Chapter Twenty-Three
IF EVER THERE WAS A magical island, this would have to be it. The deepest greens of what felt like an enchanted forest paired with the blue, blue water of the lake made it feel like a hidden paradise where you could escape everyday life.
Ileaned against Logan as we sat on our sleeping bags in front of the fire with Eden and Sophie, waiting for the fireworks to light up the night sky. The sun had just set, and our bellies were full from the amazing foil dinners of seasoned shrimp, corn on the cob, and other veggies Eden had made. The evening air was cool, but wrapped up with Logan in front of the fire, I didn’t notice.
“Do you remember that story Dad would tell us when we were kids about Felix the Fox?” Eden reminisced, holding on to Sophie like she needed a lifeline. Eden had mentioned to me earlier that the Fourth of July used to be a big deal for her and Luca. They would always go to Nantucket to celebrate, renting a large house and inviting all their family and friends. Logan and Erica used to join them, and they would stay up late every night playing games and laughing. I’d told Eden it sounded perfect.
She’d said, “We all did a great imitation of perfection. Not to say it wasn’t wonderful, but looking back, I think we were all putting on a bit of a show.”
She didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask her to, feeling like it might betray Logan. He was very protective of Erica, and I respected that. Besides, I was too afraid it might give me some false notions that I could live up to Logan’s wife.
The thought of saying goodbye to Logan at the end of the next month was hard enough, knowing he was the kind of guy who would give you his last french fry without you even asking. And not to state the obvious, but his last name would go well with any first name.
Brooke Summers. Uh, hello, that sounded so good.
But our deal was simple—this was a summer romance. And so far, Mom was right—it was the most magical thing I’d ever done. I wondered if knowing the magic would only last for a short while was what made it feel so spellbinding. Like a race against time, so you made every moment count.
Whatever it was, it was incredible, and I knew I would be sad when it was over. But I knew the sadness had to come because it would mean this summer was worth all the tears. Tears for me represented deep emotion. And I was experiencing the deepest of emotions in Aspen Lake.
Logan’s chuckle rumbled in his chest. I loved how he’d seemed quicker to laugh the last few days.
“He made me believe there were golden pineapples growing on this island,” Logan said with such fondness.
“I have to hear this story,” I commented, my curiosity piqued.
“Me too,” Sophie echoed, her eyes wide.
“You should tell it, Logan, just like Dad used to,” Eden said, her voice thick with emotion.
Logan wrapped his arms around me tighter, as if he needed support to fill the shoes his father had left. I could feel the love of his memories in his embrace, and I felt honored to be a part of it.
“All right,” Logan said with a smile in his voice. “Once upon a time, in the shimmering waters of Aspen Lake, there was a mysterious island known as Whispering Pines. This island was unlike any other, filled with magic and wonder that enchanted anyone who visited,” Logan said with intrigue.
“Legend has it that Whispering Pines was home to not only talking trees, but a group of forest creatures who could talk and sing. There were wise old owls, tricky squirrels, and even a mischievous fox named Felix. Every creature on the island knew Felix for his clever tricks and his ability to make them laugh. But his favorite thing to do was to take people hunting for pineapples.”
“Pineapples?” Sophie giggled. “You can’t grow pineapples here.”
“But you think trees and animals can talk?” Logan teased.
“I’m just saying you could make the story more realistic if they were hunting for golden berries or something,” Sophie replied, crossing her arms in a playful pout.
“My apologies,” Logan laughed. “Should I continue?”
“Uh, yeah,” Sophie said, the way only a preteen girl can. She was obviously curious and enjoying it.
“As I was saying,” Logan continued. “These pineapples were special because anyone who found them would find endless happiness and laughter.”
“Sounds like my kind of fruit,” I said more to myself.
Logan kissed my head. “But if you found one, you couldn’t eat it yourself. You had to share it.”
Ahh. Clearly, their dad had made up this story because he wanted them to learn something. I liked it. It was no wonder that Logan was so good at answering all my silly questions. His dad had obviously fueled his imagination when he was younger. I wished I could have met him.
“And they were hard to find because the tricky squirrels liked to hide them and—”
“I hate squirrels.” Eden shuddered.
Logan barked out a laugh. “The image of the squirrel jumping on your backpack. I’ll never forget it.”
“When did that happen?” I asked.
“I was twelve, and we were going on a family hike, and the stupid thing just jumped on me. It was awful.” Eden still sounded traumatized by it.
I didn’t blame her. That would have scarred me too.
“She swore she got rabies from it even though it didn’t bite her, so we had to take her to the ER to get checked out,” Logan barely managed to say through his laughter.
“You can’t be too careful.” She playfully swatted at Logan’s arm .
I loved their dynamic. I’d always wished I had a brother or sister growing up. Especially now, as an adult, I felt like I was missing out on something. To share that kind of history with someone. I would give almost anything now to have another human who’d grown up with me and my mom. But I alone would have to carry on Mom’s stories and her advice.
