can’t even imagine that. We’ve been in the Bay Area home since I was born.”
"How could you possibly know how it felt after the way you grew up?” Shelby realized she was taking her anger and hurt out on him like he’d done to her earlier. “I’m sorry,” she said. “These are sore topics.”
"Believe me,” he said, “if the family money were mine, I'd be doing things to save the planet. I'd live much more modestly. My dad could probably feed a small city just on what he spends on wining and dining each month."
Shelby shrugged. "It's so opposite with me. We never eat out. I don't even know how many schools I've gone to. About six elementary, multiple middle schools. And one high school so far. I've still got two more years and I hope to spend them in one place finally.”
"It must be hard to make friends that way," Logan said.
"Impossible."
Logan turned Shelby to face him. He kissed her on the forehead. "But now you have me," he said.
In her mind she thought, Do I? Do I have you? He certainly had her heart.
"And you have me," she said back to him.
They gazed into each other’s eyes, each other’s hearts. Then he kissed her gently on the lips before taking her in his arms. Here with Logan, away from everything, nothing seemed like it could touch how they felt about each other.
The sound of motorboats speeding by broke the calm silence as the sun drifted overhead. “I’d better get back to the station soon,” Logan said, breaking the spell.
Shelby brushed off the dirt from her shorts and stood up with him. “Are you feeling any better?” she asked as they walked.
“When I’m here with you, yes,” Logan said. “When I’m with my mother, it’s hard not to worry. She's talking about staying at the lake house instead of moving back to the city. I think everything at our city house reminds her of my father.”
"Well, if I'm still here," Shelby said, "I'll keep an eye on your mother and Gabe.”
"That’s true," Logan said. "And it's not that far from Stanford. I got acceptances to other colleges, but my father insisted I go there. He’s still hoping I’ll do pre-law. I can come up on some weekends and holidays. And if there's a divorce, at least the lake house belongs to my mother's family.”
They strolled toward the lifeguard station so Logan could relieve his replacement.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” he said. “It's a beautiful, sunny day. I have to work, but at least I can watch you swim.”
"I'll swim for both of us,” she said, with a wink.
Shelby sauntered down to the water, turning a few times to make sure he was still watching before diving into the delightfully cool water. Her body tingled as the heat sizzled off her. She swam out to the floating dock where people were hanging out fishing and cannon-balling into the water. She pulled herself up, dripping wet, and sat on the edge with her feet dangling over. Logan had binoculars in his hands and they were facing right at her. With what she hoped was a seductive smile, Shelby waved, wishing he was sitting beside her. Hopefully there would be another chance for them to enjoy the lake together soon.
Chapter 29
Shelby allowed herself a leisurely morning shower. The relief after Wally’s recovery had kept Shelby’s mind off her mother’s threat about moving to Florida for the last week. But the latest text from Dana stating they would be coming to get her soon, and the links to pictures of cookie cutter homes in Florida, had set Shelby on edge. She hoped Dana was just having another one of her highs, which tended to drop quickly to another low, then the plan would be abandoned. She highly doubted if Gus was ready to buy a house already after only a few months and move Dana and her teenage daughter in too.
By the time she toweled off and dressed, the pit of Shelby’s stomach felt like a triple-tied knot straining to break. There was so much at stake. In these last couple of months at Moonwater Lake, she’d felt happy, laughed more than she could have ever thought possible. She felt normal, and that she mostly fit in. And, of course, there was Logan, and Theo, and all of the adorable dogs. Shelby wondered if she stayed living with her grandmother, would she let her get her own dog. It didn’t matter. They