All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(22)

I elbowed her back and we fell silent. I looked over to where I’d left Chase. Still chatting with Joey and Colt, he didn’t look up. I sighed.

Keri Ann turned her head toward me. “It’s going to be really different next year. I’m not sure I like different.”

I swallowed. “Yeah. But even though I’m studying, I’ll be here.”

Keri Ann shifted her face back to the dark night sky.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t at least apply.” I couldn’t help bringing the subject up again.

She shrugged. “What would be the point if I’m not going.”

“Yeah, but—”

“We’ve gone through this. I’m not like you. Or Joey for that matter—”

“Thank all the shrimp in the ocean for that.” I chuckled.

She smiled. “You’ve both known exactly what you want to do for as long as I can remember. You’ll go to college, do what you need to and get out. Apart from us not really having the money for me to go, it would be a waste of tuition for me to spend the years figuring out what I want to do. I need to earn money not—”

“Waitressing at the Snapper Grill won’t earn you big cash off season. And you could still go to school—”

“I know but I also need to be near Nana. You’ve seen how frail she’s become. And she keeps getting chest pains—” Keri Ann paused, and her throat bobbed.

Emotion flooded me too. It had always felt like Keri Ann’s Nana was my Nana too. That was just the way of her. I fumbled for one of my best friend’s hands that were folded on her belly and took it in mine and squeezed. She sniffed and shook her head. It was too big to fathom that Nana might pass away only a few short years after Keri Ann and her brother lost both their parents, and she’d be left all alone. It was a legitimate reason to stay close to home, I just really wanted my best friend to start college with me.

I swallowed over the tightness in my throat, and we both lay there in the sand, the sounds of our friends, music, and the ocean swelling around us. “You’ll never be alone, you know. I’ll always be your family,” I vowed. “And no matter what happens I won’t let anything come between us or stop me from being your friend. In fact we should just go ahead and accept that we were probably sisters in a past life. And once family, always family. So I guess you all can add me to the family collection of ghosts in your old house. But seriously?” I let go of her hand and linked my pinky with hers. “Sisters?”

She smiled and lifted up our hands to see. “Sisters,” she confirmed. “But you do realize that means you officially have an older brother.”

“Small price.”

“What? You mean you don’t mind having an annoying, over-bearing, over-protected hambone for a brother?”

“Jeez,” I rasped. “Tell us how you really feel.”

“I’m using your words, you mullet.”

“Yeah,” I conceded. “That does sound like me.”

“Anyway, I hope he’s less priggish this summer.”

I barked out a laugh. “Priggish? You been reading Nana’s historical romances again? What kind of a word is priggish?”

“Well someone hasn’t given me the next Erath book so I had to read something.”

“Sorry! It’s in my bag, remember? But seriously I want to read it again coz I’m greedy, and now I get to fantasize with the image of who’s playing Max in the movie. Sigh,” I added and actually did sigh with a dreamy smile on my face.

“Who is it again?”

“Oh eff off,” I groused. “You know exactly who. If you don’t know then forget sisters, we can’t even be friends.”

“Yeah, yeah. Jack Eversea, I know.”

“Ugh. How can you be so neutral about him? He is spectacular.” I sighed dramatically. “Didn’t you read that tabloid I gave you? He’s dreamy.”

“I’m not neutral, he’s gorgeous. But I can hardly be ga ga over someone I’m never gonna meet. It’s a waste of ga-ga-ing.”

I chuckled. “So on the subject of boys though … Chase could be the ideal candidate. If he’ll stop bromancing your brother for a second.” I scowled, noticing Chase, Joseph, and Colt were still deep in discussion. Joey was definitely the most eye-catching of the three. I shook my head. “I mean, I’m not interested in dating anyone. Hang out, maybe. But I’m thinking someone who’s here on vacation, a summer fling. Chase fits the bill. He’s here for two weeks.”

Keri Ann sat up and crossed her legs giving me a scowl. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.” I sat up too. “Look, I just don’t see what the big deal is.” I really didn’t. “We don’t live in a society where virginity is some big prize for our future husbands. Anyway, I’ll never get married. Remember, I’m planning on being an eccentric photojournalist and hotelier who travels the world and has amazing affairs with interesting men. Starting now, I’ll perfect the art of getting in and out without getting my heart broken. I just need to get the first step out of the way.”

“About this being a photojournalist and a hotelier? I’m not sure how that works. Wouldn’t owning a hotel require you to stay in one place?”