Page 28 of Rebel Summer

“That still looks bad,” Phoenix said to Dax, pointing toward the room where the tarp flapped obnoxiously, a reminder to the entire town what I had done.

“How did you not get hurt?” Phoenix asked me, his dark gaze incredulous.

“Ivy can thank the roof of the golf cart for her life,” Beau said, plopping down onto the stool Larry had last occupied. For a second, I wondered if I should offer to disinfect it for him before dismissing the thought. “And her hero, Dax Miller.” Beau leaned toward Dax and roughly squeezed his shoulders.

Dax shot me a look, amusement lining his features. “If I had to have someone smash into my building while under the influence, I would have hand-picked Ivy out of a crowd.”

I glared at Dax while the guys laughed and looked like they would have kept talking along that line, but Dax shifted the conversation, looking toward Beau.

“Any cats that needed saving from a tree today, Officer?”

“Not today,” Beau said, tilting the barstool against the wall. “I spent most of my time trying to convince an old woman to not harass the staff in the retirement home.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Her name is Virginia. She’s sassy, mean, and has a massive crush on the boat mechanic next door.” Beau nodded toward Dax.

“Can I file a complaint for harassment too?” Dax asked, bending to clean out the underside of a lawnmower. “She’s made me blush twice already today.”

“Gotta keep the goods hidden, Dax. You’re driving the elderly wild.”

At my confused face, Beau filled me in. “He goes around with his shirt off all morning, fixing boats out in the marina, and the old ladies can’t get enough.”

“It’s hot,” Dax protested, a light flush crawling up his neck.

“They think you’re hot,” Beau said.

“Their eyesight must be going too, huh?” I said, while Beau and Phoenix laughed.

“Have you clocked in yet, Books?” Dax asked, for the sheer pleasure of annoying me.

“Where would you suggest I do that?”

He motioned toward a calendar pinned on the wall to the side of me. One glance told me exactly what I needed to know. The calendar was dated August 1967 and showcased a voluptuous blonde in a mini skirt and red-and-white polka dot shirt.

“Are you serious? Why is it set on August?”

He shrugged. “I think she was Keith’s favorite.”

My heart grew heavy at that. Keith McMannus owned the repair shop when I was a kid and had been a beloved member of the island. His sudden passing a few years ago had rocked the whole town.

“The days of the week won’t line up.”

“Won’t matter. Just write it on the same date.”

“Doesn’t the judge need something more official?”

He shrugged. “He just gets a report from me when you’re done.”

I tapped the calendar with my finger. “I’d hate to ruin such an heirloom. How about I keep track on my phone.”

He shook his head. “I want it on the calendar. I’d hate for you to cheat me out of what you owe.”

“You’re worried about me cheating?” I asked incredulously as several memories of him attempting to cheat off my test in our biology class came flying back to me.

As if remembering the same thing, a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d have a DUI on your record, but you just never know about people these days.”

Before I could respond, he laughed and pointed toward something behind me. “There’s a pen on that bench. Mark the time you arrive and the time you clock out each day. Beau, come help me for a sec.”

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