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“He didn’t exactly say that,” Ally admitted. “But I’m not sure I want to work here once it’s sold.”
“What will you do?” Ember asked. She’d always been the sensible one. A kindergarten teacher at the local school, she was an expert at making plans.
“I don’t know. Who would want to employ a twenty-seven-year old woman who’s never done anything but manage her father’s café?” Ally asked. “I’m not like you, I don’t have a college degree. All I know how to do is serve breakfast.”
“That’s not true. You’re still young, you can do anything you want. Even go back to college.” Brooke gave her a soft smile.
“I know you went back to school, and you’re great at it,” Ally said. “You kick ass at juggling everything. But school’s not for me. I wouldn’t know what to study anyway.” She slumped in her seat. She could never do what Brooke did. She was way too squeamish to train to be a vet. She had no idea what she was going to do at all. Maybe cross the road and work at the Angel Sands Diner, like the failure she was?
The café door opened, letting in a warm breeze. Ally looked up to see Lorne Daniels shuffling in. He was wearing a pair of bright floral board shorts that revealed his thin, weatherworn legs. On his top half was a denim shirt with the sleeves cut off, leaving a white frayed edge. For as long as she could remember, Lorne had run the surf shop next door to the café – and for all that time he’d been her father’s best friend.
“Hey.” She smiled at him. It wasn’t his fault her dad was being a jerk. “You want a coffee?”
Lorne nodded at Ember and Brooke. “Mornin’, ladies.” Then he turned to Ally. “Your dad called. He wants you to call him back.”
From the corner of her eye she could see Ember bite down a smile. This was one of the problems of living in such a small town – everybody knew your business. In five minutes time Frank Megassey from the hardware store would probably come in with the same message, along with Deenie Russell from the bookshop.
Luckily, Ally only had to raise her head to see the upside of living in Angel Sands. The amazing beach and the beautiful ocean, sparkling like it was full of a thousand diamonds. You won some, you lost some, but overall there was nowhere else she’d rather live.
“I’ll call him back soon,” Ally said, smiling at Lorne. He was one of her favorite people. She always took him a coffee as soon as she opened up in the morning and the two of them would sit on the sidewalk and watch the sun come up, sipping at their drinks until their first customers arrived.
Another thing she’d miss if she left this place.
“Don’t leave it too long, he’s worried about you.”
“Well he should be,” Brooke said. “We’re all worried about her.”
Lorne clicked his tongue and nodded, his leathery face giving nothing away. “I know you’re hurtin’, sweetheart, but he’s your dad. He’s made mistakes and he knows that. But at the end of the day blood is blood.”
Ally felt the lump in her throat grow to the size of a rock. There was a part of her that knew Lorne was right. “Yeah, well he hasn’t acted like that recently. I’ve been trying to keep this place going while he’s been living it up halfway across the world. And after all I’ve done he’s selling it right from beneath me.”
“He’s got his reasons I’m sure.” Lorne shifted awkwardly on his feet. “He loves you, that much I know. I’ll let him know you’ll call him when you’re ready, but don’t leave it too long.”
Ally nodded. Her chest felt too full of emotion to say anything. Anger, sadness, fear of the future, they were all mixing together and making her heart ache. She wanted to get out of here. To pull on her running shoes and head up the coast to where the mountains began, stretching her muscles and pushing her lungs until she could think of nothing else. Running was her happy place, the one thing that helped her manage her thoughts and get through the day. And right now she needed it more than ever.
Everything was changing, and she didn’t like it one little bit.
2
“You okay?” Nate asked Riley, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. They were parked outside of her new school, the car surrounded by students rushing by as they headed for their first class. The sky above them was a sparkling blue, the air outside warmer than it ever was in Seattle, yet his daughter’s face had the look of a storm.
“I could have driven,” Riley told him. “I bet I’m the only junior who has to rely on her dad to get her to school.”
“After what you did to your last car, I think you’re safer with me or the bus.”
“It was an accident.” She didn’t need to add ‘duh’ but he heard it anyway.
“I know.” Nate could feel the frustration rise in him. This was supposed to be a new start for both of them, yet they were already arguing. He closed his eyes, his lids turning red beneath the bright sun, and took a deep breath.
“Do you know where you’re going?” he asked.
“To the office to pick up my schedule.” Riley had her hand on the door handle. “And then I’ll head to the bathroom and kill myself before you do it for me.”
“You’re being over dramatic.”
Riley’s brow furrowed. “Seriously? You think I’m dramatic? You’ve just dragged me thousands of miles away from everything I know. I’m sixteen years old and I don’t have a single friend here. I can’t believe you’re punishing me like this.” She huffed out a lungful of air. “It’s not fair.”
“Hey, I’m new here, too. And I don’t know anybody either. I’ve got to go to this coffee shop and introduce myself to all the staff and they’re bound to hate me before I’ve even opened my mouth. Maybe we can compare our terrible days later over some pizza?”
