Page 16 of Plotting Summer

“Don’t panic yet.” Tala is obviously aware I’m concocting a worst-case scenario in my head. “I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.”

Grandma brushes past me. “Let me ask the kids if they’ve seen them.”

Right then the back door opens, and Heath and Tristan step inside, talking about a recent game of some kind. Possibly baseball? My gaze settles on Tristan before I can stop it. His eyes meet mine and he smiles like he knows I have no control over my gawking self. I quickly glance away and open the silverware drawer as though that’s a logical place for my keys to be. The spice cupboard is next. Also a negative.

“Have you seen Capri’s keys?” Tala asks Heath while I continue opening random cabinets and drawers. “She can’t find them.”

“Did you check the drawer in the entryway table? That’s where I would’ve put them if I’d thought they were ours.” He pauses. “Though I highly doubt I’d confuse Capri’s Jeep fob with our Suburban keys.”

Their Suburban is ancient, so Heath has a point about how different our keys look, but hope still rises in my chest. Maybe he didn’t take a close look and slid them into the drawer when he brought Grandma earlier. I shut the fridge (yes, I checked in there) and hurry to the front entryway. I pull the drawer open, sifting through the keys inside. The Suburban keys, two sets for the golf cart, and a ring with a few smaller, unfamiliar keys on it.

“Are they there?” Tala asks, coming up behind me and glancing over my shoulder.

I shake my head.

“The kids say they haven’t seen them,” Grandma calls from the family room. “But I’ll keep looking.”

My shoulders deflate like a balloon that’s sprung a leak. “They have to be in the Jeep. I’ll take the fishing boat over⁠—”

Heath steps into the entryway, leaning against the wall. “Maybe Tristan can drive you to the parking garage in his boat.” He looks behind him to where Tristan must be waiting. “If you don’t mind. It’s just that it’d be the fastest option.”

I glare at my brother-in-law with all the fury inside me until Tristan appears at his side and I’m forced to shift my expression into something more pleasant.

“I’d be happy to take you,” he says.

Instantly, I’m my hyper-aware, overthinking younger self again, and Tristan is offering me another one of his obligatory invitations. I don’t want a man, particularly not Tristan, to feel obligated to be with me. And there might also be a small part of me that doesn’t trust myself to be alone with him. Not because there’s any chance of a repeat of The Incident, but because of the level of awkwardness I’m currently exhibiting. That and, after what I’ve done, it’s best to avoid any further interactions with him. Especially when the less sensible parts of me want nothing more than to further our interactions. All signs point to saying no. “Actually, now that I think about it, I could have dropped them on the walk over. I should probably retrace my steps. That way I can also ask if anyone turned in keys on the ferry.”

Tristan watches me, as though he’s trying to decide what to make of my refusal.

“I can take the ferry.” Heath says it so casually I almost believe he isn’t a master schemer at work. “That way you can get to your Jeep quicker. Make sure it’s still there and someone hasn’t driven off with it.”

Hitting me where it counts, I see. Well played. “I doubt thirty minutes will make a difference,” I say, praying desperately I’m right. Though maybe I shouldn't be offering prayers when I have murder on my mind. Karma is coming for Heath. “But if you would, Heath, can you move the boxes from Tristan’s boat back inside for now? I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, and I know Tristan has to get back to work.” I can feel the collective focus of the room follow me as I take my phone from my bag and slide it in my back pocket. “I’ll hurry.” I head to the door but pause and meet Tristan’s contemplative gaze. “Thanks for your willingness to help. It was good to see you again.”

And then, without waiting for a reply, I lift a hand in farewell and slip outside.

It’s official. The keys are lost.

After coming up empty-handed on the retracing-my-every-step-adventure, I spent over an hour scouring my sister’s house with the help of a sincerely baffled Tala and Heath. Even Grandma chipped in when she wasn’t holding Lucas. And then, out of sheer desperation, I offered Serenity and Jack a hefty cash prize if they could locate the missing keys. A small part of me hoped that one of the kids had hidden them to prevent me from leaving, but when they both came back empty-handed after a very determined search, they were as disappointed as I was.

Almost.

The silver lining: my Jeep is still in the parking garage. And it’s locked, which means the keys aren’t inside. So that’s one place they can't be. Which only leaves an innumerable number of places they can be.

The impromptu trip to the local Jeep dealership this afternoon was also useless. It’ll somehow take two to three weeks and a small fortune to get one measly little fob programmed for my specific vehicle when it only took four weeks to get my custom Wrangler ordered and delivered according to all my specifications. Go figure. I told the dealership employee to hold off ordering a new one for the time being, and I’ll call Monday if the keys don’t turn up.

I pull Tala and Heath’s old Suburban into the parking lot of the mainland grocery store and search for a spot. After several loops, I accept my fate and park at what’s possibly the furthest parking space from the grocery store entrance. It tracks, considering I’ve not had a bit of luck since arriving on Sunset Harbor this morning. I drop my head onto the steering wheel, still coming to terms with the fact that my brief visit to Sunset Harbor will be extended through the weekend. Likely longer. How is this my life right now? And with Tristan next door? A small whimper escapes me.

I pull out my phone to text Jane.

CAPRI

Apparently Tristan moved back into the Palmers’ house and everyone forgot to tell me! Traitor!

The three dots immediately appear, and I tap my finger on the side, waiting.

JANE

We didn’t forget. It was a very conscious choice.