“So how do people find these pineapples?” Sophie cut in, not appreciating the trip down memory lane.
“You have to listen to the wise owls, of course, and the trees,” Logan said mysteriously. “Can you hear them now?”
We all stilled around the campfire to listen. All I could hear was the crackling of the fire, the gentle rustling of the leaves, and the lake lapping against the shore. Nature’s band was beautiful.
“What are they saying?” Sophie whispered.
Logan leaned in closer, his voice barely audible. “They’re saying that the true magic of the pineapples lies not in finding them but in the people you go on the journey with. And ... don’t ever listen to the fox or the squirrels.” He grinned.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “That’s just silly.”
“It is,” Logan agreed. “Your grandpa was a silly guy.”
“The best guy.” Eden hugged Sophie tight.
I snuggled in closer to Logan. “I’m sorry he didn’t get to see the good man he raised.”
“Thank you, Brooke. You always know the right things to say.”
I wasn’t sure about that.
“Now we have to teach Sophie some camp songs,” Eden chirped.
“Do we really?” Logan groaned.
I turned in Logan’s arms to face him, ecstatic about this turn of events. And about the fact that I got to look at his handsome face in the firelight. Seriously, it was like he painted on the scruff. It was that good.
“This is a must. I knew I was going to get you to sing for me.”
Logan cringed, not sold on that plan.
“Come on, big brother, be a sport,” Eden joined my cause.
“Yeah, Uncle Logan. Don’t you think Grandpa would want you to?” Oh, Sophie was good. She was going to give all the boys in her life a run for their money.
“Fine.” Logan relented with a smile.
I kissed his nose before turning back around. I sensed he didn’t want me staring at him while he sang. Besides, I wanted to close my eyes and savor this glorious moment, knowing it would be a fantastical experience.
Logan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close until my back was flush against his chest. “We’ll do one song. Your grandpa’s favorite camp song, ‘Home on the Range.’”
“I was hoping you would do that one,” Eden said, squeezing Sophie extra tight.
I held on snugly to Logan’s arms, closed my eyes, and braced myself to enter heaven. Logan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling before he began to sing clearly and perfectly:
“Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.”
Oh. My. Gosh. Someone needed to call 911. The doctor was giving me heart palpitations. His voice resonated warm and velvety in a rich baritone timbre. Every syllable wrapped around me like a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer. While the song wasn’t sexy in the least, Logan sure made it that way. Holy cow, what a gift.
I seriously needed him to sing some Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé numbers for me. Except, that would probably torture me for the rest of my life when no other man could possibly compare to him. Scratch that. It would probably be for the best if this little camp song was all I would ever have of this part of Logan.
Eden jumped in with him for the second verse, and she helped Sophie sing along. I could hear the happiness and sadness in her sweet voice. I could only imagine how emotional this time was for her as she tried to pass on the good from her past while letting go of the heart-wrenching parts.
When the family trio finished, I opened my eyes and stared into the fire, knowing my life would never be the same after this summer. I had a feeling that it was exactly what my mom intended for me. I held on to Logan, determined to treasure every moment with him.
“That was amazing,” was all I could think to say.
“Did you and your mom have any Fourth of July traditions?” Eden asked, shaking me out of what felt like a fantasy.
“Oh, um ... It was mandatory that we listen to Bruce Springsteen’s album Born in the U.S.A. Mom would fangirl over his butt on the cover with the baseball cap hanging out of his jeans pocket.”
Everyone laughed while I tried to pull it together. Logan had just wrecked me in the best way possible.
“Other than that, it was always pretty simple. As long as Mom got to see some fireworks, she was happy. Mom loved fireworks, and even if she was in the hospital, I would sneak her out of her room and take her to the rooftop so she could see them. She always said fireworks made her feel hopeful because they meant someone was celebrating. She loved a good party. Probably because she was always the life of it.”
I couldn’t hide the emotion in my voice. Did I ever miss her. And I so badly wished I could introduce her to Logan and, of course, Eden and Sophie too.
As if Mom had orchestrated it, a huge pink-and-gold burst of light lit up the night sky. It gave me hope she was watching over me and this crazy adventure she’d sent me on. An adventure I knew I would be forever grateful for.
Everyone on the beach directed their gazes upward, excited, except Logan. He took the opportunity to nuzzle my neck; his stubble tickling my cheeks and his warm lips brushing across my skin made it feel as if fireworks were going off inside of me.
“Happy Fourth of July, Brooke,” Logan whispered between the brushstrokes of his lips. “Thanks for giving me something to celebrate.”
If this was how Logan partied, I always wanted to be invited. You know, at least for this summer. I had a feeling I was going to have to remind myself a lot over the coming weeks that this party wasn’t meant to last.