The kayak rocked on an undulating wave and a breeze ruffled my hair. I made a decision. “Joey, this is big, way too big, and even though I made a promise not to talk about it, I have to tell you.”
I debated exactly what to say. Joey and I were pretty close, and one thing I did know was he was trustworthy. Jazz would be told. I needed her. But it would be good to tell Joey, too. He wasn’t here, so there wasn’t a chance Jack would find out.
“You’re freaking me out. Do I need to come back there? You’re ok, right?” he asked.
Was I ok? I didn’t know. I was going to break Jack’s secret twice today and hope for the best.
“Are you pregnant? I swear to God—”
“No! Jeez! How did you think I went from not dating to that?”
Joey blew a breath down the line. “Thank God. Wow, that scared the shit outta me.”
“Calm down, it’s not that.”
“Okay then, it can’t be that bad. Hit me.”
“I want to tell you, Joey, but you are going to have to swear to me, and I mean swear, like on Mom and Dad.” I paused letting that sink in. We had always said we would never use them like that unless it was something super serious.
“Shit, Keri Ann, I’m freaking again. Tell me. Now.”
Good. He got it.
“Okay, well, I haven’t told anyone about him because first of all, there’s nothing going on apart from us spending some time together.” If you didn’t count our almost kiss last night. “And second of all, he’s famous, and I swore to keep his identity a secret.”
It sounded really dumb to my own ears, but I knew that since I had just invoked Mom and Dad, Joey was listening. The tide was slowly pulling my kayak back into the Intracoastal Waterway, so I rested my paddle across my lap and settled back.
“Okaaaay.” I could almost hear Joey’s mind whirring a mile a minute trying to figure out what to ask me. “So he thinks he’s famous, or he actually is famous? I mean The Situation from Jersey Shore thinks he’s famous, but I doubt ninety-nine percent of the population would recognize him walking down the street ... or care.” He snorted.
I should’ve known Joey wouldn’t believe me.
“Wait, it’s not him is it?” he asked.
“Shut it, Joey. God, never mind, Ok? Forget I ever mentioned it.” Ugh. Sometimes big brothers were a pain in the ass.
He laughed. “I’m kidding, sweetheart. Look, I don’t want you mixed up with some arrogant jerk. He’d eat you for breakfast. Who is this guy?”
I could tell from his tone Joey had already stopped taking me seriously despite my having invoked our parents. How had I never noticed how condescending he could be? “I’m not a kid anymore, Joey. I don’t think you get to decide who I date.” I was getting pissed off.
“So you are dating him, then?”
“No, I didn’t say that!” I snapped. “We just hung out. I’m getting some stuff for him, and he’s helping me out with the house. He helped me strip the wall paper and ... ” I trailed off, it sounded ridiculous, even to me.
“So this big famous guy is stripping wall paper in our house? That sounds normal, and what exactly is he expecting from you in return, huh?” He sounded like a father, or maybe like a vague memory I had of my dad. “Wait, how old is he?”
“Not what you’re thinking.” I huffed. “And he’s twenty-six.” I needed to end this call soon.
“So, why are you freaking out, kiddo? I mean, you say you guys are just hanging out, right? Is he making you feel unsafe? Who is this guy? I think you better tell me in case I need to whoop his ass ... Do I need to come home?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes, thankful he couldn’t see me. “No, Joey, don’t be an idiot. I’m fine, I’m a big girl. And no, I’m freaking out because I do actually like him, I think, and he is waaaaay out of my league.” I laughed.
Making my way across to the approaching dock, before the tide floated me right past, I grabbed on. I was careful not to dislodge my earbuds as Joey’s voice boomed out of them.
“What the hell, Keri Ann? Who told you that? Did he tell you that? I will come and kick his ass. You’re gorgeous. I always had to threaten the guys at Butler Cove High with bodily harm if they ever so much as looked at you wrong. They all thought you were hot as hell.”
“What?” I got onto the dock and jerked the kayak up with more force than necessary. “You kept boys away from me?”
“Yes. You’re my kid sister. Who else was going to look out for you?”
I was a little dumbfounded. I’d always thought I just wasn’t that attractive to guys. Not ugly, just a bit girl-next-door plain. In the years after Mom and Dad died, I was way too in my shell to even consider dating, and after Nana died and Joey was studying, my feelings of claustrophobia about Butler Cove precluded me from even wanting to. Being hit on by drunk tourists didn’t qualify as an indicator.
I should have been annoyed. “Did you just tell me I’m gorgeous? Seriously?” It was just so surprising, I wanted to hear it again, even though I knew he was biased.
“Yes, you idiot. So don’t give me that BS about this douche being out of your league.”
I didn’t respond as I looked out over the water. So maybe Jack was truly serious last night when he told me I was beautiful. Maybe he wasn’t just putting the slick moves on me. Either way, it didn’t negate the fact he had a girlfriend, contractually or not, and that any kind of relationship with him would end in tears.
“Keri Ann?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Who is it, then?”
I sighed. I was tired of over-thinking this, I really was.
“You swear you won’t say anything? To anyone?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, it’s Jack Eversea.” I cringed a bit as I said his name. There was a long pause.
“Jack Eversea? The Jack Eversea? As in the actor?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh,” Joey said. “Holy shit.”
“Understatement,” I muttered.
“Holy shit,” he said again. “What the hell is he doing in Butler Cove? And how did you meet? Wait, isn’t he dating someone?”
“Yes.” I sounded about as thrilled as I felt about that. “Audrey Lane. That’s why he’s here staying at a friend’s beach house and basically hiding.”
“Holy shit.”
“You said that already.”
“Yeah, I know. Jeez. Jack Eversea.” Joey’s voice was awestruck. “And he’s doing work in our house? What the hell? Why? Are you joking?”
“Nope, apparently he used to work construction.” I laughed nervously. Hearing a movement on the gravel parking pad behind me, I turned around. Jazz was standing there, her mouth hanging open wide enough to catch a Frisbee. Shit.
“Joey, I gotta go, Jazz just found me.” I tried to gauge her reaction.
“Wait!” Joey called out just as I went to hit END. “Just be careful. Okay, kiddo?”
“Yeah, I’m trying. Bye.” I hit the button, pulled the ear buds out of my ears, and walked toward Jazz.
T H I R T E E N