“But Miss Crossley—”
“You love the beach,” she said.
I nodded. “I know. I do. I really do.”
I wanted to say: And any other day, even tomorrow, it might be okay. But not this morning. Please, not this morning.
“I was just hoping . . . I really got into typing that book the other day. I kind of can’t wait to see how it turns out. I was thinking maybe I could work with Mr. Wallace again.”
Miss Crossley dusted her telephone while she talked. “That would be extremely difficult, seeing as how he checked out yesterday morning.”
“No, he didn’t,” I said. “He couldn’t have.”
“What? Do you know something I don’t?”
“He—he can’t check out! He didn’t even tell me he was leaving!” I protested.
Miss Crossley shifted in her office chair, looking a little uncomfortable. “Oh no. Do you and Mr. Wallace have some kind of personal, ah, relationship—”
“No, of course not. Nothing like that.” I shook my head. “We were friends, that’s all.” And I had been hoping to lean on him today, like a crutch, I thought. He could tell me how love sucked, how high the divorce rate was, and what a load of garbage romance was, and I’d completely agree with him for once.
Forget about being optimistic. Optimism sucked.
“I liked working with him. It was kind of an apprentice thing,” I explained.
“I see. Well, he did leave. I’m very sorry,” Miss Crossley said. “So, can you be ready for the beach in about half an hour? Will Talbot is in need of a beach buddy.”
I let out a deep breath, trying to release all the tension in my body.
It didn’t work.
“Sure. Of course I can,” I said. “I love the beach.”
It’s just that I’d love it a lot more if Hayden was assigned to another beach. Say, on Cape Cod. Just for a few days, just long enough for me to get my act together and fall back out of love with him.
I felt a hair color change coming on. Unfortunately I didn’t think I had time to book an appointment at the Inn salon in the next ten minutes.
“Hey, you look great this morning,” Hayden said when I showed up, trailing behind Will, who plowed straight ahead. He didn’t even take off his sneakers before he sprinted into the water. He got his toes wet, then stopped, dropped to the sand, and started digging.
I glared at Hayden. “As opposed to other mornings?”
“What?” Hayden asked, looking confused. He apparently thought we’d made up; but since we hadn’t talked since the night before, I didn’t see how.
“Or as compared with Zoe,” I said under my breath.
My attempt to be cool and pretend I wasn’t hurt and that I was completely over him was failing. Badly.
“Is that the infamous fourth bathing suit?” Hayden asked.
I didn’t answer him.
“Nice.” He nodded as he stepped back to appraise me.
“Whatever,” I said. “I think I’ll focus on Will, thank you very much.”
“Liza, swim with me!” Will yelled as he ran toward me.
“We’re not swimming yet, but we can in a little bit,” I said. I had it on good authority that Will had just eaten a late breakfast, so I wanted him to wait before we plunged into the ocean.
“No, now,” he said.
“No, later,” I said.
“You know what, buddy? Let’s go on a shell hunt,” Hayden offered.
I appreciated the gesture, but it was annoying as well. Did he think he needed to save me? I could handle Will on my own. “You’re a lifeguard, not a nature lover,” I said.
“I can’t be both?” Hayden asked.
“Not when people are depending on you to save their life, no.”
“There’s nobody swimming,” Hayden said.
“Maybe they heard you’re the one on duty. Didn’t feel like drifting out to sea while you searched for shells,” I said.
He started to laugh. “Man, are you mad.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I replied.
Hayden was looking over my shoulder at something, or someone. “Caroline?” he said. I turned around.
“Your presence is requested in the dining room.” She sounded as if she’d rather be anywhere else than talking to the two of us.
“What?” I asked.
“Yours, too,” she told Hayden.
I was puzzled. “What’s this all about?”
“I don’t know what it’s about, but Mr. Talbot wants to talk to you, over lunch,” Caroline said in a bored tone.
“But ah—we’re not dressed for the dining room,” I protested. And I don’t want to go anywhere with Hayden!
“Obviously. I can see that,” Caroline said. “So, Hayden, you go get cleaned up and changed as soon as Lindsay gets here to take over for you. Liza—you can go now.”
“Who’s going to replace—”
“I am, all right?” Caroline said, exasperated.
