“I’ll say.” Soleil laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m surprised the windows weren’t steamed up when we walked in.”
“Stop,” I warn. Oh, fun. It’s gang-up-on-Claire time. “I hate both of you.”
“Dang, girl,” Soleil responds, slowly shaking her head. “Did you get a sunburn today? You sure are red.”
“Like a tomato,” River adds.
“Okay, great,” I say, untying my apron and ready to die of embarrassment. “I’m going in the back while you two comedians finish your routine.”
“Don’t be a baby,” River says, taking the apron from my hands. “We’re just messing with you.”
“Besides”—Soleil leans against the table—“it’s not like you like him like him. You have Ezra.”
I’m reminded of Lucy’s comment at the bonfire. That if the Frisbee had missed me, had hit Soleil instead, maybe she and Ezra would be the couple. It hadn’t occurred to me before. But now I suddenly wonder.
“Yep,” I say.
Soleil smiles slightly, her brow furrowed. She tosses another glance at River just as the bell over the door jingles. We all turn, and I’m pleasantly surprised when I see Lucy. She’s wearing a short pink halter dress and has sunglasses on her head. She looks like she belongs at the beach—like maybe she’s trying to blend in.
“Hey!” I call. I hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to her at the bonfire, and to be honest, I’m kind of curious about the deal between her and Harlin. The way they were glaring at each other, there has to be a story here.
“I’m taking you up on that latte offer.” She smiles broadly. “Oh.” She pauses, looking at the apron in River’s hand and then back at me. “Are you done for the day?”
“Yeah,” I respond. “I can still get you a drink, though.”
She shakes her head. “No worries. I was just trying to get out of my apartment. Actually, do you want to grab some lunch? I heard there’s a great Mexican restaurant on the beach.”
Soleil turns to me, waiting for my reply. “Yeah,” I tell Lucy. “I’m starving, and El Fuego has the best guacamole. Let me just clock out.”
Lucy nods, and I ignore the curious stares of River and Soleil. I’m supposed to go over to Ezra’s, but I’m sure he won’t mind if I stop for lunch first. It’s not like I’m going with another guy. With Harlin.
I punch my time card, and River appears next to me. “Stranger danger, Claire. First the motorcycle guy and now the new girl in town. You’re like some kind of rebel. It was rude not to invite Soleil at least.”
“I . . .” I’m about to argue, but then I see that River is right. It was rude not to ask Soleil to come along. She is my best friend. “I’ve been off lately,” I tell River. “I’ll invite her now.”
My brother continues to eye me like he’s trying to discern what’s wrong with me, and I go back to the front. But it’s just Lucy standing near the glass door.
“Where’s Soleil?” I ask, glancing around the room.
“She left,” Lucy says. “Said she had to go check on someone.” Lucy shrugs, and I grab my purse from behind the counter. Guess I did piss her off. I’ll call her when I get back, make sure she knows I wasn’t trying to be rude. “You ready?” Lucy asks.
El Fuego is a small restaurant just off the sand, with loud wallpaper, a half dozen tables, and killer guacamole. Most people sit at the outside bar to enjoy the ocean view, but Lucy and I opt for indoor seating because it’s air-conditioned. The temperature is really climbing.
“Have you always lived in Deseo?” Lucy asks after the server sets down a basket of chips. She dips one in guacamole and takes a bite. “This is good.”
“Told you.” I get a chip of my own. “Yep, I’m Californian, born and raised. My dad grew up here too. My mother’s family is from Mexico, but she and my dad met in culinary school twenty years ago. I’m the baby of the family.”
“The bakery was really cute,” Lucy says. “Do you enjoy it there?”
“Uh . . . sure. I mean, it could be worse. I could be working in some sketchy restaurant or out in the sun.”
“Well, then, you would have hated where I grew up. Dusty and hot and the only kinds of restaurants they have are sketchy. But I guess it had some charm. At least that’s what my dad says. He’s a pastor.”
“Are the two of you close?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Lucy smiles. “Yeah, we are.”
A sudden sadness crosses my heart. “I’m close to River. My parents are usually busy, and my other brothers are always gone. Sometimes it’s like River and I are on our own. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Lucy lowers her eyes, stirring her soda with a straw. “Ever feel like you don’t belong here?”
I don’t answer right away, as I consider that until yesterday I’d never felt out of place. Now I’m not so sure.
“I feel like that sometimes,” Lucy says quietly. “It was why I left Thistle. I didn’t belong anymore. Not without my sister.”
A knot forms in my stomach. “What do you mean? Did something happen to her?”
Lucy doesn’t look up. “She ran away.” I gasp, but she’s quick to explain. “Elise is all right. Just moved on, I guess. But I plan to bring her back. Dad and I . . . we aren’t a family without her.”
“I’m so sorry. Do you know where she is?”
Lucy glances up. “Not yet. She’s laying low. But I’m confident I’ll get her to come home. I’m just going to hang out in Deseo until she comes around.”
“I’m sure she will.” I smile, trying to be encouraging. In truth, I can’t imagine what it’d be like if one of my brothers just decided to run off—not to college, but to start over without us. It must hurt. What if River did that? What would I do?
The server delivers our food, and Lucy and I are quiet as we dig into our enchiladas. Now that I know about her sister, I feel like there’s a bond between us. I feel like I could tell her anything.
“Do . . .” I pause, my cheeks reddening. “Do you know a guy named Harlin?”
Lucy’s fork slips from her fingers and clatters on her plate. She apologizes quickly and picks it up, but from that reaction, I guess she does know him. Now I’m not sure I want to know the answer. If he has a girlfriend—
I stop the thought. Who cares if he has a girlfriend? I do, in fact, have a boyfriend. I need to remember that.
“Yeah, I know Harlin,” she says calmly. “He used to date my sister.”
My stomach sinks. At the bonfire, Harlin told me he wasn’t friends with Lucy. Why did he lie to me? “Is that why your sister left? Did she leave with him?”
Lucy wipes her hands on her napkin and tosses it on top of her plate. “No. She broke his heart. I don’t think he expected her to go away.” She sighs. “Harlin and I aren’t on the best of terms right now.”
“I noticed.”
Lucy laughs and glances around the quiet restaurant. “I should probably let you go,” Lucy says. “I got a job at the movie theater. Don’t want to be late for my first day.”
I take out cash and hold it up for the server. “I got this,” I tell Lucy.
“That’s sweet,” she says, looking touched. “Thank you.”
Once the bill is paid, Lucy and I walk toward my car. As we cross the parking lot, Lucy points toward the bus stop. “You go on ahead,” she says. “I’ll take the bus so I can time out the route. If I like this job, maybe we can barter lattes for movies.”
“I approve of this plan. Good luck.” We say good-bye, and when I get into the sunbaked air of the Jeep, I smile. It’s nice to hang out with someone new once in a while. And the fact that she knows Harlin—it’s weird. And sure, they’re not friends, but she knows about him. I can’t deny that I’m curious to hear what else she has to say when it comes to Harlin.