Prologue
Six Years Ago…
Mallory skipped down the steps and breathed in the ocean air and smiled. No doubt she was going to miss all of this, but it had been a good summer – a great summer! And the memories of it would get her through until she could come back.
Things between her and Jake weren’t the best. After their wild romp on the boathouse roof almost a week ago, things were strained and he was distant. They said their goodbyes last night. He said it would be for the best if he didn’t come by this morning.
She had to agree.
Looking over her shoulder toward the path that led to his house, she was tempted to run over and see him one last time, but she knew he wasn’t there. He was going to Wilmington today to visit some friends. And again, she had to remind herself that it was for the best. She already cried all night. There was no sense in making herself cry more while she drove.
Like that’s not going to happen anyway…
Grabbing her phone, she ran back up to the house and straight to Pops’ office. After another round of hugs, kisses, and promises to call when she got home, Mallory made her way down to her car and gave the big house one last look.
A long breath whooshed out as she started the car. “I’m coming back,” she murmured. “This isn’t goodbye and it isn’t forever.” And with those words, she slowly drove around the large, circular drive and made her way up to the road.
She hadn’t gone more than a mile when she groaned.
“Dammit!” Immediately, she did a three-point turn and made her way back to Pops’ house. “Darn phone charger.” Berating herself for forgetting it, she shook her head. “As organized as I am, how could I have left it behind?”
The answer was simple – she’d brought it down to the boathouse yesterday and left it there by mistake. All morning she kept reminding herself to go down and get it, but between breakfast with Pops and saying goodbye, it slipped her mind.
Rather than going to the front door, Mallory pulled the car around to the Sound side of the house, since it was closer to the boathouse. No need to go inside and go through another round of goodbyes, right?
It took less than five minutes, but as she was heading back to her car, she spotted Jake walking up the back steps of the house and going into the kitchen. Was he coming to say goodbye to her before she left? Her heart skipped a beat and she giddily went after him.
Just one more kiss, she told herself. One more kiss and I’ll be able to handle anything.
When she walked into the kitchen, he wasn’t there.
Through the dining room, and he wasn’t there.
Nope, not in the living room. What in the world?
In the distance, she heard voices. Jake was talking to Pops. She heard her name mentioned and while she felt a little bad about eavesdropping, she was a little curious if Jake would profess his love for her to her great-grandfather or – at the very least – say how much he was going to miss her.
“I hate this, Zeke. You know that.”
“I know you do, but you’ll do it because you know it’s the right thing.”
Silence.
“It shouldn’t be like this…I hate lying.”
Lying? What was he lying about? She thought.
“You’re not lying, son. You’re doing what you need to do.”
“Am I? Because it feels like a lie. I should have talked to Mallory…”
“Leave Mallory out of this!” Pops snapped. “This has nothing to do with her and everything to do with you and your future. And if you actually want a future – a chance to make something of your life – then you’re going to take this and go.” He paused. “Don’t look back, Jacob. You know this is what you need to do.”
Her stomach clenched and she felt like her breakfast was about to make a reappearance. What was she supposed to do? What were they talking about? What was Jake lying about?
“Take the money and go,” Pops said.
Oh, God! Pops was paying Jake to go away! How…why…?!
The little voice in her head kept telling her to move – to go confront the two of them – but she couldn’t move, was almost paralyzed where she stood. And just when she thought she’d go mad, Jake stormed out of Pops’ office, walking right toward her. Only…he didn’t see her. He was looking at the ground and it wasn’t until he bumped right into her that they both seemed to snap out of their inner thoughts.
“Mallory?” he cried, seemingly horrified at seeing her there. “What…I thought you were gone.”
Her throat burned and she took a step back. “I was. I…I forgot my phone charger and came back for it.” She paused and glared at him. “And I thought you were going to Wilmington.”
He glanced away guiltily. “Yeah, well…I had to…um…”
“You know what?” she said with disgust. “It doesn’t matter. Really. Clearly you’ve got your secrets and I don’t mean enough to you to share them.”
“Mallory…” he reached for her but she moved away.
“It’s better this way,” she said, hating how her voice shook. “Now I finally know where I stand.” Taking another step back, she gave him one last look. “I think under these circumstances it would be best if we just called this what it was – a summer fling. Nothing serious, right?”
“Mallory, just give me a minute to explain!”
But she couldn’t listen. Didn’t want to. She had to leave. Now. Now, before she broke down and made even more of a fool out of herself than she had all summer long. “I need to go.”
Then she was running down the hall and out the front door. She heard Pops call her name as she ran by his office but she didn’t stop. Down the porch steps and across the gravel driveway, she didn’t stop. Even when she got in the car, she quickly started it, threw it in gear and sped away.
This time she didn’t look back at the big plantation house.
This really was goodbye.
And maybe forever…
The Next Morning…
“I expected more from you than to have you run away like that.”
It was pointless to argue. Mallory had expected more from herself too. “I know,” she replied softly.
“You heard a small portion of a conversation and reacted rather than getting the facts. Are you willing to sit and listen to them now?”
She nodded.
“Mallory?”
Oh, right. Pops couldn’t see her nod through the phone. “I am.”
“Jake didn’t get his financial aid for school and he didn’t want to burden his parents with helping him. I offered and he accepted,” Pops explained in his usual no-nonsense way.
“Why didn’t either of you tell me?” she demanded quietly, knowing better than to be disrespectful and yell at her great-grandfather.
“I can’t speak for Jake, but I didn’t think it was any of your business.”
Yup. No-nonsense.
“Pops…”
“It’s true, Mallory. If you had known there was an issue with Jake’s tuition, are you telling me you wouldn’t have tried to change his mind about going so far away for school?”