Page 56 of Plotting Summer

Tala shakes her head. “This is why you should have eaten more of your dinner.”

“That’s what I told him.” Heath steps into our little circle and grabs a towel, patting himself dry.

“Please?” Jack and Serenity say in unison.

Grandma gestures for them to come closer. “If you can convince your parents to say yes,” she whispers loud enough for all of us to hear, “it’ll be my treat.”

Serenity and Jack’s hopeful gazes turn to their mom.

“Grandma, you don’t need—” Tala begins.

“I insist.” With a hesitant nod of agreement from both Tala and Heath, Grandma points to her purse sitting with our bags. “Jack, if you’ll hand me my purse.”

Instead of going around, Jack, still dripping, squeezes between the Palmers and grabs the purse.

“Jack!” Tala calls after him, obviously not thrilled with his method.

“He’s fine.” Joy smiles, scooting away from Mark so there’s more room for Jack as he steps between them a second time.

Jack hands Grandma the purse. “Here you are, Grandmama.”

She opens it and removes her wallet, but Jack’s attention remains fixed on something inside her purse. He leans in, then his eyes brighten. “Auntie Capri,” he says, reaching in and pulling out a bundle of keys with a familiar seashell keychain. “Are these yours?”

I stare at Grandma. “You had my keys this whole time?”

She has the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. “How did those get in there?”

“You sneaky little troublemaker,” Heath says with a laugh. “We looked for those things for hours. Why would you take them?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Grandma’s eyes slide from me to Tristan, and the implication must be excessively clear to anyone nearby who cares to see it. Which, with one glance around, is everyone, the smiling Palmers and gleeful Sandra included.

And just like that, all my friendship progress vanishes, and I’m right back to square one—the love-struck neighbor.

“Do I still get the money for finding them?” Jack asks, handing the keys to me.

I give a small nod, my eyes stinging from embarrassment. It takes every bit of self-control I possess to meet Tristan’s gaze. “Looks like you don’t need to drive me home Saturday after all.”

Tristan pulls Old Bessie into his driveway, and when he turns off the golf cart, neither of us moves. Being alone with just him again has me breathing easier. Which it’s kind of crazy that I feel that way, all things considered.

“Sorry I didn’t swim tonight,” he says, glancing over at me. “I should have clarified that I’d be there as a Seaside Oasis representative.”

I turn to face him on the bench seat, tucking my legs beneath me. “It’s fine. I was there for the snow cones.”

He chuckles. “You and Walker both, apparently.”

The image of Walker and Jack racing to see who could eat a snow cone the fastest and both ending up with massive brain freeze warms me straight through. “There’s something different about him. I’m not sure what, but it makes me happy.”

“He does seem different somehow. In a good way.”

“Speaking of different,” I can’t fight my smile, “he went all protective-older-brother on me the other night and warned me to be careful around you.”

“Did he?”

I nod, waiting expectantly for Tristan’s defense.

He leans in close. “If you think I’m just going to hand over an answer without a victory, you’re very much mistaken.”

“I’ll exchange you a question for a question,” I say, confident he won’t refuse me. Not when he still wants the answer to the question I wouldn’t give him on our bike ride.