Her fingers itched to touch it.
The ache intensified.
"She's not going to get lost," he said. "There's nowhere else to go."
"She's all alone."
"Coming along was her idea. I don't owe her anything."
She twisted away. "You would think that."
His mouth opened. Then closed. And opened again. "I…to you…"
Whatever he was about to say, she didn't want to hear it.
His lips tightened and he turned around, resting his back and elbows against the railing. "Last year I finally got my GED."
She twisted to face him. "Your grades weren't that bad."
He didn't look up from the deck, even as his tone lightened. "You had Ivy League plans. I was lazy and stupid. But then, sometimes…" He flicked up to her. "I thought you might see something else in my future. Something that interested you. More than the geniuses surrounding your family."
"Anyone can study. If you get a degree, nobody cares about a GED. And you don't need one anyway. You're fearless and beautiful and—I mean, you don't need it to work at a surf shop." Curse him.
His lips curved—stopped—curved again, harder, as though he was remembering something about her that amused him. Something that he loved. Something that finally allowed him to let go of fear. "You disapproved of everything I did."
"You slept in class. You littered."
He grinned more broadly. "I would have single-handedly saved the whales if I thought that would impress you."
His cruel warmth twisted her heart. "You were never interested in me."
"I wanted to be smart." His cheek bones stood in sharp relief, his blue eyes deepened into the rays of green, his lips drew a more perfect casual smile. So lovable. So himself. "Can't you forgive a stupid kid like me?"
She licked her lips. "I never thought you were stupid."
"You thought I was irresponsible—"
"I loved everything about you." She rocked onto the tall heels, mirroring his height, and back down. "Even the littering, over-sleeping parts."
His eyes darkened. He shifted closer, his arm touching hers, and heat flared from that connection. "You should have told me."
She strangled the guard rail. "I was fat."
"I don't care about that."
"You cared at the awards ceremony."
"You friend-zoned me." He closed his eyes, shook his head. "And anyway, I didn't actually call you fat."
"You called me by that name."
His mouth twisted with bitterness. "Everyone called you that name. But you only got angry at me. Even five years later, you're still only angry at me."
"Obviously it's because I still love you."
He blinked.
Her heart contracted. "I mean—the memory I had for you—because we spent the most time together—not because it meant—we were just always together—"
He narrowed his eyes and turned back to the deck.
As friends. The words died. She raised her head. Not so heavy now on her thin shoulders. "Because I spent the most time completely and totally in love with you, and I still am. So that's why I'm mad. Sorry."
He jerked up to her. "Sorry?"
She didn't blush. She was stronger than that now. The clarity inside matched the clarity of her skin. Translucent, like sun filtering down to warm her dark, essential core.
His fingers played under hers. "Sorry, huh."
Flickers of desire curled in her belly.
He teased her fingers up, peeling them back like a determined limpet. "Why, I wonder."
"I wonder," she echoed, as the fire from his touch danced up her arm, breathing deep into the dormant embers of her heart.
He lifted her hand from the rail, touched the fingers to his lips, slid himself into the space, and curled her fingers back over the rail along his other side so that she was caging him, pressing herself, willingly, against the hard body that was his. "You should've said so a long time ago."
She licked her lips. "You should've done this a long time ago."
He started to grin, melted a little into tenderness, grinned again. "I should have." He brushed his lips to the beating pulse at her jaw, branding fire where she had dabbed a hint of Calvin Klein Obsession; and her cheek, sweet hot feathering desire; and the smooth plain of her forehead, stamping her with his touch; and the tip of her nose, playfully; and then he took a deep, everything breath that sucked in her love and her agonizing desire and her soul, and he touched her lips.
The firm wetness of his mouth filled her with everything she had ever denied. She let go of the railing and let herself touch his board-tightened body.
The remaking of herself was complete. In his arms, she was finally, truly, deeply whole.
After they reached the shore, at the edge of the gangplank, Mia found them. She seemed completely unsurprised that they were together, and followed them up the long dock in Friday Harbor. "Are you catching the last ferry? Julian, you don't have a place to stay."
Julian waived to his client as she left with her fiancé. His dad had passed away last year. He had nowhere else to go on the island.
