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“That’s my girl,” Tess says, giving me a high-five as she rushes past me to head to the bathroom.
“You ready to do this?” Wren asks, moving out from under Shepherd’s arm around her shoulders to walk up to me and give me a big hug.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I say, squeezing her back and trying not to let my nerves get the best of me.
“We’re so proud of you,” Wren says, pulling back. “Out there living your dream, doing big things, just like you were always destined to do.”
My eyes fill with tears, but I quickly blink them away as Quinn steps up behind me and rests his hands on my shoulders, giving me a gentle massage. My life is every bit as perfect as everyone else’s in this room, and I almost can’t believe it’s real. I get to be at home on Summersweet Island, comfortable and relaxed, and then put on fancy clothes and shine at fancy events whenever I leave. It’s all I’ve ever wanted out of life, and now I have it.
“I’m sorry I’m late! I had a –”
“Yeah, yeah, we all know you had a date,” Birdie says with a roll of her eyes, when one of my favorite people walks through the door and rushes across the room. “Is there any time you don’t have a date?”
“Is there any time you aren’t annoying?” Laura Bennett, Wren and Birdie’s mom fires back at her daughter with a smile, as she pulls me in for a hug.
This woman has been a stand-in mom for me ever since the first day she found out my parents didn’t have time to attend any of my games or competitions. Laura started showing up to everything, cheering louder for me than any other parent. She is the coolest fifty-four-year-old I have ever met, and she has always treated me like one of her own. She gives the best advice, the best hugs, and refuses to ever settle down. Hopping from one younger man to the next is just who she is, and we love her for it. Although we all secretly hope one of these days, an age-appropriate man will show up on the island and sweep her off her feet.
“I love you and I’m so proud of you,” Laura says as she gives me an extra squeeze. Pulling out of our hug and brushing a lock of hair out of my eyes to tuck it behind my ear, she smiles even bigger at me. “Your mom is here.”
Quinn puts his hands back on my shoulders as butterflies start flapping in my stomach, more nervous about this information than walking out onto that field in a few minutes in front of everyone to show them they made the right decision giving me this job. My mom finally started talking to me again after that first dinner with them and Quinn, but things have been awkward and a little cold ever since I told her I accepted this job. Although not with my dad. He has completely done a one-eighty, being very outspoken about how proud he is of me, calling me every day to ask how work was, and probably asking me ten times just in the last week alone what time he needed to be here tonight.
“I told you she’d come,” Quinn tells me, kissing the top of my head.
“She probably only came because you threatened her, and my dad finally got some balls, freaked out, and told her she had to,” I remind him, looking back over my shoulder at him with a smile.
“I didn’t threaten her. I just politely encouraged her to stop being upset you didn’t want to run Sandbar Cottages, that Stephanie is more than qualified and has absolutely thrived running the place since you left, and that she needs to show you some support, or they might find themselves missing out on Sharks season tickets.” Quinn smirks at me, making me want to kiss those dimples right off his cheeks.
With Tess emerging from the bathroom, and her and Birdie giving me big hugs and wishing me luck, Bodhi tipping back the bag of Cheetos to get all the crumbs, the many pockets of his cargo shorts looking a little full and like he absolutely stole candy from the kitchen, we all make our way out of the locker room and into the tunnel. Stanley leads the way, with my friends chattering and laughing behind him, and Quinn and I bring up the rear, my heels clicking on the cement, with his hand wrapped firmly in mine.
My friends all walk around my girls and wish them luck as they stand in a huddle at the mouth of the tunnel that leads out onto the field, and Stanley takes my friends through a side door that will take them up into the stands. They all wave at me and blow me kisses one by one as they disappear through the door.
