Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(29)

“Yep. I’m back for a few months and working at Reynolds’, helping out Hugh.”

“Congratulations. I heard you won nationals. That’s an amazing accomplishment,” Mr. Compton said, seeming genuinely happy for me.

“Thank you.” I smiled and then shrugged awkwardly. “And now, I’ve graduated and I’m back home for the summer to spend some time with my family.”

“You know… good for you,” Marilee said as she shook her head. Her eyes traveled all over my face as if she were memorizing every detail. “No one ever thought you’d turn out this well. What a nice surprise.”

A pit in my stomach wrenched, and I felt the blood drain from my face at her words. She’d said what I always imagined people were thinking. I hated that people decided who I’d be based on the events that happened in my childhood. This was what Travis was always trying to protect me from. Maybe I was being too harsh with him.

“Yep. Even with all she went through as a kid, she ended up being a rockstar.” Kline winked at me, and I wanted to throat-punch him for jumping on the bandwagon.

For not being appalled by what she’d just said.

I wanted to tell them all to fuck off.

To tell them that those comments have a way of making a person feel small.

To remind them that those same comments were swirling around when I was a kid, and I heard every last one of them.

The pity they felt for me and Travis.

They only made me push myself harder.

But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing that.

I’d just hold my head up high and be very careful who I allowed in my circle.

Just like I always had.





nine





Hugh





“Well, that was good,” my father said as he finished off the last of the peach cobbler we’d ordered for the table.

“I’m glad we stopped going to Reynolds’ or Garrity’s, because it’s nice to see Hugh actually remain at the table while we eat.” Cage smirked. My father had insisted we go somewhere else starting this month, because the last few times we’d gone out, I’d ended up in the kitchen or dealing with some sort of work drama.

“Agreed. Good idea on that one, Pops,” Finn said. “You seem a lot more relaxed now that you’ve brought Lila on board.”

“She’s already helped me a ton,” I said, checking my phone for the hundredth time to see if she’d texted me, and she hadn’t. I didn’t want to be overbearing like Travis, so I didn’t text her, even though I wanted to. But I wanted to make sure she got home safely.

“You’ve sure been checking that phone a lot more than usual. You waiting for a booty call?” Cage asked with a laugh, and my father smiled and shook his head. He’d raised three boys; he was not clueless about what went on. None of us were currently in relationships, and we all enjoyed women as much as the next guy—so he knew what we were up to. Although Cage was in a different boat these days as he was busy raising his daughter on his own.

“I’ll have you know I haven’t gotten laid in quite a while. It may even be a record,” I said, and my father rolled his eyes.

“You might just be growing up, son.”

“I’m a moody fucker when I go too long,” Finn said with a shrug, and we all laughed.

“So then, why are you checking your phone like a fucking teenage girl?” Cage asked.

“I was just checking to see if Lila needed a ride home.”

They all three started laughing like they were in on some inside joke that I wasn’t aware of.

“Let me ask you something,” Finn said, leaning in close to me. “Did this newfound celibacy start when Lila James moved into your casita and started working for you?”

“What? No. It started before that. There is nothing going on there. Are you fucking kidding me? Trav would lose his mind. She’s just here for a little while. We’re friends, nothing more.”

“She looks good, though,” Cage said, waggling his brows, knowing he was getting under my skin.

“That makes you a dirty old man. She’s too young for you. And you couldn’t survive the wrath of Trav.” I laughed.

“So protective, brother. I see the way you look at her,” Finn said. “You may be able to hide it from your best friend, but you know the Reynolds brothers have a gift. We can see through the bullshit.”

“Oh, yeah? Where was that gift when this one shaved off your eyebrow in college?” I laughed. Finn could turn on the dramatics whenever he wanted to. It was the actor in him. But he’d lost his shit when Cage pulled that stunt.

“Don’t go there.” He pointed his finger at me and then at our oldest brother, and my father sat back watching with a big, goofy smile on his face. “You know my face is my moneymaker, so that was a low blow.”

“Then you shouldn’t have told Elaine Bridges that I was into her.” Cage shook his head with disgust.

“She told me she had made an entire bulletin board that was covered in photos of you. What was I supposed to do?”

“Um, nothing? She’s a stage-five clinger. We never even dated. She’s also much older than me. I’m just fucking thankful she moved away because that was a rough couple of weeks.”