I tossed the old newspaper onto the coffee table and tried to keep my eyes off her bedroom door, but I couldn’t help staring. Seven-thirty.

Any minute now.

The morning sun shot through the pine trees in our front yard, making jagged needle-like shadows on the wall behind me. That was where I should concentrate. Might make some great photos.

But no, the bedroom door had my full attention.

I rubbed my hand over the stubble on my chin and waited. With a quiet twist, the doorknob turned. I jumped from the couch and stepped to the bar in the kitchen, feigning interest in my soggy cereal. The door opened and he came out, his gelled hair sticking out in unruly spikes. He tucked his sports shirt into his jeans.

“Oh, Andrew. Hey, man,” he said, grinning.

My stomach turned to steel, and I bit back the smart-mouth retort that fired to my lips.

He looked out the window, and his smile stretched even wider. “Nice day, huh? Well, I’d best be off.”

He moved across the room in three long strides and left the house. My gaze shifted back to the bedroom door. Mom emerged, wiggling her hips to straighten her short skirt.

“Andy, honey, would you make me a bit of decaf?”

“You’re going to be late.”

“I know, but Boss-Man won’t care now, will he?” She patted her poofed-up hair and gave a throaty giggle.

I grabbed a clean mug, filled it with water, and stuck it in the microwave.

“You going in to work today?” she asked, settling on a bar stool.

“Yeah, at nine.”

She reached over and stroked my cheek. “Don’t forget it’s summer. I want you to do some major goofing-off.”

Whose mother says that? None that I knew. “I know, Mom. I will.”

I had my reasons for loving work. Especially now. Granted, it was running a cash register at Sue’s Seaport Shoppe, but there were perks.

“They ever hire a new salesgirl?”

I nodded and quickly averted my eyes. All I needed was for Mom to figure out why I suddenly loved my job.

“Tourists are crawling around everywhere this week.” She ran her hands down her shoulders and hugged herself. “Hmm, maybe I should do some crawling around, too. You know, troll the male tourists.”

The microwave dinged, and I took out the hot water. “Gross. Would you stop talking like that? Gives people the wrong idea.”

Actually, it would give people the right idea, but I didn’t say so.

I grabbed the decaf off the shelf and spooned some granules into her cup. After a swift stir, I handed it to her.

She pursed her lips and blew into the mug. “Pity is, you remind me of your dad. When are you going to start living a little?”

As soon as Daniela Rosen says yes.

I chucked my cereal bowl in the sink. “I’m living. Quit worrying.”

Mom took a quick gulp, squealed, and fanned her mouth. “Whoa! Way too hot.”

She glanced at the clock and plunked the mug onto the counter, causing coffee to slosh over the rim. “Gotta run anyway. See you, honey.”

Only an hour till I had to report to work. I needed to shave — I wondered whether Daniela liked her guys with a clean-cut or a rugged look.

I aimed to find out.

 

****

 

I leaned my bike against the weathered plank wall of Sue’s Seaport Shoppe and pushed on the heavy wooden door. A tinkling bell announced my entrance, and Sue bustled in from the stock room. “Good, you’re here, Andrew. The new girl is going to need help with the window display. I’ve got to work on the books, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m not joking. I’m locking myself in the office, and unless you’re bleeding out, do not disturb me. Accountant comes next week.”

I laughed. “Got it.”

She brushed her hand through her tight red curls and chewed her lower lip. “Daniela should be here in twenty minutes. I think she’s going to work out quite nicely.”

“I agree.”

“I’ve filled the register, so it’s ready to go.” She patted the baskets of handmade soap that lined the west wall. “You know what I want in the window, right?”

“You went over it with me yesterday. We’ll be fine.”

She pressed her fingers to her lips. “All right, then. I’m back to the books.”

“Good luck,” I called after her.

I went to the shop door and flipped the sign from “Closed” to “Open.” From that spot, if you stood just right and peered over the gas station sign down the street, you could see a corner of the Pacific Ocean running along Washington’s coastline. Since I was tall, it was easy for me, so I took a moment to watch the surf.

I caught movement from the corner of my eye and saw Daniela rounding the block coming to the store. Figuring she’d think I was staring at her, I moved to the cash register and coded in.

