Reagan joked.
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Serenity said. “Once my parents learn about you, I know they’ll be welcoming.”
Lorelei’s phone buzzed. She checked it to make sure the restaurant wasn’t shorthanded and texting her to come in. But it wasn’t from work. “Finn’s asking if we’d like to have dinner over at their place tonight. He’s planning on making rice and teriyaki kabobs—steak for us and tofu for you,” she told Serenity.
“Will his girlfriend be there?” Reagan asked before Serenity could respond.
“You mean his ex-girlfriend?” Lorelei said. “When we were texting last night about how things were going with Mark, he told me he’s not with her and hasn’t been for a while.” Maybe that was why she was feeling so good today in spite of everything. She didn’t have a future with Finn, but at least she knew he’d been sincere.
Reagan covered her eyes with one arm. “He might want to remind her of that.”
“I’m sure she’s gotten the point.”
“So will she be there tonight?” Serenity asked.
“No, he told me she was leaving this morning. My guess is she’s already gone.”
Reagan sat up to put on another layer of sunblock. “That still leaves Davis.”
“He’s okay,” Lorelei said. “I’m over what happened, and so is he.”
“He’s doing so much better these days,” Serenity said. “When he met me to go kayaking early this morning, he was actually smiling. Smiling! Davis! And after we got back he thanked me for taking him out.”
Lorelei removed the straw hat she’d been using to shade her face and sat up. “You took Davis kayaking this morning?”
“I’ve been taking him every morning. It wasn’t anything I intended to do, but when I saw him out here one day I asked if he wanted to join me, and now he waits for me at dawn. It’s gives us a chance to meditate before all the noise of living interrupts.”
“Why didn’t you mention it before?” Lorelei asked.
“I felt I’d be doing him a disservice if I told anyone. He was so fragile and skittish I was afraid he’d stop coming. And I could tell he needed it—that it was a kind of therapy for him. Now that I’m more confident he’ll be okay, it seems safe to talk about it.” She chuckled at herself. “Listen to me. I’m probably making too big a deal out of it, but...that’s why I didn’t say anything until now.”
“What do you guys talk about?” Reagan asked, her curiosity obviously piqued.
Serenity’s smile stretched wide below her big sunglasses as she turned her face back toward the sun. “That’s just it. We don’t talk about anything.”
33
reagan
“ANY WORD?”
Startled, Reagan glanced up to see Serenity coming out onto the deck where she was already sitting with her laptop. She hadn’t been expecting Serenity to join her for another hour. She’d headed down a little earlier than usual because they were taking the boat out with the Hatch brothers as soon as Lorelei got off work, and she wanted to create and schedule several posts for Serenity’s Facebook page before she had to watch Lucy.
“Not yet.” She knew Serenity was asking about Drew. She’d been checking her email obsessively ever since she’d sent him that Voluntary Relinquishment of Parental Rights. Over the weekend, she’d told herself to be patient. He was probably celebrating the Fourth of July with his family and wouldn’t respond until Monday.
But it was Tuesday morning and she still hadn’t received any word from him. Why not? What was he waiting for? “What do you think his silence means?” she asked.
“That he’s struggling with the decision.”
“Or he’s going to hang on to his rights.”
“If he does, his wife is bound to find out.”
Reagan tried to picture him as he usually was, clean-shaven and wearing an expensive suit and plenty of cologne. She’d always liked the touch of gray at his temples; it made him look distinguished. “True. He’s probably feeling sorry for himself, even though I’m in a much worse position.”
“You’d be better off if he walked away, Reagan,” Serenity said. “I’m