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“Jesus,” Jude grumbled, “you really stuck your foot in your mouth with that one, Colter.”
“We’ll see you guys later. I’m going to go ahead and take tonight for making dinner. We’re having burgers on the grill with all the fixings and a salad. Dinner will be at seven if you want to eat. Please tell Savannah that we’re heading to the beach and will watch for her.”
“Will do,” Brooks said, “and, thanks for taking the first night of cooking, Norah. We all love burgers. I’ll take kitchen clean up tonight and will work on the charts with Savannah after dinner.”
“Thank you, Brooks,” Norah said, shooting Colter one last dirty look on her way out onto the patio that led to the beach. Brooks really couldn’t blame her—Colter did act like an ass.
“Fuck me,” Colter mumbled under his breath.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s the only way you’re going to get fucked this summer,” Jude joked.
“About what we were talking about,” Brooks said, wanting to get his apology over with. “I was a jerk, and I’m sorry. If you guys don’t want to stay here, I can see if I can find us a cabin by the lake to rent for the summer. I’m sure that the women would be good with us taking off.” Although the thought of not sticking around to get to know Savannah a little bit better pained him, he’d give up his summer at the beach for the guys, if that’s what they both wanted.
“I’m good with staying,” Colter said.
“I’m not asking to leave either,” Jude insisted. “I’m just saying that I’d like to have a say in the decision-making process the next time that we decide to do something together.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue since you’re leaving us to go to the West Coast,” Colter grumbled.
“Bullshit,” Jude spat. “I’ll be back to visit and I’m betting that the three of us we’ll meet up for plenty of adventures. I’m just saying that when that happens, we all get a say.”
“If that happens,” Colter countered.
“Shut the fuck up, man,” Jude breathed. “Listen, I’ve had enough of talking about feelings and all that shit. The girls have the right idea. I’m going to the beach.” That was Jude’s go-to move. When he didn’t like the way things were going, he walked away. Brooks had a feeling that had something to do with why Jude was moving clear across the country. He needed to get away from DC for some reason that he hadn’t shared with them yet, and Brooks hoped that they’d be able to get a straight answer out of Jude before he went and made the biggest mistake of his life and walked away from all his friends and family.
* * *
Brooks grabbed his gear and walked down to the beach to find the guys sitting with the women—traitors. He decided that if he couldn’t beat them, he should just join them, and that’s what he did, putting his chair down next to Savannah and ignoring the looks the guys were giving him.
“You okay?” she whispered to him.
“I will be,” he said. “I guess I just screwed up is all. I just wanted the guys to see this place and hopefully love it as much as I do.” His mom and dad used to take him to the beach with his brothers. It was the best childhood memory that he had. The tradition continued until his parents’ divorce when he was sixteen. He was the youngest kid and for some crazy feeling, he felt as though he had been gypped out of his summertime memories with his family. Instead of going to the beach, he was shipped off for the summer to visit his father, two states over. He hated summers after his parents’ divorce, and rightly so.
“You used to come here as a kid too?” Savannah asked.
“I did until I was sixteen. We stayed on Tenth Street on the bay. My parents couldn’t afford to stay ocean side, and my brothers and I loved to fish, so staying bay side worked for our family.”
“Why did you stop coming here?” she asked.
“My parents got divorced and my father moved a couple of states away. I had to visit him in the summer, and my mother really didn’t take vacations after that. She was working to try to keep a roof over my head and hers. My brothers are all older, and they had moved out at that point.”
“How many brothers do you have?” she asked.
“Four older brothers. I’m the baby of the family and really the only kid that my parents’ divorce effected. I was the only one still at home and the only one forced to go visit my father and his new girlfriend.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah said. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, but I lived. I just wanted to see this place again, you know?” he asked.
“I get it,” Savannah agreed, “I used to come here for summer vacations with my mom and grandmother. My dad never really cared for the beach, so he usually stayed home and worked. It was special to spend a whole week at the beach with my mom and grandmother. I know just how special now that they’re both gone.”
“Your father is still around?” he asked.
“Yes, but he’s unable to travel. I live with him back in DC. He has dementia and needs constant care, but I really don’t mind. I’m so thankful that he has more good days than bad, but I do feel a good amount of guilt for leaving him this summer,” she admitted.
“You’re only a car ride away,” Brooks reminded. “At least, that’s what I told myself while planning the whole summer here. I worried that something would happen back home, or someone would need me, but I’m only a car ride away. And in a pinch, I can catch a flight,” he said. It was one of the major considerations when he was trying to plan a trip for him and the guys. He needed to be able to get back home if work or his mother called and needed him.
“Yeah, that’s what my father told me when I was trying to decide if this trip was a good idea or not. He told me that I shouldn’t sit around with him when I had my whole life to live. He told me to get out in the world and live my life, so I booked this trip.”
