“What is this, high school?” Darla waved a hand in dismissal. “I don’t want to dance with him.”
As they talked, a woman walked up to Nick and kissed him. He laughed and put his arm around her.
Darla’s eyes grew wide for a flash of a second.
“Oh,” Kit said. “Lauren. I’d forgotten about her.”
Darla tore her gaze away. “I’m definitely not interested in rehashing anything with him. And I hope he’s happy with her. Really. I wish him the best.”
Darla exercised her usual restraint about showing her feelings, but Hadley could tell from the way she forced a convincing tone and the way she suddenly fidgeted with her phone, that she was affected more than she let on.
“Oh, there are my mom and dad, standing by the fountain waving,” Kit said, waving back. “My first night in a century without Ollie and my parents are here to watch my every move.”
“Maybe they’ll leave early,” Darla said hopefully.
“I hope so,” Kit said, “because I’m really looking forward to those pineapple drinks with all the froth.”
“You mean piña coladas?” Darla said.
“Um, they’re called Tequila Sunsets,” Lucy said as she flew by with a large tinfoil-covered pan.
“They’re delicious,” Hadley said. “Lucy created them just for tonight.”
“You did?” Darla asked.
“Not only is it orangey and frothy,” Lucy said, “but it also has a little kick. Let me know how you like it.” She was out of breath as she rushed past them to the food tent.
“I want one,” Darla said. “Right now.”
“Parents or no, I’m planning on having two.” Kit looked across the greenspace, where her mom and dad were both still waving and smiling and trying to attract her attention. They all waved back while Kit let out a telling sigh. “I’d better go. See you both in a bit. Everything looks fantastic, Hadley.”
“Thanks,” Hadley said. “I hope you have a nice time tonight.” Kit deserved to have a little fun, and Hadley vowed to help her more in the future. Maybe she could introduce her to someone. Or babysit Ollie on the weekends.
As she walked off, Hadley asked Darla, “Are you okay?”
“Of course.” Her go-to answer. She survived cancer—she could survive anything. “I know better than to get my hopes up about Nick, okay?” she said. “I was just trying to be his…friend. Since I’m living here now.” She looked Hadley in the eye and gave that smile she always gave when she was trying to be tough and upbeat, which was nearly all the time. Finding Hadley still staring, she sighed hard. “I think I’m just a little…lonely, you know? And sometimes I wonder if coming back here wasn’t such a good idea after all. It stirs up…things.”
“Want that drink?” Hadley asked. It was the first thing that came to her mind. Because she sure wanted one, too, as soon as her responsibilities were done.
Darla grinned. “You read my mind. I’ll go get us some.” She paused. “You and Cam did an amazing job,” she said, changing the subject. “He’s a good guy, Hadley. I hope everything works out with you two.”
“I still have a lot of things to figure out. Like my future. And whether or not it includes him, I…I just don’t know.”
“But you’re figuring it out,” Darla said. “Bravo for you.”
Hadley left to check out the food tent, which was a crazy flurry of activity. Angelo and Lucy were plating food, Nick was hauling trays, teenagers were serving, and Cam…was nowhere to be found. “Can I help?” she asked Angelo.
“Yes,” he said, looking at her over his glasses as he spooned out pasta and then breaking into a giant smile. “You can go sit down and enjoy a nice dinner. We’ve got everything covered.”
“I second that,” Lucy said as she loaded plates onto serving trays.
Well, like father like son. And daughter, she thought.
Outside Cam was serving tables, smiling and laughing, joking. Everyone seemed delighted to have a famous football player not only serve their food but chat them up as well.
Feeling her responsibilities begin to dwindle, Hadley sat down with Darla. Only to have Cam serve their food himself. “Well?” he asked with concern. “Is it warm? Is it good?”
“It’s perfect,” Darla said, savoring a bite of pasta.
“Darla,” Cam said. “I can’t believe you said that.”
She shrugged and took another bite.
“Save room for dessert,” he said quietly to Hadley with a look that made her blush again before he ran off to serve more people.
“Somehow, I have a feeling he wasn’t talking about the tiramisu,” Darla said.
Hadley was glad she didn’t have to respond to that, because the band started playing. They both happened to look over at the light-strung boardwalk, where Kit was standing near the dance floor…with a guy.
“Parents or no parents, look at that,” Darla said.
“Is that Hal? The insurance adjuster from work that keeps asking her out?” Hadley asked. “She doesn’t look very happy.”
Kit was standing with her arms crossed and shaking her head. A Caribbean-beat song was just getting started, and the lit torches gave a fun island vibe as everyone flocked to the boardwalk.
The guy took her recklessly by the elbow and, laughing, headed to the dance floor. The gesture wasn’t overly rough, and they probably wouldn’t even have noticed except for the fact that Kit wasn’t laughing.
The guy was large and muscle-bound and clearly had already had too much to drink. “I’m going over there,” Hadley called over her shoulder, already rushing away, Darla following right behind her.
“C’mon, Kit,” the guy was saying as they neared. “Quit being a tease. You know you want me.”
Hadley, infuriated, was about to do something—not quite sure what the depths of her outrage would come up with—but someone else got there first. A tall, lean guy with a military cut and his own set of muscles wore an expression thunderous enough to freeze Hadley in her tracks. She suddenly recognized Kit’s rescuer as Alex de la Cruz, Carson’s best friend.
“I don’t think the lady wants to dance,” Alex said, inserting himself between Kit and Hal.
Hal held up his hands defensively. “I just wanted to dance, I swear it, nothing else. I just thought—”
Alex hovered over him. Way over him. “Okay, no thinking. If you don’t back off, you’re going to be dancing with me. And I don’t think you’re going to like my rhythm. You get what I’m saying?”
Hal shook his head, backed away, and vanished into the crowd, leaving Kit to stand there, openmouthed.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked.
“I…um, yes,” Kit said, crossing her arms. “Just a little disappointed.”
His brow rose in surprise.
“…because I might’ve liked to see you dance with him.”
He squinted into the distance. “I can still arrange that, if you’d like.”
“I’m swooning,” Darla whispered to Hadley. “I love a guy in uniform.”