The bell jingled as she entered. When she saw me, her deep brown eyes crinkled with a smile. “Hi, Andrew.” She looked around the shop. “Where’s Sue?”

“Working on the books, so we’re in charge today.”

She raised her eyebrows, and her lips came together in a thoughtful pout that sent shivers all the way down my legs. I coughed and straightened a stack of business cards on the counter.

“I’m supposed to be working on the display, so I guess I’ll start there.”

I stepped to her side. “Sue wants me to help you.”

“Okay, cool.” Daniela flipped her chocolate-colored hair over her shoulder, and it fell like ribbons down to her waist.

We walked into the stock room and each of us grabbed a box of display items. Daniela was short, only as tall as my chest, but she was strong. She hoisted the heavy box with no problem. We set the containers on the ledge and both of us crawled into the small window space. She turned, and her elbow jabbed me in the side.

“Sorry!” she said, laughing.

“It didn’t hurt.”

“Not much room in here. Maybe one of us should direct from the floor.”

I liked the cozy quarters fine but was too embarrassed to say so. “I’ll leave.”

She gazed at me, and her dark eyes sparkled with a glint of mischief. “Don’t leave me, Andrew. Just stand down there next to the opening.”

With effort, I pulled my eyes away from hers and stepped onto the shop floor.

“I think she wants the buckets of shells here on the side,” Daniela said, tapping a play shovel against the wall of the display case.

“Yeah, she does, but design it however you think it’ll look good.” Whatever Daniela decided would be awesome. “When did you move to Ocean Mist?”

She sat back on her haunches. “I didn’t. I live in Astenia. I tried to find a job there but couldn’t land a thing. Ocean Mist isn’t far, so voilà. Here I am.”

“You go to Astenia High?”

“Yeah, I’m going to be a junior. You?”

“A junior, too. Longacre High.”

“Whoa. We’re rivals.” She grinned. “Hmm, fraternizing with the enemy. Maybe we shouldn’t get too chummy.”

I wanted nothing more than to get chummy with Daniela.

“Any friends around here?” she asked.

“I had a best friend. His name was Tommy. Tom Jasper.”

“Had?”

I handed her a stack of beach hats, which she began placing around the edges of the display. “He moved at the beginning of the June.”

“Bummer.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

She stood up and adjusted a poster on the back wall. “I’ll be your new friend.”

When I realized I was beaming at her, I tried to shrink down my smile. I needn’t have worried — her next words shrank it down fast.

“You’ll have to meet my boyfriend. Although I’m warning you, he’s a linebacker, so don’t mention Longacre High.”

Disappointment coursed through me. I must’ve been mental to think a girl who looked like Daniela would be single.

She leaned out from the display and offered me her hand. I grabbed it, and she jumped down, landing inches away. She tipped her head to look up at me, and there was a glimmer in her eyes.

“We could give him something to be jealous about.” She moistened her lips.

My heart jolted with excitement. She moved closer and I went stiff, every nerve alert. She brushed her face against my bicep and then giggled.

“I’m teasing, Andrew! My boyfriend would kill us both.” She gave a light punch to my shoulder.

My breath escaped in a whoosh. I attempted to laugh with her.

“Do you think I should add the stacks of striped beach towels to the window?” She was back to business.

“Sure,” I said, retreating to the cash register.

Sue was true to her word and stayed cloistered in her office all day long. During the morning, Daniela messed around with the display, and I waited on customers. Not many locals came in, but tourists never missed a chance to shop at Sue’s. Ocean Mist had tourists mainly through the hottest part of the summer. After September, they pretty much stayed away.

In the afternoon, Daniela chatted it up with the customers, and some of them lingered forever, evidently unable to tear themselves away from Daniela’s flirting eyes and happy jabber.

I tried to ignore her, but I was a fish to her lure.

When my shift was over, I knocked on Sue’s office door.

“You bleeding out?” she asked, but I heard her chuckle.

I pushed the door open a crack. “Very funny.”

“Come on in. I must be cross-eyed by now. How’s business been?” She rubbed her eyes, smudging her make-up into light gray patches on her upper cheeks.

“It’s been steady.”

“And Daniela? How’d she do?”

“Customers love her.”

Sue’s smile widened. “As I suspected. She’ll be great for business.”

“It’s time for both of us to go home,” I said.

