“Oh, yes. Living on the beach was wonderful. Summers were the best—we’d wake up, put on our bathing suits and just swim all day. Hang out at the beach. Even when I got older and worked summers at the Tide, I’d pull my shift and then go right down to the ocean. All my friends were there, too, and it just felt ...” She cast her eyes up, thinking. “Safe. And like home.”
I nodded. “I get that. It’s how I feel about the farm. There was something about growing up here, knowing it was where my dad and my granddad had lived before me, doing the same things, more or less. I belong here.”
“That’s exactly it.” We were approaching the house, and she stopped, leaning against a tree. “Belonging. I love Savannah, and going to school there’s been amazing. I’ve met so many people, and I’ve gotten to do things I never would have done if I’d stayed in Florida. But I still don’t feel like I belong there.”
“So do you think you’ll go back to Florida after you graduate?” I stuck my hands in the pockets of my jeans and widened my stance, watching her.
Meghan made a face. “I don’t know. Probably not. The things that used to fit me there, that made it home, aren’t around anymore. Or they’ve changed. When I go back now to visit, it doesn’t feel the same.”
I remembered that Laura had mentioned Meghan had just returned from a trip home the night she’d gotten so drunk. I felt another twinge of regret for what I’d said to her at Boomer’s.
I knew I should just leave it alone, say goodnight and go back into the house, but I didn’t. “What’s changed?”
Her chest rose and fell as she inhaled deep, and her teeth worried at the corner of her mouth. “My dad died, about two years ago. He’d had cancer, and he was sick for a long time. And then last fall, my family kind of imploded. My mom got married again, and my brother found out he was a father. He ended up marrying the girl, and she’s really nice, but still ... lots of change.”
“Yeah, I can imagine.” The sun was setting, and the last rays caught her curls until they were ablaze. Her green eyes were fastened on the ground, lost in some private thought or memory.
“I really didn’t want to come here.” Her voice was low, and I had to lean forward to make out what she said.
“Because of me?” It sounded incredibly conceited, but I was pretty sure it was true.
“Yes. Well, partly. I thought if I went farther from home, I’d have a better chance of ... I don’t know, re-inventing myself, I guess.” She shook her head and met my eyes. “I mean, how weird is it that I’d be sent here? I’ve never even heard of Burton. Then Laura’s hairdresser tells her about that bar, and our car breaks down, and we meet you ... and the next thing I know, I’m spending the summer here.”
“Coincidence is a strange thing.” It was all I could think of to say.
“It really is.” She was quiet again, staring over my shoulder. “I’m sorry if me being here is a problem for you. I know we started off on the wrong foot, but maybe ...” She trailed off. “At least I can try to stay out of your way.”
It was what I wanted, but perversely, hearing her say it stung. I tightened my jaw and turned toward the house. “I work pretty hard during the summer. I don’t think it’ll be hard to stay out of each other’s way.”
I almost felt her quick intake of breath, the stab of hurt. But I didn’t turn around again before I went inside the house and straight upstairs to my room.
“NOPE, I’M NOT KIDDING. It was the same Sam Reynolds.” I held my cell phone away from my ear as Laura expressed her surprise. Loudly.
“How the hell did that happen? And how did you not know you were staying at his house?”
I shifted on the soft mattress and worked to keep my voice down. It’d been all I could do to not text Laura as soon as I’d realized I was going to be spending the summer with Sam Reynolds. I’d managed to hold off on calling her until everyone was in bed.
“All the paperwork had his sister’s name on it, and she’s divorced. So her last name is different than his. I knew it was a small town and I’d probably run into him this summer, but I never in a million years thought I’d be living with him.”
“And he didn’t know either?”
“Apparently not, judging by the look on his face when he walked in and saw me sitting in his living room. And think about it, why would his sister mention me by name? So he comes strolling in—oh, and did I mention he wasn’t wearing a shirt at the time?”