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I hadn’t been as happy as them when I was their age. Of course, losing your mom was very different from your parents separating, but both left scars. I wonder if I'd had a sister, or grandparents, or aunts and uncles, whether I might have been happier. If I’d had family barbecues to go to, maybe I wouldn't have wanted to escape from Bluehaven Beach as quickly as I did.
I changed my outfit five times that morning.
Striking the right balance between "easy-going barbecue gal" and "notice me, Cole" was tough. I didn’t want to look like I was trying to impress him, but also, inexplicably, I wanted to impress him. Luckily, the weather was great, which gave me more options. I finally settled on a light blue chambray shirt, casually knotted at the waist over a flowy white sundress that hit just above the knee. Comfy white canvas sneakers completed the look—casual enough for a low-key barbecue, but cute enough to catch someone's eye. And by someone, I meant Cole. Obviously.
The party was in full swing when Anthony and I arrived at the pier. The mouthwatering aroma of grilled delights hit me first, followed by the joyful din of laughter and chatter rising from the crowd. Dua Lipa’s "Dance the Night" pumped from speakers as kids bopped along, just like the song asked them to. A banner proclaiming, "Congratulations, Jack and the Canadiens!" in red, white, and blue fluttered in the breeze.
I'd baked three tarts to bring along to the event. Chocolate, strawberry, and kiwi. Hopefully, there would be enough to go around.
There were more people here than I’d expected. Patrick and Susie were here, along with Ethan and a young girl who must have been his daughter. And there was Jack, at the head of the table, oozing charisma and swagger. There were a bunch of other people I didn’t recognize, but thankfully, Ida called out to me before I had a chance to feel like a spare part.
"Elara, you made it!" Ida waved me over, then pulled me into a warm hug before eyeing the Tupperware containers I'd brought. "And what have we here?" She peeked under the lid of the top one. Her mouth formed a little 'o' shape. "Well, these look delicious."
Lily ran over and enveloped me in a fierce hug. "Hey, bud! So glad you decided to come." She looked down at Anthony. “Darling!” she said, tickling his soft head. “Come play fetch with me!”
Lily ran off to find a big stick and Anthony ran off with her.
“I think my best friend likes my dog more than me,” I joked.
Ida laughed, then whisked my offerings away to the dessert table before looping her arm through mine. "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone."
We threaded our way through the crowd as she introduced and reintroduced me to various members of the McCoy clan and the local community. There was Ava, Ethan's daughter, who was playing with her best friend, Clara. A cousin from out of town, Shannon McCoy, and her family of three young boys, Travis, Slade, and Beckett. I smiled and made polite small talk, trying to keep all the names straight.
Patrick greeted me with a bear hug, but I couldn't help noticing the discomfort etched on his face.
"I hope you're taking the doctor's advice, Mr. McCoy,” I told him.
"Don't worry about me, Susie's keeping me on the straight and narrow. She won’t let me have an ounce of fun until I'm better."
"Fun?" Susie said with a chuckle. "That's what we're calling building work these days?"
Ethan came over and shook my hand, telling me it was nice to have me back in town. News obviously traveled fast.
As I continued mingling, I spotted Cole out of the corner of my eye. He was standing at the grill flipping burgers. He wore an apron that said, "Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder." His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms. Forearms that I’d seen attached to a bare torso just a few days ago.
"Obviously, you know Cole," Ida said, catching me mid-ogle. “Our resident meat master.”
"Yep," I replied nonchalantly.
Meat master.
Suddenly, Rhea and Lexi rushed up to me, embracing me with so much force I almost fell over.
"Careful, girls!" Ida exclaimed. “You two don’t know your own strength. They nearly shoved me into the grill about ten minutes ago.”
“Thank you for coming!” Lexi said.
“I love your dress,” I said, eying up her pink and white polka-dot party dress. “And that T-shirt is so cool, Rhea!” A T-rex with sunglasses looked up at me fiercely from Rhea’s shirt.
"He's jura-SICK!" Rhea giggled.
“Did you bring yummies?” Lexi asked.
“One or two.”
“After lunch,” Ida said, a warning tone in her voice.
“We know, Auntie Ida,” the girls parroted.
