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She slid her arm around my shoulders, not an easy feat, since I’m about six inches taller than she is. “If I stopped talking to the people who have had sex with Ryan, my mother would be the only person left. You’re my sister.”
“I didn’t know how involved he was in the family until after the fact,” I admitted.
“Yeah, me either,” she said. “We were already in love when his mother dropped her bomb about who his birth father was.”
“I’m not judging you, Lisa.”
“I know that. Thank you. We have to be careful because I’m sure someone is waiting to expose us. I’m paranoid about it.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ll do what I can to help keep things private.”
“That’s a great word. Private, instead of secret. I don’t want my kids growing up with secrets. Our family had a ton of secrets, as you know.”
“Yeah, so did mine.”
Will was on a roll, the big waves coming, and he was catching them and staying up. Everyone from the Sunday gathering stood in a crowd at the water’s edge, watching, taking videos and photos that they’d send him later.
Dragging his board along when he finally came in, he looked exhausted but was grinning ear to ear. The crowd cheered for Will, the bevy of little boys in awe. They crowded around him, begging to drag his surfboard home. He offered to show them how to clean it off and apply wax, and for an hour, they worked diligently at the task.
“I need to pay Will,” Lisa said, looking on, amused. “Even Dan said he wonders what the attraction is, and I told him Will talks to the boys like they are adults.”
“Is that what he’s doing?” I asked, observing.
“I’m assuming he has kids somewhere?” Lisa said.
“No. Not a one.”
“So, yours will be the first.”
“If I’m lucky. It hasn’t happened yet.”
“Give it time,” she said. “It’ll come when it’s most inconvenient.”
I remembered that comment at the end of July. Jake had entrusted me with my first solo death investigation. The family of a murdered woman whose body was found on the beach north of Sea View had approached Jake about doing a thorough investigation; they were concerned that the powers that be weren’t putting enough effort into the case because the victim had been a sex worker.
“Congratulations,” Will said, grabbing me for a hug when I announced the opportunity. “I’m so impressed.”
“Just pray I don’t mess up,” I said. “I’m headed to the beach to search for clues.”
I threw myself into the case and found new evidence that had been missed by the initial investigation. It led to the arrest of the victim’s sister.
I was so focused on the case, I completely lost track of my own biorhythms until one Sunday morning when I reached into my closet for a pair of white capris to wear to Lisa’s beach get-together.
The white pants triggered the question, Is it safe to wear white? Which led to, When is my period due, anyway?
I picked up my phone, went to the period tracker app, and saw that it had tried to send me notifications, which I had shut off in June when all it did was make me sad.
My heart rate skyrocketed, my hands shook, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out.
I’d missed a period. No biggie. Right? I was two weeks late. I was never late. Ever.
I took the white capris and slipped them on, pulling them over my rear end and easily zipping them up, pleasantly surprised they fit so well. I had expected them to be snug, since all I’d done that summer so far was go to one barbecue after another.
Out in the living room, Will stood at the fireplace, leafing through a medical journal he was going to put in the kindling box. Dressed in board shorts and a swim T, he was ready to regale the little boys again with his surfing prowess.
“Got a minute?”
“Yep. What’s up?”