I backed away slowly, watching her attempt to play with Will. He took two giant handfuls of sand and threw them at her. Poor Caroline, I thought. And then, poor Will.
And then I thought—poor me. This could only be a good-bye lunch, if it was me, Hayden, and Mr. Talbot. He knew about the time we’d been on the deck—and he must have some new information on us. How embarrassing.
I bumped into Hayden on my way out of the dorm. I’d changed into a khaki skirt and a flowered blouse. My hair was tied up in a loose bun, sort of, with lots of tendrils falling out.
I expected Hayden to say something about my appearance, but he didn’t. He just glanced at me and kept walking toward the Inn, not looking at me. It was like the two of us were bracing for a firing squad.
When we got to the dining room, Guess Who was working as both server and host.
“Right this way, please,” Zoe said.
I hadn’t even seen her since the infamous wedding.
This was exactly why Claire warned me about no hookups. The place was closing in on all sides.
“This isn’t some weird Dr. Phil intervention to make us all talk, is it?” I asked her.
“What?” Zoe looked at me as if I were crazy.
“Never mind,” I said as she led us to the Inn’s best corner table, by the biggest window, with a clear view of the ocean. An older gentleman was sitting there—it was Mr. Talbot Senior. And across the table from him was . . .
“Grandpa?” I said.
“Drove down this morning.” He stood up and I gave him a hug. “Surprise!”
“Yes, it’s surprising, all right,” I commented. “It’s so nice to see you! Is Grandma here, too?”
“Yes, but she’s visiting an old friend—she’ll be by this afternoon.”
“I’ve arranged for you to have the afternoon off to spend with your grandparents,” Mr. Talbot Senior said. “Miss Crossley’s been notified.”
“Wow. Thank you!” I said.
“You too, Hayden.” Mr. Talbot nodded. “Enjoy the time off.”
“Uh . . . thanks.” Hayden opened his napkin and set it on his lap. I’m sure he was wondering, like I was, what the heck he was there for.
But then I vaguely remembered telling my grandfather about him, back when I was visiting him at the hospital. I sank down a little in my chair. I hoped my grandfather would be discreet, but then again, Hayden wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t been indiscreet and blabbed about our possible relationship.
But you know what, I thought. If he was suffering and uncomfortable now, being here? That was too bad. He was the one who’d kissed me that night, before I left on the train to go home. He let me think we were in a relationship, and I’d only acted appropriately.
I wasn’t the one being weird and hiding and going out with my former girlfriend just for appearance’s sake. Not that I had a former girlfriend, but still.
“I understand you’re feeling better, sir?” Hayden said to my grandfather.
“Oh, yes. Feeling just fine.”
“Was something wrong?” Mr. Talbot asked.
“Just a touch of the flu, Bucko.” My grandfather sipped his glass of lemonade. “Nothing serious.”
“Grandpa,” I said.
“It was a little warning from the old ticker, that’s all,” he explained. “A minor heart attack.”
“I had one of those myself,” Mr. Talbot said. “Maybe two or three.”
I’m having one right now, I thought. I don’t know if I can sit here much longer.
“So what have you two been up to?” my grandfather asked.
I shrugged. “Not much, really.” Just sneaking away to closed beaches.
“Somehow I doubt that,” he said. He turned to Hayden. “Are you treating her well?”
“Grandpa,” I said through clenched teeth.
“You know, I’m always pleased when staff members become friends,” Mr. Talbot said.
My grandfather chuckled. “Oh, Bucko, they’re more than friends.”
“Grandpa,” I said again. If I gritted my teeth any more, sparks would fly off of them. It’s not like that—not anymore! I wanted to scream. Why wasn’t my grandmother there to rein him in?
“To young love.” Grandpa raised his glass, just as Zoe came to the table to take our order.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
I pushed back my chair and practically sprinted for the women’s room—except it wasn’t that, it was a “ladies’ lounge,” with an elegant, antique sofa in an outer waiting room.
Once I was safely inside, I went to a sink and turned on the cold water, letting it run over my hands and wrists. I splashed my face and was searching for a towel to dry off when one was handed to me. I pressed it to my face, dried off, and looked up.
“We have to talk,” Zoe said.