Page 45 of The Edge of Summer
The Delilah that first arrived on Kip Island would have bristled at that comment. She would have taken offence. Hell, I did take offence. Except I know Luke now. Not entirely, but I know him enough to understand this. Clara wasn’t wrong about his sense of moral obligation. The man doesn’t know how tonothelp.
“Thank you,” I say, and I mean it. “Let me know how much it cost and I’ll reimburse you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
My jaw drops. “Don’t worry about it? I can’t just not worry! That had to be a lot of money, Luke.”
He shakes his head. “It’s fine, Delilah. My friend at the body shop owed me a favour.”
And because I really don’t know when to leave well enough alone, I decide to open my big fat mouth. “You have friends?” I blurt.
My cheeks heat. I’m not sure where that came from, but when I look up at Luke, his lips are twisted like he’s tryingnot to laugh. I have absolutely no regrets if it means a chance of seeing that.
“Contrary to popular belief, I do,” he says. “Finn and I went to high school together.”
I sigh. I know he isn’t going to relent and let me pay, so I nod. I can feel his eyes assessing me then, perhaps searching for the things that need fixing. Unlike my car, however, I can’t just be taken in and repaired in one morning.
“Are you okay?” he finally asks.
I must look like a mess. Ifeellike a mess. I want to say no. My brother hates me, and I don’t blame him. I can’t even comfort my sister properly. By all accounts, I’m failing. I don’t say any of that, though. He doesn’t care about my baggage.
Instead I offer him a tired smile. “I’m fine. Just on my way to work.” My eyes flit to the driveway and back again. “You know, before someoneGrand Theft Auto’d my car.”
His eyes roll. “Next time I’m tempted to return a favour, I’ll think better of it.”
This time, my grin is downright goofy. “Careful, Chief, or I might start to get the feeling that you actually like me.”
Luke shakes his head in exasperation. “God forbid.”
He takes a couple steps back, putting an end to our conversation. Not that I would admit this out loud, but I’m sad to see him go. What a glutton for punishment I must be.
Luke tosses my keys back to me. “Try not to hit anyone else, yeah? The friends and family discount tends to only apply the first time you do expensive damage.”
I ignore his jab, instead focusing on the fact that he had my keys. Not my spare set either, but the ones with all mykeychains fastened to them. I hadn’t even noticed they were gone.
“How did you even get these?”
He shrugs. “I have my ways.” Then he turns on his heel, throwing me a wave over his shoulder. “See you around, Shutterbug.”
Even though my car has been returned, safe and sound, I’m left even more unsettled than I was when I walked out my front door. And it’s all thanks to Kip Island’s beloved fire chief.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
DELILAH
Firsts are always the hardest.
First Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first birthday. The Delacroixes were never big on Thanksgiving, so the holiday passed us by with only a mild pang of longing. Christmas, on the other hand, was our mom’s favourite. I tried to keep her traditions alive—decorating the house to the nines, baking cookies with Sophia, going hard on the Santa rouse. I like to think Soph had fun, but everything had a melancholic hollowness to it that kept me from enjoying it. Parker chose not to participate at all.
Sophia’s birthday came next at the beginning of February, and then Parker’s shortly after at the end of March. By then, a certain numbness had settled over us all, so the days passed with little fanfare. Sophia requested ice cream for breakfast, and like always, I was powerless to resist.
I haven’t told anyone on the island that today is my birthday. Truthfully, I’m trying to forget about it altogether. Butas I walk into the Bowmans’ kitchen, ready for another Sunday brunch, that is much easier said than done.
A homemade banner that readsHappy Birthday, Delilah!hangs on the wall opposite the doorway I’m frozen in. Based on the colour palette, I can only assume Abbie and Sophia had hands in making it. And there are balloonseverywhere. John is still a little red in the face, leading me to believe he spent the better part of his morning inflating them.
“Surprise!” Clara exclaims.