"Julian?"
The last state ferry rested in the docks, engines idling. Tourists passed by with Lopez Island Creamery lemon raspberry ice cream cones, steaming white bags of fish and chips, and fragrant brownie squares made with culinary lavender. The trio reached the crowded traffic circle and came to a standstill, and still he didn't answer Mia.
Someone behind them called Mia's name and she left her Burberry shoulder bag with them. Obviously certain that Pepper and Julian wouldn't go anywhere without her. Because why would they? They hadn't spoken in five years and surely weren't that good of friends.
Pepper's hand, where Julian had unpeeled it from the railing, still carried his scent. She cupped her hands before her mouth, as if to hide the secret of him to herself just a little bit longer. "What are you going to do now?"
Gazing away from her, he waved to passing classmates. Then he showed her that wonderful lazy smile. "I go where the current takes me."
"Does the current want to take you to my parents' house?" She heard the echo of that long-ago pleading day. Tremulous.
He stepped closer. His eyes darkened, deep blue and tender green. "You don't mind introducing a stupid, lazy surfer to your brain trust?"
She had so misjudged him. They were both scarred by the taunts of the past. Both made fragile, and strong to hide it, and secretly growing to heal. "You're not stupid."
He snorted. "Even your friends are smart. How can an average man compare?"
Mia marched towards them, a frown on her face from the way they stood too close. "Julian, you can stay with me tonight. There's an extra room at the house I'm staying at."
Pepper grasped Julian's hand.
His head bobbed, surprised.
"He has a place to stay," Pepper said.
Mia stopped. Her frown deepened. "No, he doesn't."
His fingers curled around Pepper's.
"His place is with me." She tugged him forward. Because she was braver, thinner, more successful. More certain of herself. More true.
They passed Mia, her mouth hanging open, and all of the others. Allison did a double-take and nearly walked off the dock.
Julian's voice dropped low. Just for her. "I've waited five years for this invitation."
"There won't be cake now, probably." Her hand slicked and began to slide from his palm. "My dad turned diabetic and they've got a raw foods intern."
"I don't need cake." Julian threaded his fingers through hers and walked with her, under the pergola, into the town of her past that was the town of her future and the town of everything. "I only need you."
Thank You
Thanks so much for reading! You are the reason I've written this story. I love that I could share my characters with you!
This is the first in a series of stories set around a San Juan Island High School five-year reunion. Visit my website at wendylynnclark.com to re
ad the latest news.
If you enjoyed your experience, please consider giving me an honest review on your favorite book-selling website. Help others find out if they would enjoy reading this story too!
Acknowledgements
This story would not have been possible without the wonderful support of my friends and family, my award-winning editor Christina (Berry) Tarabochia, and my dedicated copyeditor Aaron Joslin. You rock. Thanks for being a part of my life!
The cover image was provided under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license courtesy of Ritzee Rebel. You can order her awesome art at her store on etsy.
The lady icon was designed by Sarfraz Shoukat.
Biography
Wendy Lynn Clark is an award-winning author of romance, young adult, and science fiction. A lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, she graduated magna cum laude from Lewis & Clark College with a degree in philosophy and a minor in English, volunteered with AmeriCorps, taught English in Japan with the JET Programme for three years, and resided abroad in England and Greece. After completing a master's degree at the University of Brighton, she returned to books and now works in an academic library. She loves learning about cultures, from how different families live in her local neighborhood to how astronauts live on the International Space Station. She is drawn to the needs that unite us all—survival, family, adventure, and love. Find out about her newest projects at wendylynnclark.com.
What's Next?
Pepper McKay's not the only one to find her true self at the San Juan Island five-year reunion.
San Juan Island Stories #2
Chance of Happiness
Mia always falls for the wrong man. The school bully, the sketchy con artist, the married professor. At her five-year high school reunion she comes face-to-face with the bad choice that started it all. Now she can finally forgive herself, forget him, and move on.
But she’s not the only one caught up in old memories.
And when all the secrets are revealed, she may be less willing to move on than she thought…
Available Now!
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Fatty Patty: A Romantic Short Story (San Juan Island Stories #1) Page 3