I pulled open the front door and headed for the kitchen. “Something smells good.”
Shay looked up from the frying pan on the stove. “Fancy grilled cheese.”
“What’s fancy grilled cheese?” I asked, moving in close so I could breathe her in, the scents of lavender and that hint of salt air soothing everything inside me.
“Aged white cheddar, turkey, and caramelized onions. With an arugula salad on the side.”
My mouth watered. “You spoil me.”
“Damn straight. And I expect to be rewarded.”
I trailed my lips up the side of her neck. “Oh, I’ll reward you.”
Shay shivered. “Not now, Romeo. Tonight.”
I chuckled, releasing her. “Fair enough. What can I do to help?”
“Grab us drinks from the fridge. I’ll take an iced tea.”
“On it.” I moved around the kitchen, grabbing what we needed and helping Shay bring plates to the table. When I took my first bite of the sandwich, I moaned. “I don’t think I’ve ever had something so good.”
Shay beamed. “Caelyn and I came up with the concoction the other day. I think she’s going to add it to the menu at The General Store.”
“I think it’s going to be a fan favorite.”
“Me, too.”
I took a sip of my Coke. “So, what do you think about going to Seattle this weekend? Carson has the opening for his new installation. I’d love for you to meet him. We can explore downtown, restaurant-hop, the works.”
Shay froze, her sandwich halfway to her mouth. “You want me to go to Seattle with you?”
I could suddenly see that the path in front of me was full of barely visible mines. “Yeah. I know it’ll be tough at first, but Michael lives outside the city. Dante didn’t see any evidence that he ever leaves the neighborhood he lives and works in. You’ll be totally safe.” Dante had found so little that he’d finally said it was time to throw in the towel. He was taking a case in Colorado and then would do another check-in on Michael when he was done.
Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession as she laid her sandwich back on the plate. “I can’t.”
I reached across the table to lay a hand over Shay’s. “You can. I know it’s scary, but you’ll be with me the whole time. And we’re getting back to normal life, right?”
She tugged her hand free, searching for something in her pocket. She pulled out a small stone, rubbing her fingers over it in circles. “My normal is here. On Harbor and Anchor. I don’t want to go to the mainland.”
“Don’t want to or are scared to? Be honest with yourself.” I had to push a little. Shay couldn’t live the rest of her life on these islands, just hoping that her brother would get sent back to jail.
Her motions on the stone sped up. “I’m not ready.”
“Will you ever be ready?”
Shay’s fingers stilled. “That’s not fair.”
I bristled at the accusation in her tone. “It’s an honest question.” Because I couldn’t live the rest of my life on this thirty-acre island. While I saw it as my home, I still wanted to travel and experience the rest of the world now and then.
“You’re pushing, and you promised I could do this at my pace.”
I scrubbed a hand over my jaw. She had a point. I had promised her that very thing. But I selfishly wanted her with me. And I sure as hell didn’t want to leave her alone. “I have to go. I haven’t been the best friend to Carson lately, and he needs my support.”
Shay’s expression softened, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Then you should go. I’m not saying you shouldn’t.”
Just that she wouldn’t be with me. I swallowed back my frustration, trying to remember everything that she had been through over the years. To her, nothing was worth the risk of running into her brother. “I’m not leaving you here alone. Not with everything that’s been going on.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue and then closed it again. “I’ll call Caelyn and see if I can stay with them this weekend.”
I nodded, but it was stiff. “You’ll have fun with the kids.”
Shay’s mouth curved, but it didn’t seem completely authentic. “Mia’s been asking to have a slumber party for weeks.”
“It’s perfect, then.” But it didn’t feel that way. It felt as if a giant wall had just been erected between us, and I wasn’t sure if either of us could scale it to reach the other side.
41
Shay
“Thanks again for picking me up at the docks and letting me stay—”
“Oh, stop it,” Caelyn said as we walked up to her and Griffin’s farmhouse. “You’ve thanked me enough already, and the girls are so excited about our party.”
“Sleepover!” little Mia shouted as Caelyn pushed open the door.
Caelyn turned to me. “See?”
I chuckled. It was the first time in days that I’d made the sound. Things had been painfully awkward with Brody. As if for the first time, we both knew this thing between us might not work out as we’d planned. I shook my head. I wouldn’t entertain those thoughts. This weekend was all about fun. Griffin was taking Caelyn’s brother, Will, camping, so it was just us girls.
Mia flew at me, wrapping her arms around my legs. “Are you ready for our party?”
I grinned down at the little girl. “I hope so. I brought nail polish. Think we should do manicures?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “That’s my favorite. I have extra sparkles we can use.”
“Perfect.”
“Hey, Shay,” Ava greeted from the hallway.
“Hi, Ava. Thanks for letting me sleep over.”
She ducked her head but smiled. “It’s going to be fun.”
Griffin and Will hurried into the entryway. Griffin gave Caelyn a long, slow kiss that had me averting my gaze. “You sure you guys will be okay?”
“As I’ve said time and again, we’ll be just fine. The security system is on, pizza has been ordered. We’re going to be living the dream while you two are out freezing your butts off.”
Griffin’s lips twitched. “Good thing I have you to warm me up when I get back.”
Will made a gagging noise. “Can we please get going so I don’t have to listen to this anymore?”
Caelyn gave her brother a hug and ruffled his hair even though he was almost a foot taller than she was. “Be safe.”
“Yes, Mom,” Will chided.
We watched as the boys took off, waving from the entryway. When Caelyn shut the door, she spun around. “Finally, all those icky boys are gone.”
“Let’s party!” Mia cried.
Caelyn wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I agreed to ice cream sundaes. She’s going to be high on sugar for days.”
I grinned. “It’ll be worth it.”
I leaned back in my Adirondack chair and took a sip of wine as I watched the flames in the fire pit dance. We’d done every sleepover activity I could imagine. Manicures, face masks, and hair braiding. Pizza, ice cream, and a movie. Now, the girls were in bed, and Caelyn and I had sunk into chairs around the fire, each with a nice glass of wine.