“I think it would be good for you,” she says. “Give you something to do, help develop a routine. Besides, you’re there every day anyway and everyone seems to love you.”
“Yeah,” I agree, feeling a flutter of excitement. “I think you’re right.”
“Great.” She smiles and breathes a sigh of relief. “I kind of already told everyone you’d be joining us.”
“Good thing I said yes,” I laugh.
“We could start out with a couple of days a week and see how it goes, then go from there. I mean, you’re supplying all the baked goods right now anyway. Charlie and Judith agree, too.”
My ears perk up at the mention of Charlie as she sets the sunscreen bottle on the cooler between us.
“Charlie,” I say mischievously. “How is ole Charlie?”
“He’s fine.”
I smirk at her as she says nothing more. “Oh, come on,” I say, “nothing more than that?”
“I’ve told you, Charlie and I are just friends,” she says.
“That’s not what Judith thinks,” I shoot back.
Beth’s mouth drops open a little and then she frowns. “Since when have you talked to Judith about Charlie and I?”
“I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me yours.” I feel like a little kid again, taunting her.
“There is no secret!” she declares, raising her hands in defeat.
“Whatever you say. You look at him like he hung the moon.”
“Oh, I do not,” she scoffs. “Charlie and I are just friends and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
I can see the hint of blush creeping into her cheeks and decide I’ve done enough teasing.
“I have a date tomorrow night,” I say, changing the subject.
“Really?” Beth’s head jerks in my direction. “With Graham?”
“What? No,” I say, furrowing my brows.
“Oh.” She frowns.
“Why did you think it was with Graham?”
“No reason,” Beth says, a little too quickly.
I narrow my eyes as I look at her but decide not to press the issue. “A guy named Jake,” I say.
“Sounds familiar,” she murmurs.
“I met him that day I went to the beach with Raquel and Graham. Ran into him when his friends accidentally threw a frisbee at us.”
Beth nods. “Sounds fun,” she says. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to give you a curfew or not. I mean, you’re an adult, but still.”
I laugh and shuffle in my chair. “Mom would want you to.”
“Then how about midnight?”
“Sounds reasonable.” I nod slowly, as silence settles between us. I watch as the other families on the beach laugh and play together. Ghosts of trips’ past play out in my head, of Mom, Beth, and I on the beach when I was little. Mom and I building sandcastles together, hunting for seashells, splashing Beth in thewater…
