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“How did this get cleaned up so quickly?”
“Usually there’s a group of us who will come with a couple garbage bags to get rid of the trash and make the beach useable again,” Dillion says.
“Were you one of them?”
“Not this time, but Allie and Tawny pitched in while I was at that meeting with my dad.”
“If they’re willing to pick up plastic cups and beer bottles, do you think they’d be willing to go further to make it safer, especially the docks? Sometimes people need to see change is possible to be compelled to help make it happen.”
“They might be, but cleaning it up is one thing; fixing all the docks and maintaining them is totally another.” Dillion tucks her thumbs into her back pockets.
“I can look into it,” I say. “See what the town is willing to do to help out, maybe push the Grammy Bee angle, since I know it was important to her?”
She smiles. “She loved it here. More than anyplace in town, this was her favorite. I used to drive out here with her, even in the winter. It’d be balls cold, and she’d bundle up and trudge through the snowbanks just to stand on the beach until we couldn’t feel our toes and the tears froze on our cheeks, thanks to the wind.”
“Sounds like Bee. Did you drink hot toddies afterward?”
“First we stopped at Boones for apple fritters. Then we’d head back and drink spiked hot chocolate. It’s a wonder we never ended up in a sugar coma on those days.”
She used to do exactly the same thing with me, even before I was allowed to drink alcohol legally. It makes me wonder how many of our experiences with Bee echo each other’s, and if she hasn’t been working her magic from the other side by threading our lives together, without us even realizing it.
CHAPTER 18
THE NEW NOT QUITE NORMAL
Dillion
As amazing as sleeping next to Van is, I move back into my trailer after a few nights. He insists that I can stay with him as long as I want, and while the comfort of his bed and the company are incredibly appealing, I cite early mornings and my middle-of-the-night thrashing as reasons why I should stay at my place most of the time.
But the real reason is . . . I’m starting to like him. A lot. And as fun as he is to spend time with, I don’t want to lose sight of my own goals. It would be easy to get caught up in a summer romance, one that invariably has an end date attached to it, and that date is likely going to be sooner rather than later.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve been undecided on what my next move will be. I’ve been looking at positions for project managers in Chicago and checking out rentals that have a half-hour commute or maybe even less. I want to have options once I’m no longer needed here, but none of the positions have been all that appealing so far. With all the reno projects this winter, it seems like my dad is going to be on-site more and in the office less, so no matter what happens, I’ll likely have to train someone to take over for me when the time comes.
I’m also aware that there’s a possibility Van will eventually decide his best option is to sell Bee’s property. And it would be hard to fault him, if that’s what he ends up doing. With everything hanging over his head and no job, it may be the only thing he can do. So I’m reluctant to let my heart get all soft over him.
Not that I’m having much luck in that department. Everything he does makes me all melty like a toasted marshmallow.
“Hey, Dee, you in there?” Aaron snaps his fingers and gives me a wry smile.
“Huh? Oh, hey. Just lost in thought. What do you need?”
“You feeling okay?” His brows pull together.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
He adjusts the brim of his hat and rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, I called your name three times before you snapped out of your trance.”
“Oh.” I touch my cheek with the back of my hand. “I’m fine. I just . . . have a lot on my mind. Anyway. What can I help you with?”
“I need to check the loft plans for the Bowmans’ ‘garage’ and the kitchen reno for the Kingstons.” He makes air quotes around the word garage. It’s one of the ways the north side folks get around some of the tricky building permits. They’ll build a one-and-a-half-story garage and put a loft on the second floor.
“Right. Yeah. Is everything okay?” Both of those projects are extensive and aren’t slated to start until later in the summer, after the official beginning of hockey season, when most people have gone back to the city, or farther south if they’re intent on avoiding the snow as much as possible.
