On the way out of town, we stopped at Behr’s. Jere waited for me in his car while I went inside. If I hadn’t just had a fight with my mother, I never would have had we’ll always have summer · 135
the nerve to quit like that. Even though people came and went all the time at Behrs, especially students … still. I went straight back to the kitchen and found my manager, Stacey, and told her I was sorry, but as it turned out I was getting married in two months and I couldn’t keep working there. Stacey eyed my stomach and then my ring finger and said, “Congratulations, Isabel. Just so you know, there’s always a place for you here at Behrs.”
Alone in my car again, I cried loud, ragged sobs. I cried until my throat hurt. I was mad at my mom, but bigger than that was this overwhelming, heavy sadness. I was grown up enough to do things on my own, without her. I could get married, I could quit my job. I was a big girl now. I didn’t have to ask for her permission. My mother was no longer all powerful. Part of me wished she still could be.
Chapter Twenty-seven
We were half an hour from Cousins when Jeremiah called and said, “Conrad’s been staying in Cousins.”
My whole body went stiff. We were at a stoplight, and Jeremiah’s car was in front of mine. “Since when?”
“Since last week. He just stayed after the whole thing at the restaurant. He came back once to get his stuff, but I think he’s gonna spend the summer out here.”
“Oh,” I said. “Do you think he’ll mind that I’m staying there?”
I could hear Jere hesitate. “No, I don’t think he’ll mind. I just wish I could be there too. If it wasn’t for that stupid internship, I could be. Maybe I should just quit.”
“You can’t. Your dad will kill you.”
“Yeah, I know.” I heard him hesitate again, and then he said, “I don’t feel right about the way we left things with your mom. Maybe you should go back home, Bells.”
“It won’t work. We’ll just fight again.” The light turned green. “You know, I actually think this could be for the best. It’ll give us both space.”
“If you say so,” Jeremiah said, but I could tell he didn’t completely agree.
“Let’s talk more when we get to the house,” I said, and we hung up.
This news that Conrad was in Cousins left me feeling uneasy. Maybe staying at the summer house wasn’t the answer.
But then, when I pulled into the empty driveway, I felt such incredible relief to be back. Home, I was back home.
The house looked the same, tall and gray and white.
It made me feel the same. Like I was right where I belonged. Like I could breathe again.
I was sitting in Jeremiah’s lap on a lounge chair when we heard a car pull up. It was Conrad, getting out of the car with a bag of groceries. He looked taken aback to see us sitting there on the deck. I stood up and waved.
Jeremiah stretched his hands behind his head and leaned back onto his chair. “Hey, Con.”
“What’s up,” he said, walking over to us. “What are you guys doing here?”
Conrad set down the grocery bag and took a seat next to Jeremiah’s, and I just sort of hovered above them.
“Wedding stuff,” Jeremiah said vaguely.
“Wedding stuff,” Conrad repeated. “So you guys are really doing it?”
“Hell yeah we are.” Jeremiah pulled me back onto his lap. “Right, wifey?”
“Don’t call me wifey,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
“Gross.”
Conrad ignored me. “Does that mean Laurel’s changed her mind?” he asked Jere.
“Not yet, but she will,” Jeremiah said, and I didn’t correct him.
I sat perched there for about twenty more seconds before I twisted out of his arms and stood up again.
“I’m starving,” I said, leaning down and poking around Conrad’s grocery bag. “Did you buy anything good?”
Conrad gave me his bemused half smile. “No Cheetos or frozen pizza for you in here. Sorry. I got stuff for dinner, though. I’ll cook something for us.”
He got up, took the grocery bag, and went into the house.
For dinner, Conrad made a tomato, basil, and avocado salad, and he grilled chicken br**sts. We ate outside on the deck.
With a mouth full of chicken, Jeremiah said, “Wow, I’m impressed. Since when do you cook?”
“Since I’ve been living on my own. This is pretty much all I eat. Chicken. Every day.” Conrad pushed the salad we’ll always have summer · 139
bowl toward me, not looking up. “Did you get enough?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Conrad. This is all really good.”
“Really good,” Jeremiah echoed.
Conrad only shrugged, but the tips of his ears turned pink, and I knew he was pleased.
I poked Jeremiah in the arm with my fork. “You could learn a thing or two.”
He poked me back. “So could you.” He took a big bite of salad before announcing, “Belly’s gonna stay here until the wedding. Is that cool with you, Con?”
I could tell Conrad was surprised, because he didn’t answer right away.
“I won’t be in your way,” I told him. “I’ll just be doing wedding stuff.”
“It’s fine. I don’t care,” he said.
I looked down at my plate. “Thanks,” I said. So I’d been worried about nothing. Conrad didn’t care if I was there or not. It wasn’t like we would have to hang out with each other. He would do his own thing the way he always did, I would be busy planning the wedding, and Jeremiah would drive up every Friday to help. It would be fine.
After we finished eating dinner, Jeremiah suggested we all go get ice cream for dessert. Conrad declined, saying he would clean up. I said, “The cook shouldn’t have to clean up,” but he said he didn’t mind.
Jere and I went into town, just the two of us. I got a scoop of cookies and cream and a scoop of cookie dough with sprinkles, in a waffle cone. Jeremiah got rainbow sherbet.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked me as we walked around the boardwalk. “About what happened with your mom?”
“Not really,” I said. “I’d rather just not think about it anymore today.”
Jeremiah nodded. “Whatever you want.”
I changed the subject. “Did you figure out how many people you want to invite?” I asked.
“Yup.” He started to tick names off on his fingers.