Page 66 of Summer Love

“I’d love for my husband to read it,” another woman adds. “Take notes, especially. If he did half of what Xander does in that scene, I’d have the best night of my life.”

Ruby pulls a little flask from her pocket, unscrews the cap, and pours a splash into her glass.

“All I’m saying is, a swimmer like that should come settle down here,” she says.

Laughter goes around the circle.

“We already have surfers,” a teen points out. “Isn’t that enough?”

“Honey, surfers are nice. But an Olympic swimmer with shoulders like that? That’s something else.”

Miles gives a silent thumbs-up from the corner, where he nibbles his brownie, eyes half-closed.

The conversation drifts from books to real life. Someone mentions the summer season kicking off, the tourists, the events coming up.

Sierra turns to Maya.

“Do you and Kai need help with the fundraiser Sunday?”

“Honestly? Yes,” Maya sighs. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“A fundraiser... for what?” I ask, intrigued.

“For the surf school,” Sierra explains. “They do one every year. Bake sale, barbecue, raffle, intro surf lessons for the kids, games, stuff to sell. It lasts all day.”

“The school doesn’t have much money,” Maya says. “We get by, but barely. This day helps us hang on.”

I get it. The sandy yard, the worn-out boards, the trailer, the old VW bus... none of it screams prosperity.

“And Jace is okay with this?”

Maya winces.

“Asking people for money? Jace hates it. But... he knows we don’t have a choice.”

“Did you announce the event on Instagram?”

“No. We put up posters. In the shops, at the lodge, on the beach. It works pretty well.”

“Okay. But you at least have an account for the school?”

Maya shakes her head. I blink.

“Wait. You don’t even have an Insta account for the surf school?”

“We have a Facebook page. But I think Jace lost the password.”

It’s worse than I thought.

“Okay. So no social media, no email list, no digital flyer for the tourists spending the weekend on the coast.”

Nobody answers.

“And partnerships? A local business sponsoring a booth in exchange for visibility? Luke could sell his cannoli for a percentage of the proceeds. The bookstore could set up a book table with⁠—”

“Wait,” Sierra cuts in. “What do you do for a living?”

“I work at a digital marketing agency in New York. I got my bachelor’s in economics from Columbia, with a minor in communications.”