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“Oh, let’s see. We’ve stayed in the Outer Banks, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach. We’ve gone to Florida a few times. But this year, we were talking about maybe trying something further north. Have you ever been?”
“Like somewhere along Cape Cod?”
Mrs. Rees nodded.
“I’ve been there once, yeah. It’s pretty sweet. I was headed to filming out in the Provincetown area. Some of those beaches have some serious undertow and rough water, though, so it depends on how much you like to actually swim. However, I’m sure if you research it in advance, you’d be fine.”
“Ew”—Scarlett wrinkled her nose—“swimming in fish excrement and who-knows-what is lurking around your feet. I’ll take clear pool water filled with chemicals any day of the week.”
A laugh rumbled from my chest. “Not an ocean person, I take it?”
“Again, it’s a giant bathtub and toilet for marine life.”
“I’m pretty sure I saw a picture of you on the wall out there with more than your toes in the water.”
“Yeah, because I was too little to know better. But now I do.”
“Stephen likes to swim,” Mrs. Rees chimed in, “so he used to take her in with him. But we’re a little older than we used to be, so these days, we beach-up, take a dip or two, but we head back to the pool when we get too hot. We go shopping, sightseeing, and eat. We love to eat.”
I nodded, imagining what a family vacation with them would be like. Relaxing. Fun. I wouldn’t know from personal experience as I’d never had one. When I was younger, my mom couldn’t afford a vacation like she described, and once I was older . . . Well, I made all the money now, but I was too busy. Shortly after I starred in my first film, Mom took me to Disney for a day in between roles, but once we got there and people recognized me, we wound up spending half the day signing autographs. The only vacations I took were a few days off on location. Otherwise, all trips were work trips.
A nudge on my leg brought me back to the present, so I cleared my throat and focused back on our conversation. “Sounds like Race Point Beach or somewhere like that would be perfect, then. But . . .” I drawled as an idea sprouted. Maybe it was time for a change. “I think if you came to California with me, you’d change your mind.”
“I already went to LA with you once, remember?” Scarlett pointed out.
“Yeah, but we didn’t go to Malibu. Between the ocean and the nearby mountains, it’s definitely something worth seeing.”
She pursed her lips as if considering.
“Or Pismo Beach. If you want to escape it all, that’s where you go.”
“Isn’t that where they filmed Treemont High Summer Break?” She scrunched her nose.
“Exactly. Beautiful sunsets, bluffs, surfing, amazing restaurants.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Mrs. Rees said with a sigh.
“After this year, we could certainly use an escape.” Mr. Rees laughed.
Suddenly, the idea of taking a vacation with Scarlett’s family sounded like heaven.
“Then you should join me. Seriously,” I said, trying really hard not to get my hopes up.
I could show them the ropes, all the best of Pismo. We’d laugh and eat and do all the touristy things they wanted. I’d force Scarlett into the surf, share soft kisses with her under the moonlight.
I swallowed down the thought, knowing I couldn’t think that way. Not until we talked about that kiss. Not until I confronted her about the small seed of feelings that seemed to have sprouted in my heart overnight.
“After filming, I could use a vacation,” I added.That was, if I kept the role.But I didn’t say that. Instead, I said, “You can see the mountains right from your spot on the beach. There are these really awesome coves for exploring, and the downtown area is colorful and vibrant, a sight to see for sure. Plus, if scaredy-pants here can get over her fear of water, maybe I can entice her onto a surfboard.” I waggled my brows. “Pismo has the best waves.”
“Not a chance,” she warned, pointing a finger at me. “Besides, it’s not because I’m scared,” she insisted, but the way her eyes rounded at thought told me otherwise.
I chuckled and needled her in the ribs. “Uh-huh, sure.”
Grinning, Mrs. Rees turned to her husband. “You know, we could take a trip out to California. What’s stopping us? I mean, wouldn’t it be something? We could even try for two weeks away,” Mrs. Rees said, her tone wistful.
“Well, our chances with the lawsuit is looking up, and since we somehow got this pro bono offer, we could use that emergency fund we had set aside.”
“I would insist on paying for most of it,” I said. Actually, I’d pay for every last dime if it meant they’d come, but a hunch told me not to insist.
