record, I had to admit he had a point. We were both hoping that after fifty moons passed my overwhelming urge to be in the sea would ease up a little.
A love song came on the radio and I turned it up, humming along to the sweet strains of a familiar voice. Megan had been touring and performing all summer long, calling me every so often to describe the far-flung locations she could scarcely believe she was seeing. Like Cruz, she sounded happier than she’d ever been, and her joy spilled over the phone onto me. I always felt buoyed up after hearing from her, even if I was still uncomfortable with the idea that I had anything at all to do with her outrageous good fortune.
Aptos girl Shayla had also spread her wings to fly, and was now dating the movie star that I’d pulled from the sea in Hawaii. A beautiful pair, they graced the tabloids weekly, their globetrotting adventures custom made for the glossy magazines. There were pictures of Shayla and Matt posing at movie premieres, surfing in South Africa, or covering their faces as they slipped out of chic nightclubs.
Some long-lens photos of Shayla had recently surfaced– scandalous images of her frolicking topless on a billionaire’s private island. Instead of hurting her career, they only served to enhance her reputation as a free-spirited surfer girl, and made her even more popular. She had already attained legendary status in Aptos, and Ethan and I were amused to hear every local surfer proudly claiming to have been her boyfriend.
The fashionable set had officially deemed Shayla a supermodel, and her face was popping up in more and more places. The press loved her, as she was always good for a provocative statement or a colorful observation about celebrity. She joked about her unsophisticated background without a hint of defensiveness, and was rapidly becoming famous for being famous. She had come so far, so fast, it was almost unbelievable.
Almost.
I was happy for my friend’s success, but for me, the summer had only brought more calamity. After another disastrous run-in with the Edwards family, I’d endured another kidnapping that had ended in death and destruction. I’d managed to escape them once again, but Nathan Edwards and his muse Olivia were still out there, and I sensed they still had evil plans in the works.
I reached into my purse and felt for the Taser, checking my rear view mirror for any suspicious cars. The events of the past year had changed me forever; caution was now my second nature. There was no time to mourn for the carefree girl I once was– there could be no turning back the clock.
I rounded the corner onto Abby’s familiar little street, disappointed to see that Ethan hadn’t arrived yet. I parked in the driveway, pulling out my keys and looking around before stepping out into the foggy twilight. Charlie the cat yowled at me from the bench on the porch. I patted his head, wrestling with the new locks and finally walking into the front door to find a heavily pregnant Abby sitting on the couch with a large cardboard box at her feet.
“We got them!” she announced with a satisfied smile.
I came closer and peeked in, seeing a cluster of five tiny black and white kittens huddled together, looking up at us with wide, fearful eyes.
“The beach patrol has been checking the traps for me and just brought them by. Aren’t they sweet?”
“Aww,” I reached in to pet one and they all hissed, baring their sharp teeth and arching their tiny backs in a pathetic attempt at ferocity. I pulled my hand back.
Abby made little cooing sounds at them, absentmindedly rubbing her belly at the same time. “I’m afraid they need a lot of taming up. My friend Mary from over at the shelter will come to pick them up tomorrow. She has some foster homes lined up for them.” She looked over her shoulder at the darkening sky outside, “Charlie’s not too happy about it. He took one look at them and ran outside.”
“He’ll get over it,” I laughed, “He’s just jealous.”
“Dutch is on his way over to move in a load of his stuff, so it’s gonna be pizza for dinner… Do you mind keeping them in your room tonight? I don’t want to stress them out with too much hustle and bustle.”
“Sure!” I smiled eagerly, “I’d love to.”
I moved the box into my room, setting them out of the way on