Page 3 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

Nodding, I squeezed his shoulder. “Good. How’s the room?”

As soon as I decided I was going to bring everyone here for the summer, I knew the little apartment above the garage would be perfect for their little family. It had a small kitchenette and living area, with a spacious bedroom and bathroom. But most importantly, it was separate from the main house. They could just enjoy the time on their own, or join in with everyone else. The choice was theirs.

Daniel lifted his gaze to mine, gratitude burning in its depths. “It’s perfect, man. You didn’t need to do all that.”

I immediately knew he was talking about all the baby supplies I’d had Mrs. Robinson bring in. “Yeah, I did. I want Amy to be able to relax while she’s here.”

He swallowed. It was the only sign of emotion I’d get. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

He nodded politely, but I knew he wouldn’t. It just wasn’t his way. “I’m going to check over the security system. Make sure it’s all up and running properly.” With that, he turned and walked back inside.

Shaking my head with a grin, I pulled out my phone and opened the best app I had—a surf report app. And if it was correct, the boys and I would have some waves to catch by tomorrow afternoon. Oh, yeah. This summer was going to rock.

Chapter 3

Olivia

I woke to the sounds of waves rolling in and out. I would’ve liked to say it was peaceful and relaxing, but it was so different from what I was used to, I found it kind of jarring.

Blinking a few times to clear my head, I sighed and stretched, turning to glance at the clock beside the bed. As my consciousness slowly deciphered the little green numbers and told me it was six fifteen, my eyes widened. Holy crap. I’d been asleep for fifteen hours? How the hell had that happened?

Frowning, I forced myself to sit

up. The thought of having no responsibilities for the next few weeks felt more than a little weird. There were no chores waiting for me. No school to get to on time. And no villagers needing assistance. It was just me, and a whole lot of empty time.

Grabbing my toiletry bag, I ducked into my very own bathroom and relieved myself before assessing the fanciest shower I’d ever seen, trying to work out how to turn the thing on.

Lifting the lever on the side as carefully as I could, a nozzle suddenly descended from the ceiling, fanning out and spraying water down like a luxuriously soft waterfall. It was freakishly showy, and I felt as guilty as hell using it, but this was what I needed to get used to, whether I liked it or not.

Stepping under the spray, I closed my eyes and let the cool water wash away the last of my sleep, before hopping out and getting ready for the day. Choosing one of the two pairs of shorts I owned, I paired them with a worn gray tank and stepped into my barely-hanging-in-there flip-flops.

Aunt Jenny was making pancakes by the time I made it down to the kitchen. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” she said with a smile. “Ready to hit the shops?”

She’d already warned me during the car trip from the airport that she’d be taking me shopping as soon as possible. She’d said she had six years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for. The thought made me a little nervous. I wasn’t sure if I could ever be a seasoned shopper again after the last six years, but I had to admit, my wardrobe was seriously lacking.

I pursed my lips. “I think so, but please be gentle with me.”

She laughed a huge belly laugh I thought was completely unnecessary, and slid a stack of pancakes in front of me. “I’ll be as gentle as I can, precious, but I saw your suitcase. You’re in desperate need of everything from underwear to shoes, and everything else in between.”

I cringed. “Okay, I’ll admit that, but let’s not go overboard, okay?”

She turned away from me, trying to hide her laugh. “I’ll try to make it as painless as possible.”

We went to a small seaside town, about twenty minutes north of the beach house. I was grateful for the general lack of a crowd. I didn’t think I’d be able to tolerate pushy salespeople and obnoxious shoppers just yet.

There weren’t too many shops to choose from, but the ones that were there stocked everything I needed and had very reasonable prices. After too many arguments to count, I ended up with a few sets of underwear, including (to my embarrassment) a couple of thongs, which Aunt Jenny said was a must for any nineteen-year-old girl, pajamas, sundresses, cardigans, leggings, tank tops, shorts, jeans, blouses, and four pairs of shoes.

I frowned at her with serious condemnation as we lugged the bags to the car. She ignored me, placing the bags in the trunk and closing it with a gentle click. “We have one more stop to make before we head back,” she said.

I glared at her. “No more. I don’t need anything else. Seriously, Aunt Jenny. I’m fine.”

She smiled. “Are you sure about that? What if the ocean calls out to you? What are you going to wear?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Oh my God. I haven’t even seen a beach in six years, Aunt Jenny. I doubt I’m going to go swimming.”

All I got from that was rolled eyes. “What about surfing?” she said. “I still have your old board in my garage.”

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