Page 50 of A Novel Summer
When he told his mother the good news, he’d make sure to make it seem like the change in plan had been Kate’s idea.
Thirty-Five
Fourth of July weekend dawned bright and hot. Shelby stood on Hunter’s deck, looking out at the beach below. The baby shower theme colors, cobalt blue and peach, really popped against the sand and sea. Six round tables were set with fresh sunflower centerpieces and icy carafes of pink lemonade. The plates, glasses, and striped table runners were coral, blue, and white, with two decorative white starfish resting atop each folded cloth napkin.
Shelby passed the deck’s sangria bar, dropping her gift off on the designated table covered with gifts wrapped in pastel-colored paper. The centerpiece was white, eco-friendly helium balloons tied to glass baby bottles filled with jelly beans. On the beach below, two dozen or so guests milled around. The Harry Styles song “Watermelon Sugar” played over the outdoor sound system. The salt air met Shelby like a kiss, a moment of pure summer that took her breath away.
“Shelby!” Pam Miller called out, rushing across the deck to give her a hug. It was typical Pam exuberance, just as it was exactly like Annie to smile quietly and trail after her.
Pam was in her fifties, tall and lean. She wore her gray hair boyishly short, and always seemed to be dressed in a white button-down, faded jeans, and Converse. Her familiar scent, a cinnamon-sugar mix, made Shelby feel like a college kid again.
“Look at you—a bestselling author. And we can say we ‘knew you when.’”
“I tell everyone who will listen about my summers at Land’s End,” Shelby said. It was true; she mentioned Land’s End whenever she spoke about her path to becoming a novelist.
“You’ve done us proud,” Annie said, pushing up on her toes to kiss Shelby’s cheek. She had a round face framed by shoulder-length blond curls and wore a pale purple T-shirt, cargo shorts, and Birkenstocks. “And thank you so much for helping with the store. And all of this!” She waved a cocktail napkin decorated with a pink-and-blue anchor in the center and above it, the wordsBabies on Board.
From the beach below, Colleen caught her eye. They shared a smile.
“Excuse me for one minute. I just want to say hi to Colleen.”
Shelby took the wooden stairs down to the sand and followed the tarp path leading to where tables had been set out. Colleen was already seated at a table with a centerpiece of coral balloons anchored by a balloon weight wrapped in turquoise foil.
She noticed Colleen’s T-shirt and laughed.
“I didn’t think you’d be wearing ittoday.” Shelby bent down to give her a hug. When she’d stopped by to visit a few nights ago, she gave Colleen a T-shirt that said on the front, Sorry, I Just Can’t...and on the back, I’m Busy Growing Two Tiny Humans.
“Oh, I’m wearing iteveryday,” Colleen said, leaning into her hug. “Thank you for putting all this together. You and Hunter. I love you guys.”
Hunter stood near the neighboring table, talking to a young local, Jaci Barros, whose family owned the boatyard. Shelby waved, but Hunter either didn’t notice or pretended not to notice.
Shelby hadn’t seen her since the night of Anders’s book reading. Aside from their initial shower planning meeting at the house, they’d only communicated by text or DM. Since Shelby was hunkered down writing every night, she didn’t even have the chance to run into her after work. She wondered, for the first time, if Hunter was upset with her again for some reason.
“It’s just like the old days,” Colleen said, following Shelby’s gaze. The expression on her face was hopeful. “The three of us. Here on the beach.”
“Yeah, for sure,” Shelby said.
She felt people hovering nearby, waiting to say hi to Colleen. It made it easy for her to slip away, to get Hunter’s attention and pull her aside.
“Can we talk for a sec?” Shelby said. Hunter tried to shake her off, but Shelby wouldn’t take no for an answer. Shelby turned towards the sun, watching the way it seemed to bounce off the ocean. The water was dotted with boats, and a test firework sounded off somewhere. Shelby almost forgot it was the Fourth of July; the town’s festive vibe felt like an extension of the baby shower.
They walked towards the water.
“What is it?” Hunter said impatiently, glancing back at the party.
“I just wanted to say I’m glad we did this together. And it makes Colleen really happy to see us friends again.”
Hunter barked out a strange laugh. “Is that what we are?”
Shelby stopped walking. “I thought so.”
“Just like nothing ever happened. How convenient for you.”
Was she serious? “Is this about my book? Because I thought we were past that.”
Hunter stopped walking and turned to her. “It’s not about the book. The book just confirmed it. You’re not capable of being anyone’s friend. Or girlfriend, apparently. I’m not sure how Colleen convinced you to come out here this summer, but I’m sure you’ll let her down somehow, too.”
Shelby was confused.
