“It will never not be too soon, babe,” he pulls me into his arms. Justin is a rock, my rock, and I know that if he’s okay with the idea of me moving and all of us continuing on with this relationship, I know it’s real. He shows me as well as tells me, his kiss sexy and sincere. I feel his heart banging in his chest and the heat between his legs. You can fake a lot of things, but not those.
Reluctantly, he releases me and I turn to face Whit, who’s still up on the railing. He’s watched the whole scene, jaw tense. To my surprise, he makes no effort to move.
The guys surround me, and one glance says they’re as confused as I am.
“There’s something I need to tell you all.”
My heart stalls in my chest.
“I’ve been struggling a lot lately,” he runs his hand through his shaggy hair, “and I thought I could tough it out.” His eyes land on mine. “Be the man you think I am, but I can’t. Not anymore. It’s not fair to you or me.”
“Dude, what are you talking about?” Nick asks.
He takes a deep breath and then says in a quick rush, “I’mquittingschool.”
I feel Nick tense next to me before he asks, “You’re dropping out?”
Relief spreads across Whit’s face and his whole body relaxes. “Yeah, I’m done with the bullshit. I hate it. All I want is to be here, work at the surf school, help at the marina.”
“What’s your dad going to say?” Pete asks.
“The same thing he’s said all summer. Nothing. He’s stopped speaking to me because of all this and that’s his problem. I’m not conforming to his twisted sense of tradition.” His eyes meet mine. “I’m with Summer. I want to live the life I want to live, surrounded by the people I love, not tied to obligation and history.”
I step forward and place my hands on his knees. “So, you do love me?”
He tilts his head and I see the tic of his jaw. “So goddamn much.”
The knot of tension I’ve been holding unravels and I lunge for him despite my injuries. He’s careful though, pushing my hair gently over my shoulder, kissing my forehead, nose, and then lips. He surprises me again when he says, “We’ll build a new life together in the sand, surf, and sun.”
I don’t need to tell them that’s exactly what I’ve wanted, and with the weeks of summer ahead I have no doubt we’ll etch out our future, one wave at a time.
EPILOGUE
Change is hard on everyone, even when it’s the right thing to do. My move to the College of Charleston was tedious and time-consuming—re-doing the whole application process, moving my life from Tennessee to South Carolina, starting over again—but worth it.
My mother finally bit the bullet, too, selling her house in Nashville and making the final leap down to the coast. Richard gave her a ring, one he’d carried around for decades. She accepted but they still haven’t set a date, but that’s okay. No judgments on the choices others make.
Anita fully took over the store, changing my mother’s office into a nursery. It’s the perfect setup, giving her time with the baby but with an opportunity to work. Sibley loves school and her mama loves her job.
As for the boys? They’re like the waves in the ocean. In a constant state of motion, never predictable, but there,alwaysthere.
Whit’s been disowned by his father but despite that, he’s thriving, working at the surf school in the summer and filling in for the guys at the marina while they’re back at school. Richard,a former Citadel man himself, understands that military life isn’t a good fit for everyone and has let him stay in the apartment behind the house indefinitely.
Justin and Pete are back at Clemson, deep in their studies. They’ve invited me to the infamous Clemson-South Carolina game this Saturday. We leave at dawn. I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, but from the non-stop smack talk and the orange shirt I found in my room that I’m supposed to wear, I suspect I’m in for something intense.
It’s not like I’m unfamiliar with football. Nick has his own game this weekend, but since we’re in the same city, I get to see all his home games and wear a jersey with his number. Moving down here has given me a chance to get fully involved in all of their lives—it’s a good fit—one that is even more obvious as we share our first non-beach-related holiday together.
The spread of food is quadruple what my mother and I usually have for Thanksgiving dinner, but we’re used to it being just the two of us. Not anymore. Anita, Bobby, and their kids. Sugar and Jimmy. Richard and the boys of Ocean Beach are in the house. I’m not used to the cooler weather at the beach, but like I’d been assured, winter does come to coastal Carolina. The four of them stand around the gorgeous table eyeing the food, while the TV plays football in the other room. Nick’s attention keeps getting drawn back to the screen. Justin holds a bigger but still adorable Sibley in his arms, sneaking bread off the table to tide her over. Whit pulls his hair back into a short ponytail, closer to the Adonis-like, flowing locks he’s famous for, and Pete’s standing next to me with an innocent look on his face, pretending like he didn’t just corner me in the hallway, push me up against the wall, and kiss the breath out of me.
Richard holds up his glass of wine, indicating he wants to share a toast. We all reach for our goblets.
“First of all, I’d like to thank Julia and Summer for this amazing meal. The Hawkins men have spent many years eating frozen lasagna on Thanksgiving because neither of us planned ahead.” He reaches for my mom and pulls her to his side. “You spoil us. Not just with perfect dinners but with your presence in our lives. I can’t believe I missed out on all those years with you, but I’m going to make up for it now.”
He kisses her on the forehead and it’s adorably adorable, then raises his glass and we all do the same, along with a little shouting and cheers. My mother looks up with so much joy in her eyes I feel a wave of emotion roll over me. After what she went through, what she survived, she deserves happiness.
“Eat!” Sibley shouts, breaking the moment. Justin makes a face while Anita shushes her.
“One second, sweetie,” Mom says with a smile. “I have one more announcement to make before we can eat.”