Sue picked up the digital clock from her desk. “Lord! You’re right. After today, you and Daniela won’t be here the exact same hours. There’ll be a little overlap, but not like today.”

I nodded, not surprised.

“So, I guess it’s my turn to mind the store for the last few hours,” Sue said.

“You want me to get you something from the diner?”

She came around the desk and patted my arm. “You’re a good kid, Andrew. But I’ll order in, no big deal.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Sue yawned and stretched toward the ceiling. Then we both headed back out to the shop. Daniela had her hand on a young guy’s arm, and they were cracking up.

“Let us in on the joke,” Sue said, pausing to straighten a pile of dish towels emblazoned with embroidered shells.

“Ma’am, you’ve hired a comedian here,” the guy said, grinning at Daniela as if they’d known each other for years.

“Glad to hear it. Daniela, you’re free to go home, now, and thank you, dear. Andrew, walk her out, will you?”

Daniela dashed into the stock room and came back with her jacket on. We walked out together.

“This yours?” she asked, pointing to my yellow ten-speed.

“Yeah, it is.” I picked up my bike and slung one leg over it.

“I like to ride bikes, but riding from Astenia would take too long. I’m parked around the corner.” She gestured at me to accompany her, and since it was on my way, I accommodated, pushing my bike along the sidewalk. She drove a caramel-colored compact that glimmered like real gold.

“Cool car,” I said, mounting my bike again.

“Yeah, got it for my sixteenth. Dad told me I should drive around in a jewel, so he got me this.” She laughed and patted the hood with affection.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Maybe we could ride bikes after work sometime.”

I put all my weight on one foot and balanced my bike against my leg. “What?”

“You know, you and me, ride bikes.”

“You have a boyfriend.”

She made a face. “I know. I meant as friends.”

“Yeah, I guess, sometime.” My heart was beating so wildly I backed up a step, afraid she would hear it.

She reached for the door handle, and the lock beeped open. “What kind of things do you do? You know, besides work?”

In my mind, I saw a burly linebacker making his moves on the field. Saying I took photos suddenly sounded lame.

“Nothing much,” I said.

She nodded at my bike. “Just riding, then?”

“Sure. Just riding.”

“Okay. We’ll ride together next week.”

I wasn’t ready to commit myself to death by jealous boyfriend, but looking into her inviting, dark eyes, I agreed.

“See you tomorrow, Andrew.” She opened her door, slid into the driver’s seat, and drove off.

I liked how my name sounded on her lips.

I shook my head.

I was done for.

 

****

 

The salty smell of canned chicken soup greeted me when I got home. Mom stood at the stove, giving the broth a slow stir. With a pop, two pieces of bread flew up from the toaster.

“Dinner’s ready,” she said.

I walked into the kitchen to wash my hands. She plunked two bowls of soup on the bar, grabbed the toast, and dropped it, unbuttered, on a napkin.

“You hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“How was work?” She gave me her raised-eyebrow-smirk, and right then I knew she’d heard about the new hire at Sue’s Seaport Shoppe.

“Fine.”

With a backhanded slap on my arm, she continued, “Fess up! You’ve got a new friend, and I want to hear all about her.”

I swallowed a bite of toast. “Seems to me you’ve already heard.”

Mom leaned close, excitement radiating off her. “Only that she’s drop-dead gorgeous and she’s from Astenia.”

“Then you’ve heard all I know.”

She slapped me again. “Come on, Andy. It’s time you stepped into the game. A good-looking boy like you? It’s a waste.”

I grimaced and took a spoonful of hot soup that burned all the way down my throat.

“Don’t be like your dad,” she said and rested back in her chair, observing me. “You’re smart, and you’ve got the looks.”

My chest tightened, and I suppressed an urge to get up and walk out. She was always going on about Dad. I’d heard it so many times I could puke.

“You know girls don’t like boring guys,” she said. “I simply can’t stand the thought you’ll turn out like him.”

My jaw hardened, and I sucked in a long breath. My nostrils flared, but I kept my eyes on the bowl of soup in front of me.

She reached out and petted my hand. “I don’t mean to nag you, Andy. But I worry. You know I worry.”

“We’re going bike-riding together,” I blurted.

Her pale green eyes bugged out, and a smile of pleasure covered her face. “Now, that’s more like it. When?”

