I wheezed. “That was, like—”
“The worst fucking joke ever?”
I gave up trying to hold my laugh in and laughed out loud. Joey laughed too. We had cabin fever or something. Literally. “Yeah,” I admitted. “Terrible.”
“You ever brought anyone to this boat?”
“Keri Ann once or twice.”
“Chase?”
I shook my head.
His fingers traced my hairline and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Good,” he said. “I like that you’ve only shared this with me.”
WHEN I WOKE up for our second to last day of school, I heard voices in the kitchen of my apartment. Sleep was gritty in my eyes after staying so long on the boat with Joey the night before. I was already running late, though it was hard to care when we weren’t doing anything in class. Frankly you could tell some of the teachers would prefer we didn’t show up. But most of us did if for nothing else than to see our friends before we all scattered for summer plans and jobs. Someone of us were staying in the area. Some of the people from our class would go away to college and perhaps never come back.
Hearing my mother’s laugh again, I went on alert. This was her flirty throaty laugh. Which meant—
Oh, hell no. I kicked back the covers and threw a cardigan over my tank top before following the smell of fresh coffee to the kitchen.
Dr. Martin Barrett, keys in one hand, leaned down to kiss my mother. “I have to go,” he said, smiling indulgently at her. “But see you when you get in?” I recognized him from his website. Thick brown hair, greying at the temples, and a tall forehead. He was lean with long legs.
Mom was wearing tiny shorts, one leg tucked under her, and clutching a cup of coffee. She was smiling adoringly up at him.
I cleared my throat from the doorway.
They both startled and looked up.
“I seriously hope you all had time to remember to go back and check on Nana Butler before this little escapade,” I said, walking to the coffee machine and pouring myself a cup. “What did you tell your little girls, Doctor Barrett? Daddy has to work late saving lives?”
“That’s enough, Jessica,” Mom snapped, her eyes pained. She turned to her guest. “Martin, I’m sorry.”
I snorted and found the milk in the refrigerator.
“It’s okay, love,” he said.
Love? What in the ever loving hell?
“I have to run,” he said. “Good-bye, Jessica, I presume.”
“You presume correctly. Would you like me to let Joseph know you’re running late?” I took a small sip of coffee, looking over the rim wide-eyed.
Dr. Martin Barrett leveled me with a cool stare. “You do whatever you need to.” Then he picked up his blazer from the back of a kitchen chair and headed to the hallway and out the front door.
The whirring of the refrigerator was the only sound in the kitchen. The front door banged shut.
Mom got up and walked to the sink, slamming her cup down in it. “I hope you’re satisfied.”
“Nope. Not even close,” I snapped and walked back to my room.
I slammed the door hard.
Thinking about graduation tomorrow felt bittersweet. I could feel the cotton wool protection of youth getting flimsier. Real life looked like it was going to be a bitch.
Receiving my diploma tomorrow would feel lonely. I hoped my mom had remembered to schedule time off work. Then I thought about my best friend. Hopefully, Nana would be able to make it because Joey and Nana were going to have to be there for me too.
Joseph, as crazy as he made me, was a part of my security blanket. He and his sister and Nana made up a surrogate and dependable family for me. I closed my eyes and envisioned Joseph, the way he’d looked at me last night, the way he’d asked me about my dad, and I felt the area around my heart grow warm. If I wasn’t careful, my attraction to Joseph and the connection I felt with his family, could very well lead to me falling desperately in love with him.
LIZZIE’S VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH at our small Butler Cove High graduation ceremony was beautiful and uplifting. Nana, having been released from the hospital, Joseph, and my mom all sat together clapping and cheering when first Keri Ann, and then I, walked across the stage to receive our diplomas.
We made plans for an early celebratory dinner on the patio at Woody’s for the five of us. It was busy when we got there, the first tourists trickling in early to begin their Memorial Day weekend getaways.
“Here’s to you two gorgeous, smart girls,” my mom raised her glass.
Nana joined in. “I’m so proud of you two.”
We raised our glasses. “And early happy birthday to Jazz,” said Joey. I looked over at him, quickly covering my surprise that he remembered.
He winked at me.
“Yep, my baby’s going be eighteen tomorrow,” my mom cooed.
“You don’t look old enough to have an eighteen year old daughter, Ms. Fraser,” Joey said to her.
Mom blushed. “Why thank you, Joseph.”
I silently thanked him.
“So are you enjoying working with Dr. Barrett?” my mom asked Joey.