Page 38 of The Broken Hearts Club

“Only if you continue to not say anything.”

I took a seat on the sand beside him and rested my arms on my bent knees. After a minute or two, I said, “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to drive, because it’s unsafe.”

“And I thought you weren’t going to say anything.”

“That needed to be said, though.”

“I didn’t drive.”

“Then how did you get here?”

“My chauffeur brought me.”

“What chauffeur?”

“Billy.” He waved to a skinny kid in a wetsuit, who’d just washed up on the beach next to his surfboard. Billy waved back before picking up his board and paddling out again.

“Is Billy old enough to drive?”

“He’s seventeen, and he has a learner’s permit.”

“I thought you needed to have an adult in the car with you when you drive with a permit.”

“He did. He had me.”

“And where exactly did you find Billy?”

“Online.”

“You probably shouldn’t tell people you pick up teenagers on the internet.”

“Don’t make it sound pervy,” he said. “I found him on one of those odd jobs websites. He’s trying to raise money for college.”

“And how much are you paying him?”

“Five dollars an hour.”

“It better be a community college.”

“It’s a mutually beneficial agreement,” Collie informed me. “He gets to practice driving, and he wanted to come to the beach anyway, so he could catch a few waves.”

“Is this the first time you’ve seen the ocean?”

“Yup.”

“I should have brought you here sooner.”

“To be fair, you were a bit distracted by medical emergencies and shotgun weddings.”

“It wasn’t technically a shotgun wedding,” I pointed out. “I’m pretty sure someone has to be knocked up to qualify.”

“I know, but I like how dramatic that sounds.”

“As far as medical emergencies, Collie…”

“Nope. We’re not going to discuss it.” Just then, the teapot started to whistle. He turned off the burner and produced a mug with a teabag, seemingly out of thin air. “If you’d like a drink, grab a mug and some tea from the van. I have sleepy time, raspberry zinger, and something called Matcha Do About Nothing. I bought that last one at a funky country store on the drive to California, but I haven’t tried it yet.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”