“Sometime next week,” I said, telling myself it wasn’t exactly a lie.

She took a dainty slurp of soup. “Good. Good, Andrew.” She set her spoon down with a click. “Don’t get too involved, though. Play the field — try out all the girls.”

Like she was trying out all the guys practically nonstop since dumping my dad five years earlier?

I sighed. “Geez, Mom. Give it a rest.”

She giggled. “Never. Next week, huh?” She rubbed her hand lightly over the stubble on my chin. “You might want to shave.”

I rolled my eyes.

“But then again, maybe the bad-boy look is sexier. Yeah, I like it better.”

Right then, I decided to shave.

 

****

 

The next morning when I opened the shop door, Daniela was standing behind the counter with a warm smile. I did a double take; she wasn’t supposed to be there when I got in.

“Andrew, you’re here.”

 

“Morning, Daniela.”

Her teasing tone sent jingles of excitement through me. A hot ache grew in my throat, and I turned quickly and headed for the stock room.

I set my backpack on a table piled high with an assortment of shipping boxes. A mirror hung next to the bathroom door, and I gave it a quick glance, smoothed my hair, and ventured back out.

“Didn’t expect you so early,” I said, busying myself straightening the keychain rack.

“Sue said you’d teach me the cash register. That’s why I’m here first thing instead of this afternoon.” Daniela joined me at the rack and started picking through the key chains, catching the ones hanging on the wrong pegs. She brushed against my side, and a jolt of electricity zinged through me.

“I’m glad you’re my teacher today,” she said. “I’m good at math, so I’ll catch on right away.”

I gazed down at her face as she concentrated on the chains. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit, and her eyes crinkled like she was a little girl figuring out how to tie her shoe. The whole picture was so adorable it sent tremors through me. All I wanted to do was take her in my arms and crush her against me.

I stepped away.

“Not much math involved,” I said in a stiff voice and retreated to the register. “Machine does all the figuring for you.”

She slipped the last keychain in place, looked over at me, and flashed a smile. “Still glad.”

The bathroom door squeaked and Sue emerged, shaking the drips off her hands. “Lord, we go through the paper towels around here.” She bent down to pick up a stray price tag. “Andrew, did Daniela tell you?”

“That I’m teaching her the register? Yeah, she told me.”

“Hope you don’t mind. I’m going to be holed up again, so you two are in charge. Daniela, by the end of today, I want you capable of running this store by yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“All righty. Thanks, both of you.” She started to her office then looked back over her shoulder. “You don’t have to be bleeding out today. If you need me, knock.”

I nodded. “Got it.”

Daniela walked over to me. “Teach me.”

Magnetism vibrated off her, and I pressed my feet hard into the floor. I took a slow careful breath and opened the register with a ding. “Okay, here we go.”

She giggled. “Are you going to put your arms around me to guide my hands?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“In the movies when a guy teaches a girl how to golf or something, he always puts his arms around her and guides her. It’s a huge excuse to hug without really hugging.”

She gave me such a matter-of-fact look I didn’t know what to say. Then she burst into laughter. “Andrew! You should see your face right now.” She rubbed up against me. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat you.”

“Not worried,” I mumbled, returning to the task at hand. “You have to code into the register. Sue uses our birth dates as codes, so you just need to key it in like this.”

Standing there with Daniela brushing against me was a special kind of torture. My hands itched to touch the dark curls floating down her back, and it was only with intense concentration that I kept my fingers on the register.

By the time Sue emerged for lunch, Daniela was handling all the purchases. I’d spent time rearranging merchandise and doing some re-stocking. In truth, there wasn’t enough to keep me busy.

“She’s got it,” I told Sue.

Sue nodded. “I figured. Okay, I’m going for lunch. Daniela, why not come with me? Andrew will hold down the fort while we’re gone, and when we return, he can go.”

Daniela grabbed her sweater off the stool behind the register and left with Sue, the bell above the door chiming their departure. There were no customers, so I went to the front of the store and angled my head to peer at the ocean. From what I could tell, the surf was rough. A good day for a photo shoot. I was glad I’d tucked my camera into my backpack before leaving the house. Now I could spend my lunch hour down on the beach, hopefully getting some great shots.

