Carly hot and bothered before going out with you and Quinn,” Zev said, but it was a fib. If he thought it wouldn’t make him and Carly lonelier, he would have gotten her all revved up, and it would have made it even more thrilling knowing that she’d have to play it cool when Birdie and Quinn walked in—which he knew they would.
“Quinny,” Birdie hollered. “Chalk up a few gentleman points for Zev.”
“Got ’em!” Quinn said from somewhere in the room.
“Sorry,” Carly said, nudging Birdie out of the way. “I’d better go. I loved my tour, and I love you more than you can imagine.”
“Right back at you, babe. Good luck at the festival. Send me some pictures. I’d love to see what it’s like.”
“I’ll take some of her!” Birdie called out.
“Thanks, Birdie,” he said, enjoying the hint of embarrassment on Carly’s face. He blew her a kiss. “Until tomorrow, sexy girl.”
She mimed catching the kiss and touched two fingers to her lips. “Until tomorrow.”
Birdie and Quinn made kissing noises in the background, and Carly rolled her eyes as she ended the video call.
Zev looked at Carly’s picture on the lock screen on his phone. He hadn’t even been gone for a day, and he felt her absence like a missing limb. What have you done to me, baby?
Eleven hours down, too many more to go.
Chapter Twenty-Six
CARLY PULLED A tray of brownies from the oven Monday morning, moving to the beat of “Rock Your Body,” from a CD Zev had made her in high school. She’d had to put on music at home, too. The quiet had felt too quiet, making her miss Zev even more. After she’d had dinner with the girls—which they’d eaten at the restaurant because Carly had been outvoted—she and Zev had texted for hours. And after they’d finally said good night, she’d stayed up agonizing over his offer to be his business partner, saying she couldn’t go with him, and wanting to be in two places at once. She should be exhausted this morning, but she had woken up ready to take on the world. Her hair was up in a ponytail, her white Divine Intervention T-shirt was knotted at the waist of her denim shorts—a chocolate-shop-festival tradition—and she had on her most comfortable sneakers.
Unfortunately, the world she really wanted to take on was two thousand miles away.
Between missing Zev and the excitement over what his dive might turn up later today, she could barely think of anything else. But she was trying. She couldn’t wait to tell her aunt all of her news. She’d tried to reach her yesterday, but the call had gone straight to voicemail and she hadn’t left a message. She set the tray of brownies on the counter and glanced at the clock, glad to see it was finally six o’clock. Nassau was two hours ahead of Colorado, and she knew her aunt took a walk on the beach every morning at eight.
She put in her earphones and placed the call.
“I’ve been wondering when you’d get around to calling me,” Marie said when she answered.
“Sorry. Life has been a whirlwind this week. I’ve been prepping for the festival since five, but I didn’t want to call you too early. How are you?”
“I’ve never been better. More importantly, how are you? Your mama told me that your first love is back in your life. How do we feel about this?”
There was no missing the concern in her aunt’s voice. Marie only used we when she was concerned about things that she thought Carly either should be, or was, stewing over. Carly knew Marie would be overly cautious about Zev coming back into her life. Marie knew the Bradens who lived in Weston, and she’d met Zev’s parents once when she’d been in Maryland visiting Carly’s family when she was young. But her aunt didn’t believe in judging a family as a unit, because as she’d told Carly a million times, good people can raise bad children and vice versa.
“We feel incredible,” Carly said, even if a bit confused and lonely. She didn’t want to worry her.
“Mm-hm. Forgive me for withholding judgment until I hear all the facts, sweetheart, but my auntie claws are extended and ready.”
Carly began mixing the frosting for the brownies and said, “Aunt Marie…”
“Save it, sugar. Tell me what I need to know. You know these claws retract as easily as they come out.”
That was true. Carly had seen Marie go head-to-head with a man who stood at