired.
I glanced at her in the mirror. “I don’t know. Something different?”
She lifted up a chunk of my long, thick hair. “This is quite a mane.”
I nodded. I’d always sort of hated my hair. “What do you think?”
She fiddled with my hair for a moment, letting it run through her fingers like ink. “How short are you willing to go?”
I checked over my shoulder, but Mom was too far away to hear our conversation. Besides, she was chattering with her stylist as the woman got the foil ready to color her roots. “Well,” I hesitated. Could I chop it off? “My brother’s getting married this summer.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Are you going to be a bridesmaid?”
I frowned. I hadn’t even thought of that. Was I? Charlie still hadn’t e-mailed me back, and his invitation hadn’t said anything about the possibility. “I don’t know. It’s, um, sort of last minute.”
The stylist nodded wisely. “Got it. Well, what if we take it up to here?” She gestured with her hand along my neck as if she were about to chop my head off, and I shivered.
“That’s awfully short.” My hair had hung almost to my waist for years.
“You’d still be able to put it up, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I frowned. Maybe I could pull it off? Glancing nervously in my mom’s direction, I sighed and shook my head. I was itching for a change, but I wasn’t ready to take such a big leap. “Just a trim today, I guess.” With my luck, Mom would probably have a heart attack if I chopped my hair.
~
After the salon, Mom and I hit the mall. She loaded me up with a pile of dresses so big that I could barely see as we made our way into the dressing room, and then she parked herself in the chair outside the door. “I want to see everything, Jo. Even if you think you hate it!”
“Even if it doesn’t fit?”
She laughed. “I guess not.”
The first dress she’d found for me looked like a tacky Halloween costume; it was navy-blue velvet with a high waist and gold trim around the neck. I hated it, but I still stepped out of the dressing room and showed her.
She cocked her head to one side. “It might be a bit much for a summer wedding.”
“Mom, it’s ugly.”
She glared at me, and I hurried back into the dressing room.
Two hours, a zillion outfits, and three almost-fights later, we’d settled on two dresses. Mom loved the light-pink lace dress with the knee-length skirt and spaghetti straps, and I held onto the brown-and-white polka-dot dress that reminded me of the sundress from Pretty Woman. Mom tried to convince me that it was too informal for the wedding, but then I reminded her that I’d need clothes to wear around Berlin, too, and she shut up.
She ended up with a light-blue dress and matching shrug, and I was surprised at how pretty she looked in it. On the hanger, it hadn’t looked like much, but Mom wore the dress with a quiet kind of elegance. “You look like the perfect mother of the groom!” I exclaimed when she stepped out of the fitting room.
Tears filled her eyes for a moment, but then she forced a smile. “I just can’t believe we haven’t even met this girl.”
“We’ll meet her soon, Mom. Besides, if Charlie loves her, she has to be okay, right?”
Mom didn’t answer, and she looked cranky as she handed over her credit card to pay for our purchases.
I tried to cheer her up as we walked across the parking deck in search of the car. “We still need to get luggage, right? Can I get one of those old steamer trunks?”
She barely smiled. “That wouldn’t be very practical, Joelle.”
“I know. I was kidding.”
“Oh.”
We were silent for a moment. The car beeped as she unlocked it, and I slid into the passenger seat. “I’m really looking forward to this trip,” I tried again.
She clenched the steering wheel and nodded, but she didn’t say anything. We drove to the discou
nt store in silence, and I didn’t argue with her about the boring black suitcases she picked out. Charlie’d better e-mail me soon, I thought as we drove home. He always knows how to handle Mom.
~
Charlie still hadn’t responded to my e-mail by the end of May, two weeks before the trip, and I was getting nervous: Mom and Pops had handled the tickets and the hotel, but I didn’t want to ambush my brother. Still, it would be his own fault for not reading my e-mail.
I ended up pulling double shifts all that week at Beautiful Bean, to make up for having to request a month and a half off. The hours sucked, but the tips were pretty fabulous, and I had a nice little stash of cash tucked in my suitcase for the trip. Since we’d be there to help with the wedding, Mom kept saying there probably wouldn’t be much time for sightseeing, but I slipped a tour book and my journal in between the layers of my clothes just in case.
Mom didn’t believe in packing light, and the suitcase she’d bought me was humongous. I dumped all my summer shorts and T-shirts into it, and there was still room for more. I was planning to wear sandals on the plane, but I tossed a ratty pair of tennis shoes into my bag, too. After a brief expedition into the back of my closet, I found the strappy hemp sandals I’d bought last summer and packed those, too. The wedges were cute and comfy, and I thought they would look pretty good with the polka-dot dress. They didn’t really match the pink number, but I wasn’t planning on wearing that. Still, I couldn’t leave it at home. Carefully, I packed the two possible wedding dresses on top, and then I zipped it up. The sound echoed through my room, and I almost clapped. It was getting so close!
Pops poked his head around my open door. “Are you all packed, JoJo?”
I nodded, gesturing to the closed suitcase. “Yes. I could have fit a small child in there!”
He shook his head. “You know your mother. Wants to be prepared for anything.”
I laughed. “Yeah. At least everything fit.”
“Would you be too disappointed if I told you you’d have to repack?”
I eyed him curiously. “Why?”
He handed me a mashed hunk of canvas.
“What’s that?” I took it from him, laughing, and I was about to unfold it when he shook his head.