An elderly couple approached the door, so I pushed it open for them. “Thank you, young man,” the gentleman said, nodding his bald head. He guided his plump companion into the store with his hand at her elbow.

“Oh my, how charming it is,” she said, looking around. She wandered to the shelf full of soap, running her chubby fingers over everything along the way. “I love these beach towns. Harold, we should come more often.”

I returned to the register and left them to browse.

When Daniela and Sue returned, the shop was full of customers. Sue greeted them warmly and smiled at me. I saw the dollar signs in her eyes and grinned back.

“Your turn for lunch, Andrew,” she said.

I retrieved my backpack, nodded at Daniela, and left. Within minutes, I was at the shore, a salty breeze on my face. I licked my lips, grabbed my camera, and set my backpack a decent distance from the surf. A flock of gulls padded around on the wet sand where the waves had left bits of seaweed and broken shells. I focused on the birds and took some shots.

The previous summer on my lunch break, I’d seen a whale. With my then-new telephoto lens, I was able to get its breath spouting up; otherwise, I don’t think anyone would have believed me. Whales in our area of the Pacific rarely came in close enough to be seen.

I’d entered the whale photos in the county fair and won first prize — a year’s worth of free desserts from Choose and Chuck. Mom still laughed about it, but I noticed she never complained about free apple pie à la mode.

The breeze picked up and a light mist began to fall, so I finished quickly and headed back to town, my sneakers wet and caked with sand. I checked my watch and saw I still had enough time to grab a sandwich at the diner. I started running. Whether I was hurrying for the sandwich or hurrying to get back to see Daniela, I wouldn’t have wanted to guess.

 

****

 

The days passed, and Daniela and I no longer worked the same shift; we only had an hour overlap every afternoon. I lived for that hour.

The following week on Wednesday, everything changed. I hated to admit it, but I spent a lot of the day counting the minutes until Daniela would show up. She was due at three, but at ten after, she still hadn’t arrived.

“She’s late,” snapped Sue on her way through the shop to her office. “I hate late.”

“She’ll be here,” I said to Sue’s back.

At three-twenty, Daniela burst through the door in tears.

“It’s over,” she cried.

The four customers in the store stared at her, their mouths hanging open. I rushed around the counter to put my arm around Daniela and lead her into the stock room. “What happened?”

“Sean. He dumped me.” She buried her face in my chest. I put my arms around her, and her sobs shook through me.

I kept one eye out to the shop in case anyone approached the register. They all appeared content to continue browsing.

Her arms circled my waist, and she held on tight. I laid my cheek on top of her head, feeling her silky brown hair on my skin, and said nothing. All I could think of right then was it was my turn. My turn to have her.

“It’s over. After ten months.” Her voice was muffled into my shirt. “He left me.”

I squeezed her, wondering what kind of fool would ever let her go. She clenched my back and her crying softened to small gasps. I kept holding her, and the feel of her body next to mine was almost unbearable.

She raised her wet face, and I saw a tear hover on her lip. Without thinking, I leaned down and kissed it away.

She stiffened but didn’t move.

“Sorry.” I dropped my arms and took an awkward step back. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

She moved to me, and with slow deliberation put her arms back around my waist, again burying her face into my chest. I stood for a moment, shocked. Then exhaling with relief, I returned her hug and held her close.

“I hate him,” she muttered. “Andrew, make me forget him.”

I rocked her back and forth, shuddering with the thrill of her in my arms. She wiggled and raised her face.

“You’re so much nicer than Sean. He’d never be so tender.” She hiccupped and blinked away her tears.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” My voice took on a hard edge.

“No hitting or anything, if that’s what you mean.” She squirmed away and went to stand in the middle of the room. Her body was stiff, and from where I stood, I could feel her anger pulsating.

She swirled around. “I hate him. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t exist. He’s dead.”

I narrowed my eyes and studied her. “You hate him?”

She rushed to me, hugged me again, and then looked up, smiling through her drying tears. “He doesn’t exist.” She spoke eagerly, and her arms around me were tight. “But you do. You like me, right?”

Her sudden mood switch surprised me, but I didn’t dwell on it. If hating Sean meant liking me, bring it on.

“How about after work tomorrow? You wanted to ride bikes. Remember? Will your bike fit in your trunk?” I asked.

