“You were always the one I didn’t have to worry about,” her mother said. “You were the reliable, levelheaded one. You of all people should know that when a tragedy happens, it’s best to move on as quickly as possible.”
Lily wondered if her mother was speaking ironically. In twenty-six years, she had never moved on from losing Evan. “You know what, Mom,” she said with false brightness. “You’re right. I should call someone and go out tonight.”
She sat there with the phone in her hand for a long time. Then, finally, she stabbed in the number before she chickened out.
“It’s Lily Robinson,” she said. “Would you like to go to a movie tonight?”
Fulfilling the terms of Crystal’s will was a bittersweet exercise. In accordance with her friend’s wishes, Lily had helped herself to some of the beautiful clothes Crystal had left behind. Wearing an outfit that made her feel quite dashing, she drove to the Echo Ridge Pavilion in her Volkswagen Beetle. He was already there, waiting for her. She felt him checking out her red cap-sleeved dress and shoes, a red-and-white polka-dot scarf tied to the strap of her red purse.
“Wow,” said Greg Duncan. “Am I ever glad you called.”
“Me, too,” she said, feeling both self-conscious and sexy in the outfit. She wanted to tell him how it felt to wear something that used to belong to Crystal. She wanted to tell him how much she missed her best friend, but that wasn’t the sort of conversation to have with a guy like Greg.
“What’s playing at the Pavilion?” he asked, holding the door for her.
She stopped to consult the marquee overhead. The choices were action-adventure, romantic comedy, an art film and a children’s flick. Naturally, he chose the action-adventure flick, which featured Vin Diesel and a lot of car wrecks. At least she got to look at Vin for ninety-six minutes, so that was something.
Afterward, they went to a crowded café adjacent to the multiplex. Lily toyed with the polka-dot scarf. “So do you have plans for the summer?” she asked him.
“You bet,” he said. “I’ve decided to qualify for Paradise Ridge. There are spots for local amateurs in the tournament. It’s going to mean training all summer until the tournament over Labor Day. There’s a place in British Columbia where I can work with the best in the game. It’s pretty pie-in-the-sky, but I want to go for it. It’s time. I’ve got no family ties, nothing holding me back.”
She flashed on a thought of his phantom kids, but said nothing.
“If I do all right at Paradise Ridge, I’m going to Q School,” he said.
“That’s wonderful, Greg. I bet you’ll get your PGA card the first try.” She saluted him with her cup of mimosa iced tea.
“I’m impressed that you’ve even heard of Q School.”
“Don’t sectionals take place in the fall? How are you going to juggle it with teaching?” she asked.
“Between you and me,” he said, “I’ll be requesting a sabbatical.”
Lily reflected that she and Greg used to have a lot in common—they were both young and single, free of all obligations. Now he seemed like a stranger to her, a sort of pleasant stranger. Lily recalled that Crystal had never agreed with that. Back in February, when Lily had mentioned she’d gone on a date with Greg, Crystal had told her to steer clear of him. “He’s a player,” she’d said. “He has no sense of loyalty. I’ve known him for years, as Cameron’s coach, and I know he’s not a sincere guy.”
When Lily had pointed out that she wasn’t looking for sincerity, but just someone to go out with now and then, Crystal had thrown up her hands. “You make me crazy, Lily. One of these days you’re going to fall flat on your face for some guy. Just make sure it’s not Greg.”
In the parking lot, they stood between her Beetle and his Trans-Am, and he slid his arm around her waist. Lily was startled; he’d never come on to her before. He bent down and kissed her. She tried to kiss him back, but all she could think about was how awkward this seemed, how inappropriate. Pushing against him, she said, “Greg—”
He pulled back and looked down at her. “Don’t say it. You’re not into this. You’re a thousand miles away.”
That’s where I need to be, she thought. Away.
Lily returned home in defeat. The date was supposed to reaffirm her belief that the single life was tailor-made for