by Sharon Coady
Leona relaxed against the seat, not admitting to Heather or herself that the adrenaline rush from that burst of speed was amazing. She couldn’t wait to see their friends. All of them being spread across the fifty states sucked.
Ten minutes later, Heather whipped the car into the parking area at the beach. They only had to circle once before they found a spot to park. They grabbed their bags and headed toward the water. Heather had her phone out calling Hope as they walked.
“We’re here.” She laughed. “No, she wanted to stay at the cottage, but I talked her into coming.” Shaking her head, she replied, “No, she can’t wait to see you guys. I think she was worn out from the drive. Where are you?” She tilted her head. “Okay, just to the left of the second lifeguard tower, got it. This way, Leona,” she said as she hung up the phone.
The girls wove their way through the sea of bodies, looking for their friends. Leona spotted Alastair, waving at them off to her left.
“There they are.” She waved back. “Look at Alastair’s hair!” She grabbed Heather’s arm, pulling her faster through the sand.
“Look at you!” she yelled as he leaned down so she could wrap her arms around his neck. His normally bronzed skin was already a bit darker from the sun. She playfully tugged at his dreads. “When did you do this? It looks great.” His coffee-colored hair looked good with the dreadlocks falling down over his broad shoulders.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he gave her a huge hug. “Just wanted to try something different. I figured with being in art school, I could experiment a little. My dad would shit if he saw me, wouldn’t he?” He snatched her up and spun her around before setting her back onto the sand. “I’m glad you came. I’ve really missed you.”
“Me too. Where’s Hope?”
“Right here,” Hope screamed as she grabbed Leona from behind. “I can’t believe you’re here.” The lithe blonde had her long hair plaited down her back. Her hazel eyes sparkled, and her dimples showed in her round face.
“Me, either! I’m so happy Heather invited me to come. Where are you guys staying?”
“We got a little place just about five minutes that way.” She pointed in the opposite direction of their place. “Alastair wanted our own place this trip. Look.” Hope waved her left hand in front of Heather and Leona. A beautiful diamond ring sparkled on her ring finger.
The girls screamed and hugged each other, while jumping up and down, just as they had always done since childhood.
“When did this happen?” they both asked at the same time.
“Just this morning.” Hope sighed as she pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I had no idea it was going to happen.”
They sighed in unison, setting them off in a fit of laughter.
Alastair rolled his eyes. “God, you girls haven’t changed since you were seven.” Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes danced as he watched them.
Leona smiled at him over her shoulder and mouthed, “Great job.”
After Leona and Heather got settled, the three girls ran for the water. Leona braced herself, not knowing what to expect. All three of them screamed as the cold water from the waves crashed over their thighs.
“Oh, you should have warned me it would be this cold!” she squealed. Leona was used to the warm water of the in-ground pools in Texas. She generally stayed away from the lakes because they were so chilly. This, however, felt down right cold. “I don’t know if I can do this.” Her breath quickened as Heather and Hope pulled her further out and the water washed over her stomach.
“Oh come on, don’t be a big baby. Once you’re in, it feels warmer. I promise.” Hope tugged her harder. “We were in earlier and I swear it will, trust me.”
Heather was shaking, her lips pursed. “This is beyond cold, Hope. You could have warned us.” She screamed as a wave crashed and soaked her hair. She sputtered and spit out the mouth full of salty water, looking at her friends while standing there with wide eyes. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.
“What?” Leona hugged her shoulders as if it would help her warm up again.
“You should see the look on your faces. Come on, let’s go out further and hopefully, we’ll warm up a bit like Hope said.” She turned and dove into the cresting wave, coming up on the other side of the group.
Hope and Leona dove through the next one and joined her. They splashed and played, pushing each other under and acting like kids again. Soon Alastair joined them, sneaking up on Hope and lifting her easily out of the water from behind, causing her to shriek and laugh as he held her close.
“I love seeing you girls together and having fun. I’m glad we’re doing this.” He held her close. “Leona, I’m bringing my guitar tonight, so it’s on, right?” He winked.
“Yes it is. I can’t wait, as a matter of fact. I’ve missed singing with you, big guy. And I can’t wait for Hope’s s’mores.” She loved seeing her two friends so happy and following their dreams.
Chapter Two
Later that evening, as they headed back to the cottage, Leona couldn’t help feeling a little nostalgic over the fact that the first couple in their group was officially engaged. She was so happy for them. She glanced over at Heather and studied her face for a minute before realizing something was off.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied curtly. “Nothing at all.” She clenched the steering wheel, causing her knuckles to turn white.
“Come on, Heather, this is me you’re talking to. Why do you look so sad? Aren’t you happy for them?”
“Of course I’m happy for them. It just sucks that Hope is getting her Prince Charming and you and I haven’t found anyone yet.” She shook her head. “That sounds horrible when I say it out loud. What the hell is wrong with me?” She sighed heavily. “I’m a terrible friend.”
“Yeah, it does sound horrible but that’s just you, Heather. You always want to be the first at everything.” Leona punched her arm softly. “Besides, you only said it to me and I would never repeat it.” Leaning back, she continued, “I always knew they’d be the first, she’s been with him forever. How could you expect us to be engaged before them? I’ve never had a boyfriend, and you don’t keep one long enough.”