“I think so, if I leave the trunk open. Yeah, tomorrow after work sounds good.”

I left the shop as buzzed as if I’d won a national photo contest. I didn’t even remember pedaling home, but when I got there, I noticed a strange car in the drive. Instant dread grabbed my gut.

I threw my bike against the garage and burst through the front door. “Mom?”

Silence. Only the hum of the fridge and the muffled shrieks from gulls flying above the house. “Mom?”

Her bedroom door was closed. I raised my hand to knock but froze halfway there. Did I really want to know?

My hand dropped to my side. I retreated to my room, flopped on the bed, and grabbed my computer to see what new photos had been posted on camerashoot.com. I flipped through the array without seeing a thing. Who was it in there? Did I know him? Did she know him?

I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Sue’s.

“Sue’s Seaport Shoppe. How may I help you?” Daniela’s voice steadied my nerves, and I half-smiled.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Andrew? Why are you calling? You didn’t change your mind, did you?”

“About what?”

“About me.”

I was both bugged and surprised by her tone of annoyance — but then I realized what kind of day she’d had.

“Haven’t changed my mind,” I reassured her.

She exhaled deeply. “Oh, okay. Then what did you want?”

What did I want? Only to hear your voice.

“Nothing much,” I said.

She gave a small sigh. “Then I guess we should hang up.”

“I guess we should. Bye, Daniela.” I tossed my phone on the bed.

The front door slammed, so whoever was visiting had gone. Seconds later, Mom pushed open my door. She dabbed at the corners of her mouth and surveyed me.

“Andy, honey, when did you get in? I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”

I tilted my head toward the front of the house. “Kind of obvious.”

Mom sank down on the edge of my bed. “Lighten up, will you? My love life is not your concern. Besides, you’re a teenager. You should be the wild one.”

She yawned and ran both hands over her messy hair.

“Who was he?”

“You don’t know him, so never mind.”

I concentrated on my computer screen, swallowing the sharp retort that would only get her going. A sudden feeling of gratitude for Daniela rushed through me.

Mom patted my leg. “Hungry? I’ve got some frozen hamburger patties. We could thaw those out and open a can of beans or something.”

Laying my computer aside, I slid off the bed, taking care not to touch her, and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll get it ready.”

 

****

 

Daniela wasn’t satisfied when we circled back to the shop after our bike ride. She wanted to stretch the date by heading to Astenia to grab some buffalo wings and a drink at some local joint called Porgy’s.

“We can leave your bike here at Sue’s, and I’ll drive you to Astenia and back.” Her mouth was set with determination, and since it meant an extra hour or two with her, I was more than happy to go along.

I did wonder why we couldn’t pick up wings at Stoger’s on the edge of Ocean Mist, but whatever. I climbed into her car and promptly bumped my head on the roof. She laughed.

“Sean isn’t as tall as you,” she said. “He never bumped his head even once.”

My brow creased. Why bring Sean up? She leaned over and kissed me, sending the pit of my stomach into a wild swirl, and I forgave her instantly. I was ready to settle in for more, but she started the car and we took off.

“Football conditioning has already started in Astenia. How about here?”

“I wouldn’t know.” I frowned. She knew I didn’t play football.

“Oh, that’s right. You don’t play sports. Not even soccer?”

“Not even soccer.” There was no way I was going to bring up my photography. She’d never be impressed with something so lame.

“I used to be a cheerleader,” she went on. “Then I decided to take dance, and the schedule wouldn’t let me do both. I haven’t regretted choosing dance, though. I’ve gotten some good parts.”

“You’re a dancer? Why didn’t you mention it before?”

She laughed and flipped a stray brown curl over her shoulder. “You don’t know everything about me, Andrew.” She gazed at me from beneath her thick lashes, and I melted right into the seat.

Porgy’s was downtown Astenia. Parking was tight, but we finally found a spot around the corner from the restaurant. A drizzle was falling as we ran along the sidewalk. Daniela held her purse over her head to shield herself, and we burst through the door into a humid crowd of loud, chattering people.

I stood, breathing hard, and surveyed the group. There seemed to be a large number of muscular guys, all chowing down as if they hadn’t seen food since Christmas. Daniela shook the drips from herself with an adorable shimmy, and her brown hair swayed down her back like liquid chocolate. Within seconds, many of the guys raised their glasses or their hands dripping with barbecue sauce in greeting.

