lives close so we can all go to the meeting together,” Steph said.
“Me too,” Daphne said. “This was the best meeting yet. It would have been the best even if the guys hadn’t brought the beach to us, although that made it epic.”
“That was all Justin, and it was for Chloe,” Madigan said.
“Did you know he was doing that for her?” Gabe asked.
“No,” Madigan said. “I just meant that we shouldn’t forget that he did it just for Chloe. All of my brothers have big hearts, but Justin makes extra efforts for the people he cares about. I’ll never forget what he did for me when I was in seventh grade.”
“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Chloe urged.
“There was a school dance, and all of my friends had dates except for me,” Madigan explained. “Justin had moved out of the house by then, but when he heard about it, he showed up at the dance. The girls went gaga over him, and the boys thought he was the coolest guy they’d ever seen in his leather jacket and biker boots. He led me out on the dance floor, and I was totally embarrassed because, you know, he’s my brother. I begged him not to make me dance with him. But you know Justin. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He looked me dead in the eyes and said that dance wasn’t for me; it was for him. He said he was proud to have me as his sister and that he finally had a chance to let the world know it.”
“He said that?” Chloe asked.
“Sure did, and he was nineteen years old, when most guys are jerks.” Madigan tossed her purse in her car and said, “But I think the real reason he did it was that he knew once the cool guy danced with me, boys my age would want to.”
“I told you everything he did came from his heart,” Gabe said to Chloe. “What he did tonight was probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen a guy do in real life.”
“I had no idea Justin could even be romantic.” At least not until the night he came over to finish our dance. Chloe kept that to herself because it felt intimate and special, and she wanted to keep it that way. Thinking about how he’d remembered what she’d said last night about her mother never celebrating special events, she said, “I know better now. But I think a better word for him is thoughtful.”
Starr looked up from securing Gracie in her car seat and said, “Whatever he is, I’d like a man who knows how to be that way.”
“Wouldn’t we all?” Daphne added.
Madigan shook her head. “You girls have at it. I’m perfectly happy with my puppets, where I hold all the power.”
“I hold all the power in my life,” Chloe said.
“She means the power to break her heart.” Marly hugged Chloe and said, “Thanks again. I’m so glad I got to meet all of you. I can’t wait until next month so we can all get together again.”
Gabe waved and said, “Hello. I own a coffeehouse. A girls’ night at my place is welcome any night of the week.”
“Let’s do that. Can we do that?” Madigan asked excitedly.
They agreed to meet a week from Wednesday night at Common Grounds for dinner and said their goodbyes, hugging like they were all old friends. Chloe waited until they’d driven away before heading up the walk. She went around to the back of the house and stood in the grass gazing into the screened porch. The colorful tiki lights lit up the makeshift beach. Tropical music played softly from the living room, and the fire still had a few small flames. She took some pictures for scrapbooks and memory boards, then stood in front of the porch and took a selfie with the lights behind her.
She went onto the porch and sat on a blanket. As she sank her toes into the sand, she thought about Justin. I figured my girl would want to put her toes in the sand at her luau, so I brought the beach to you. She took a picture of her toes in the sand and debated sending it to him with a sexy message. Or an invitation. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard, her pulse quickening at the thought of seeing him again.
Chapter Ten
JUSTIN LAY ON his stomach in Wicked Ink tattoo shop. The buzz of Tank’s tattoo gun competed with the rock