“Wow, nothing like telling me the painful truth.” She grinned. “See, that’s why we make such a perfect team.”
“Yeah, we do make the perfect team. We tell each other the truth, even when it stings a bit. You and I will always be the best of friends. Promise me no matter what, we’ll stay friends.”
“Of course we will. Who else will ever be that painfully honest with us?” She turned the car into the driveway. “Come on, let’s get showered, eat, and maybe we can have a glass of wine on the porch before company gets here.”
“That sounds like a perfect way to end the night,” Leona said as she grabbed her bag and raced up the steps with Heather close on her heels. “Let’s never outgrow this either,” she said as she whirled around and stuck her tongue out at Heather. “I won.”
Heather giggled as she unlocked the door. “We won’t. Hey, I invited them over here tomorrow, too. I figured we could cook out and just watch the waves roll in. Tomorrow is supposed to be a good surf day. I thought it would be fun to watch.”
“That does sound like fun. I’ve only ever seen people surf on TV. Maybe there will be a hot guy you can flirt with,” Leona suggested, knowing that was exactly what Heather’s plans entailed.
Heather rolled her eyes and feigned surprise. “Me? Interested in a hot surfer? Now, why didn’t I think of that? I’m starving by the way. What are you making for dinner?”
“I guess I’m going to shower first since I’m cooking. Why don’t you see what we have? I can’t believe your parents had the place stocked with groceries for us.”
“Are you kidding? My mom said if she didn’t do it we would starve, because neither of us would think about stopping to get any.”
“Well…she’s right because I never thought about it and neither did
you.”
“Oh yeah.” She smiled sheepishly. “Don’t tell her, okay?”
“Are you kidding? If we don’t tell her, she won’t do it the next time. I don’t want her to think we’re responsible,” she replied over her shoulder as she hurried down the hallway to grab a shower.
Stripping off her sundress and suit, she rinsed them out and hung them on the hooks at the end of the tub. She turned on the shower and waited for it to heat up, happy that she had actually made it through a few hours at the beach without burning. Yay for sunscreen, best thing ever invented. She started running through the songs Alastair and she always played, singing the lyrics in her mind.
After her shower, she towel dried her hair so it would be extra wavy tomorrow. When she walked into the kitchen, she was pleased at Heather’s choice for dinner. She had placed two pork chops, two sweet potatoes, and a package of Brussels sprouts on the counter.
Leona made quick work of putting together a seasoned breading for the chops, while she readied the sweet potatoes for the oven. She decided to half the sprouts and sauté them in olive oil. She checked the fridge and found a bottle of white wine chilling. The only thing better would be to have all their friends here like old times.
Her mind drifted back to one of their childhood campouts; Hope, Heather, Dashiell, Jamie, and her giggling while pretending not to be too scared when Alastair, Andrew, Johnny, and Bastian told their ghost stories. A picture came to mind of the way Hope would look at Alastair from under her light lashes. Just little sideways glances that would leave her cheeks pink. Hope had been mooning over him since they were twelve. Leona sighed happily. They were meant to be together.
The timer went off, signaling dinner was done just as Heather sauntered back into the kitchen. “Wow, something smells really good. I’m starving.” She claimed two plates from the cabinet and placed them on the counter by the stove while Leona removed the food from the oven. “I’ll open the wine while you plate that.”
“Thanks. Wait until you taste the masterpiece I’m serving tonight. You’ll be even happier you invited along your own personal chef.” She turned from the counter and with a flourish, set the plated meals down.
“That looks and smells amazing.” Heather licked her lips as she cut a piece of pork. “Umm, you outdid yourself on this, Leona,” she said after she swallowed the meat.
“Thank you. It is pretty darn good, if I say so myself.” Her mouth curved into a smile as she thought of all the nights she had cooked to help her aunt when one or two of the kids had been sick. All that experience paid off.
“Remember that campout we had when the boys were telling ghost stories? When it was all of us? What were we, like twelve?”
Heather scrunched up her face, thinking back. “You mean the one when Alastair, Andrew, John, and Bastian showed up after my parents went to bed and scared the heck out of us?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“Yep, I think we were twelve. Why?”
“Do you remember how Hope used to turn pink and watch Alastair out of the corner of her eyes?”
“Yeah. She had a thing for him even then. What made you think about that?”
“Just being nostalgic, I guess. I was wishing all of us could get together again. Wouldn’t that be perfect?” She was really thinking how perfect it would be if Johnny showed up for at least part of her vacation. A year and a half was way too long not seeing him.
“Yeah. I mean I get to see everyone a bit more often than you do. But it sucks that all of us can’t get together at the same time. Did you know Dashiell and Jamie are backpacking around Scotland this summer?”
“Uh, no. Last time I talked to them was around Christmas. I’m not very good about keeping in touch with everyone.” She pouted. “What are Andrew and Bastian doing?”
“Well, they’re both doing summer courses at their colleges.” Heather frowned. “Haven’t you been keeping up with anyone’s Facebook pages?”