“Hey, Daniela!”

“What’s up, Daniela?”

“How’s it going?”

I stiffened. What was this?

But I knew. The Astenia football team.

My eyes darted to Daniela’s face, which was flushed and glowing. Her eyes had locked on a guy sitting at the back table, and he returned her stare. The electricity zapping through the air blasted me, and I wavered on my feet.

Sean. Of course.

I put my hand on Daniela’s shoulder and turned her toward me. “Can we talk?”

She threw her arms around me and gave me a tight hug. At least a half-dozen guys whistled and hooted. I saw her eyes flit to Sean again before I pulled her to a table away from the team.

It was a corner booth with bench seats. She slid in after me, pressing herself into my side.

“You want to order?” she asked.

I could taste the gnawing in my stomach, and I glared at her. “Are you kidding me?”

Her dark eyes widened, and her mood braked to wariness. “What do you mean?”

“Astenia’s football team, right?”

Her cheeks flashed pink, and her words gushed forth. “I know. Isn’t it crazy? How weird they’d be here at this precise moment.”

“Not weird at all.” My voice was mechanical. “You knew they’d be here. That’s why you wanted to come.”

She scooted back a few inches, and her face hardened. “How dare you throw ugly accusations at me? I would never, never do that.” Her lips puckered into a pout, and then she scooted close to me and laid her head against my shoulder.

I held myself stiff, wanting with every cell in my body to believe her.

“Andrew,” she whispered, “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she really hadn’t known.

Someone cleared his throat, and we both looked up at Sean. He stood there, his jersey straining at every muscle. He ran his hand through spiky blond hair and his gray eyes were fixed on Daniela.

“How are you?” he asked, his voice husky.

Daniela pressed herself more firmly into my side. “I’m fine. You?” She sounded overly cheerful, yet her pinched words stretched across the table.

Sean’s eyes flickered over to me then back to her. “I’m sorry, you know.”

Daniela pulled herself up a bit taller. “Sorry? And how would I know that?”

He sighed. “’Because I’m telling you.”

I could feel the tension grab Daniela’s body. She leaned forward. “What exactly are you saying?”

Again, Sean’s eyes flickered to me before targeting her. “I said I’m sorry, and I want you back. Come on, Dani.”

I jerked alive and jumped from the booth. “Now, wait a minute.” I growled at Sean, but Daniela clutched my arm and pulled me to the bench.

She turned to him. “Why should I even listen to you?”

“Because I apologized, that’s why. Twice. You coming? You don’t belong with this bozo.” He held out his hand to her.

Again, I jumped to my feet. To do what, I had no idea. Was I going to take on a linebacker?

But it didn’t matter. Neither of them paid any attention to me. My part in this movie was the extra — the desperate actor who’d take on any role, no matter how miniscule, just to be in the movie.

I sank back down to the bench, and when Daniela finally tore her eyes from Sean and looked at me, I saw pity. My stomach curled inside me.

“Sorry, Andrew.” She stood and extended her hand to Sean, who grabbed it. Glancing at me again, she shrugged.

Sean put his arm around her and smashed her into his side. They departed — their feet in sync like they’d practiced the routine for years.

All the noise and bluster of waitresses, customers, clinking glasses, and animated chatter fell away. I sat in a vacuum of silence. What had just happened? My face grew hot with humiliation and anger. How could I have been so stupid?

A burly guy came up to the table. “You Andrew?” he asked in a gruff voice.

I nodded.

“I’m supposed to give you a lift back to Ocean Mist. You ready to go?”

I stood, shaking myself from the stupor that choked me.

“Got dumped, huh? Yeah, we all watched.” The guy walked with me out of the restaurant. “Tough break. Trick is, don’t let it happen twice.” He threw his head back and guffawed. “Yeah, that’s the deal. Never be dumb enough to let it happen twice.” He pointed ahead to a beat-up red truck. “That’s me.”

My heart twisted, and I tasted metal.

Don’t let it happen twice.

Don’t let it happen twice.

The words roared through me.

And at that precise moment, I resolutely set my course for the years ahead.

No, I would never, never let it happen twice.

Never.

But then I hadn’t counted on meeting Mags.