of the fact that she could do as her counselor suggested and express her honest feelings, but it always left her in a funk, made her depressed and sad. There was a part of her that wanted to make uncomfortable compromises just to have her father back in her life.
She talked with her mother about that a lot. She wanted to know if Justine missed him, too.
“I miss the man I loved,” Justine said. “The man who could lie to me so easily—I don’t really know that man. Whoever he is, I couldn’t share a home with him. He’s just too selfish.”
“Daddy wasn’t selfish before,” Livvie said.
“I didn’t think so, either,” Justine said.
“Do you think you’ll ever get back together?” Livvie asked.
“That would be very hard,” she said. “I would never say never, but it would be very hard. He’s just not the man I loved anymore.”
“What happened to him?” Livvie asked.
“I don’t know, sweetie. I hope it’s worth it to him.”
It was Saturday, the second week in October when Livvie was going to meet Jared at the beach and saw Cat’s red BMW SUV driving away from the kayak shack. She had a sudden urge to see her dad, to say hello to him, manage a civil conversation not about the affair. She hadn’t been in that shop even once since her parents divorced. She decided to brave it.
She heard the running water of a hose in the back and walked around the shop. It was unseasonably warm for October, and she found her father shirtless, hosing down a couple of kayaks. “Hi, Dad,” she said.
He jumped in surprise and turned toward her. Then he grabbed his shirt off the rail that supported several kayaks. “Livvie!” he said.
“I saw your girlfriend leaving and I thought... Dad, what happened to you?” she asked.
“What?” he said, quickly shrugging into his shirt.
“You’re all bruised. You’re hurt.”
“Huh? Oh, I took a fall and got a couple of bruises. Nothing, really.”
He was covered with bruises on one side of his chest and upper abdomen. “It looks like you were in a car accident! It looks really bad!”
“Damn wooden beach stairs,” he said. “Why’d you stop by?”
“Just to say hello,” she said. But the image of his bruises had distracted her. “I’ve never even seen this shop and when I saw that she wasn’t here...”
“Come on in and look at the place. It’s really a great little store. I’m glad you stopped by.”
He led the way through the back door into the shop.
“We have forty-two kayaks, a dozen paddleboards, snorkel equipment—that’s new since I came on. We’re going to increase inventory for next summer and add clothing, shoes, beach gear. I’m even thinking of adding a patio and getting a food handler’s license so we can sell drinks and sandwiches and snacks.”
“We?” she asked.
“Cat needs a little help turning this place around. I have a lot of retail experience, you know. Not to mention a degree in business.”
“So are you planning to work here for long?” Livvie asked.
He grinned. “Can’t beat the view or the working conditions,” he said. “We might be able to take on a little part-time labor next summer, if you’re interested.”
She was about to say not on your life, but instead she just said, “Thanks.”
He was clearly proud of the little shop, as though he’d built it or something. There wasn’t much to it—a counter, paddles and netting tacked to the walls, one room with kayaks and boards stacked on racks on either side, not a lot of moving around room. The floors and walls were weathered wood with a thin coat of sand covering the floors. She’d been around Half Moon Bay for months now, and she’d never seen many cars here, nor had she seen many kayakers or paddleboarders in the ocean just off this beach. There were many more just north of here where the water was calmer.
“We might expand and carry some scuba gear, but first we need a top-notch ad and coupon