Leona shook her head. “I’m not very good with that kind of stuff. Too busy trying to keep up with all my homework and classes. When I do get a spare minute, I go down to this café by my dorm. They let me sing a few times a month. You and Johnny are really the only ones I talk to very often.”
“I guess I need to be more of a gossip then. Come on, let’s get this cleaned up so we can get everything ready. They should be here soon.”
Headlights shown through the front windows of the cottage as a car turned into the drive. “Alastair and Hope are here.” Heather squealed as she ran from the kitchen and threw open the front door.
Leona walked onto the porch. “Hey, you’re right on time. Did you bring the stuff to make your s’mores?” she asked as she gave Hope a huge hug.
“Of course I did.” She hugged Heather and went on into the kitchen to set her bag down. “When’s the last time we made these?”
“A long time ago.” Heather frowned. “Look at us. Four left out of the gang. I wish the others could have been here, too.”
Leona released Alastair from her hug and turned to face Heather. “No sad people tonight. I wish everyone else was here as well but shit happens, right?”
“Yeah, it does. Alastair can you grab the lighter on the counter and start the fire in the pit out back? It’s just off the porch to the left.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back. Where’s the wood?” he asked as he snatched the lighter up from the counter. He glanced back over his shoulder. “I brought my guitar, Leona. I’ve missed hearing you sing.”
“Thanks. I miss singing along while you play.” She sighed; she really did love to sing. It was what she wanted to do more than anything else in life, but as with everything else she wanted, her mother and aunt called it foolish. So, just like her feelings for Johnny, she shoved it away.
“Where is this fire pit?” he asked again when he opened the back door to the pitch-dark night.
“It’s just to the left of the steps, you can’t miss it. The light switch is right there.” Heather pointed to a switch on the wall by the back door. “Thanks, Alastair.”
Leona grabbed Hope’s left hand. “Look at this thing, it’s huge. I can’t believe you guys are engaged. Spill quick, did you have any idea at all?”
“No. He never let on. We got to the hotel and unpacked early this morning. He put the groceries away while I took a shower. When I came back into the kitchen, he had breakfast made for us. Sitting beside my plate was a bag and card. He just smiled and cocked his head at me. Today is our third anniversary of being together officially.”
“You guys have been together forever, since we were kids.” Heather smirked.
Hope smacked her on the shoulder. “You know what I mean, together, together. Anyway, when I opened the card, it was a picture of him down on one knee, and all it said was ‘will you?’”
“Wow,” both girls said in unison as they sighed.
“That is so freaking romantic. Damn, I wish I could find someone like Alastair. How’d you get so lucky?” Heather asked.
“You know, Andy always had an eye on you, Heather,” Hope replied. “You just chose not to pay any attention.”
“So not true.” Heather glanced over at Leona, her lips drawn in a tight line. “However, John has liked Leona for as long as I can remember.”
“I know,” Hope replied.
Leona’s mouth fell open. “What are you talking about? Johnny and I are just friends, always have been.”
Heather and Hope broke into a fit of giggles, shaking their heads at Leona. Slightly shocked with the news and unsure what to say, Leona looked down at the floor before declaring that she was going outside with Alastair. She hurried out the door, closing it a bit harder than she had intended in her haste. He never let on he liked me.
She scurried down the steps and over to the fire pit.
Alastair turned. “It will be ready in just a couple more minutes.” He stopped when he saw the confusion on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Her mout
h was set in a thin line. “Those two said Johnny has liked me since we were kids. But we’re just friends.” Leona looked back toward the cottage, wondering if she’d missed something.
Alastair grabbed her into his arms. “Is that what’s really bothering you?” he asked, a half grin forming on his handsome face.
“I have no idea what’s going on with me.” She shook her head, frustrated with her lack of an argument on the subject. “I guess just worried about things at home. Usually, I go home on break and help my aunt out. It feels wrong not being there.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped.
“She missed out. Maybe she would want this for you. Chin up and all that crap.”
She grabbed his hand. “Thanks for always being there for me.”
“No biggie. Speaking of John, have you talked to him?” He pushed the stick into the fire, moving things around a little to get the flames going.
“Not today. He’s visiting some friends that were in the military with his brother. Didn’t say where he was going, so I didn’t ask. He said he’ll call me in a couple of days.” She glanced over at Alastair. “Have you talked to him?”
“No, not lately. I’ve been busy with school and planning my big, pop-the-question-to-Hope-thing the last few weeks. Lame excuse, huh?” He gave her a lopsided grin.
“No, not at all. Who knew you would grow up to be such a romantic?”
“Well, I did.”
“Ego much?” She glanced at the house. “Here they come.”
“Just between you and me, they aren’t wrong about John. He does like you,” he whispered in her ear before stepping back.
Leona turned to face him, a frown replacing her smile. “What?”
“Later.” He nodded at the two women coming towards them.
Heather was waving a white paper towel. “We come in peace. No more talk about past crushes.” They were carrying a tray with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars.
“Where’s my s’mores?” Leona crossed her arms over her chest and tried to hide her smile.