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“Is it lunchtime already?”
“Lunchtime has come and gone. We’ve been waiting for a while. I’d called out for you.”
Now her door was open, the aroma of turkey soup was wafting into the room. Combined with the smell of freshly-baked bread, it was mouthwatering.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I must have been too far into the zone. I hope it’s not ruined because of me.”
“Don’t be silly, you can’t ruin soup. And the bread’s cooled nicely. But if we keep your father waiting any longer, he might explode.”
Caitie laughed. “He’s the most patient man I know. Remember that experiment he did at work that took years?”
“The one they had to abandon when all the dishes were contaminated? Oh yeah, I remember that. He sulked for months.”
“Yeah, well, I can empathize with the sulking.” She glanced at her laptop again. “I feel like all I’ve done for the past few weeks is work on this proposal. If I lose the contract…” She trailed off. She didn’t want to think about that. And if she was honest, she didn’t want to think about winning it either. She needed to get through to Thursday night, then she’d let her mind wander.
“You need to get out of the house. You’ve been here since Wednesday and you haven’t left once. Honestly, you’re going to drive yourself crazy. Go out, get some fresh air, and take a walk. Something. Anything to take a break. Even Harper went shopping on Black Friday, for goodness sake.” Harper had left earlier that morning, planning to visit some actor friends in L.A., before her meeting at the studio on Monday.
“My first presentation is in two days, Mom. There’s no time to take a break.”
“Are you prepared for them?” Deenie asked, the same way she used to before Caitie’s school tests.
“I’m trying. I’ve gone over every minute detail at least three times. I’ve timed my speech, checked the spelling, and I’ve even made sure to memorize everybody’s names.”
“Then you’re ready. Looking at them constantly isn’t going to do you any good. Whereas, getting out of the house and thinking about something else will help to recharge your batteries.”
Caitie sighed. She wasn’t going to win this battle. She knew her mom was right. Reading everything over and over was only driving her crazy, and making her more nervous. “Okay, I’ll go for a walk on the trail after lunch. You want to come with me?”
Deenie shook her head. “Nope. Your father and I will walk later. Why don’t you call one of your old friends, or maybe your brother?”
Caitie shrugged. “I’ll go alone. I’d prefer to have some silence. Be at one with nature or something.” She didn’t feel much like company. Hadn’t since Thanksgiving. Maybe she was still sulking about Breck.
Deenie laughed. “When have you ever been one with nature? You’re more comfortable tapping away at a laptop than spending time in the great outdoors.”
“Careful, or I’ll go back to looking at the laptop.”
“In that case, I’ll shut my mouth. And feel free to take my car.” As Deenie turned to walk out of the doorway, she stopped and looked back at her daughter. “Oh, and can you do me a favor while you’re out?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Brecken left his sweater here on Thanksgiving. Can you drop it off on your way to the trail? I’ll give you his address. He’s over near Silver Sands.”
“Yeah sure, I’ll take it over.” Caitie tried to keep her voice nonchalant, even though she felt anything but. She wasn’t sure what perturbed her more, the thought of seeing Breck or his close proximity to the beach.
“Thanks, honey.”
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An hour later, Caitie was driving down Main Street, heading to the other side of town before the beach gave way to the Silver Sands Resort. One of the newer parts of town, made up of apartments and bungalows, she could remember when the homes were first being built. Before then, that side of Angel Sands was practically abandoned. The only people who went over there were surfers – headed for the waves at Silver Sands – and school kids who liked to scare themselves stupid exploring the eerie buildings of the old resort, a location even Scooby Doo would be proud of.
The GPS on her phone led her down the curving roads of the development, past the taller apartment buildings, and toward the water. Her chest tightened as the ocean loomed in front of her. Slowing the car down to a crawl, she tried to take in a deep breath.
Of course Breck would choose to live near the ocean. Where else would he go? As a kid he’d spent most of his time on the beach, and by all accounts, he still did the same thing in his spare moments as an adult.
She turned the final corner onto his road, where a row of bungalows were lined up against the sidewalk. Each had a wooden deck curving from the front to the back, steps leading straight down to the beach. They were bigger than her grandparents’ old cottage, now Lucas and Ember’s home, but somehow they reminded her of it.
When she reached Breck’s bungalow, she stopped the car and switched off the ignition. But rather than get out, Caitie closed her eyes, trying to center herself. The sound of the waves penetrated through the Honda’s windows, and her pulse sped up in response. Though the car had stopped, her hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were bleached white.
Glancing to her right, she could see his navy sweater folded neatly on the passenger seat. “Just give him the goddamn sweater and leave,” she muttered to herself. “You can be out of here in under two minutes.”
