Page 37 of The Beach Shack Summer
Natalie’s eyebrows shot up, but she recovered quickly. “Tyler’s daughter! How wonderful. I didn’t know he had—I mean, how nice to meet you!”
“Yeah, you too,” Stella muttered, clearly uncomfortable.
“Are you visiting for the summer?” Natalie asked, teacher voice engaged.
“Something like that.”
An awkward pause. Meg jumped in. “We’re shopping for dinner. Stella’s going to try my pesto.”
“Oh, you’re in for a treat! Meg makes amazing pesto. She used to bring it to study groups in high school. We’d bribe her with coffee to make extra.”
“You knew each other in high school?” Stella asked, showing the first sign of interest.
“Since kindergarten, actually. Meg, me, and Paige. The three musketeers, her mom used to call us.”
“Huh.” Stella looked between them like she was trying to imagine Meg as a teenager.
“We should go,” Meg said, suddenly self-conscious. “Frozen stuff melting.”
“Of course! But hey, we need to get together again soon—all three of us. Paige is going to flip when she hears about...” Natalie gestured delicately toward Stella. “All this happy family news.”
“Definitely,” Meg said. “Maybe coffee this week?”
“Yes! I’ll text you and Paige.” She shifted her overflowing cart, a box of juice boxes threatening to topple. “These goldfish crackers aren’t going to buy themselves!” She turned to Stella with a smile, and added, “And it has been very nice to meet you.”
After Natalie left, they finished shopping in relative quiet. Stella added her Pop-Tarts and sugary cereal while Meg filled the cart with actual food. At checkout, Stella watched the total climb with widening eyes.
“Food’s expensive here.”
“Beach town prices,” Meg agreed. “Everything costs more near the ocean.”
“In Sydney too. Mum always complained about it.”
They loaded the car, Stella helping without being asked.
As they drove back to Tyler’s, Stella asked, “So this pesto stuff. Is it hard to make?”
“Not really. Want to watch?”
“Maybe. If I’m not busy.”
“Of course. Very busy schedule of... what exactly?”
Stella groaned, but there was almost warmth in it.
“Hey, can I drive home?”
Meg looked at her with horror. “You don’t drive, do you?”
Stella’s chin rose a little. “Not yet, but I plan to.”
“Well, then we can plan to have you drive when you know how.”
Stella crossed her arms and slid down on the car seat a little, and Meg pretended not to notice. And wasn’t at all sure what the rules were for all of this.
Back at the house, they unloaded groceries together. Stella immediately opened her Pop-Tarts, eating one cold while Meg organized the refrigerator.
“These are perfect,” Stella announced. “Exactly the right kind.”
