CHAPTER 25
Katrina
The oven timer beeped. Katrina pulled the cookie sheet out with a pair of mitts and placed it on the stovetop. The cookies looked perfect this time—golden brown, studded with chocolate chunks, the oats glistening with butter.
“Finally,” she said to the empty kitchen.
The first batch had been a disaster. She’d only stepped away for what she thought was a minute.
Okay, maybe three or four. But those minutes were long enough to turn the edges black and fill the kitchen with the smell of burned sugar.
She’d scraped them into the trash, cursing herself for getting distracted by a text from the women from Sacramento about her son’s surfing lessons.
For the second batch, she’d parked herself on the floor in front of the oven, cross-legged, and watched the entire fifteen minutes like a hawk. No phone, no wandering. Just her and the oven light and the gradual rise of the dough.
These ones were worth the wait. She couldn’t resist. She broke off a corner of the nearest cookie, blowing on it twice before popping it into her mouth.
The oats were chewy, the chocolate still soft and rich.
The pecans had that toasty flavor, and the coconut added just enough sweetness.
Perfect. Ryan was going to lose his mind.
Cowboy Cookies. That’s what he’d called them, two days ago, sitting on the porch with a beer while Marina was inside changing.
He’d mentioned them casually, the way people mention things they don’t realize they miss until the words are out.
His mom used to make them when he and his brother were little.
Big, hearty cookies packed with oats and chocolate and nuts.
Something about the way he said it—like he was describing a place he couldn’t go back to—made Katrina look up the recipe that night.
She’d written the ingredients on the back of a gas receipt and gone shopping this afternoon before returning home from the beach.
She had secretly mixed the dough and waited until Ryan went to pick up Marina before she started baking.
She’d planned the whole evening. The cookies would be cooling when they got back from the Beacon. They’d watch that movie Ryan kept talking about, My Cousin Vinny, which neither she nor Marina had seen despite Ryan’s shock that anyone could reach adulthood without experiencing it.
“It’s a classic,” he’d said, with that earnest look he got when he was trying to convince you of something he genuinely believed in. “A must-see.”
Katrina glanced at the clock on the microwave. Almost eleven. They were supposed to be home by ten-thirty. She frowned. Marina’s shift at the Beacon ended at ten, and Ryan had left to pick her up around a quarter to ten. Even with traffic, they should have been back by now.
She heard a car approaching, the engine sound familiar. Skylla, who’d been dozing on the living room rug, sprang up with a whine and bolted for the front door, nails clicking on the hardwood. Katrina set down the spatula she’d been holding and listened.
The car door slammed. One door, not two.
Minutes passed. The front door rattled, the lock turning.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Marina’s voice, low and warm, talking to the dog.
Katrina came into the living room, wiping her hands on her shorts. Marina was bent over, scratching Skylla behind the ears. No Ryan.
“Where’s Ryan?” Katrina asked.
Marina didn’t look up. Her fingers kept moving through the dog’s fur. “Oh, his boss is here, and he... err, has to meet with him.”
“What? No way.” The disappointment hit harder than she’d expected. She’d been looking forward to this. The cookies, the movie, the three of them on the couch with Skylla wedged between them. “How long is it gonna take?”
Marina paused. Her hand stilled on Skylla’s head. “Actually, he’s probably not going to come back for the night.”
Katrina frowned. “What about the movie? And the cookies?” She gestured toward the kitchen, where the second batch was cooling on the rack. “I made Cowboy Cookies. The ones his mom used to make.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Kat. I guess we’ll have to watch the movie without him,” Marina said. Her voice had that flat quality it got when she was trying to sound normal and failing. “As for the cookies, you could probably bring him some to the beach when you have the lesson with him.”
Katrina’s frown deepened. “You sound like you aren’t going.”
“No, not tomorrow,” Marina said. She looked up briefly, her eyes meeting Katrina’s for just a second before dropping away. “I need a break.”
This was weird. Marina had started surfing again just a few days ago, less than a week. She’d finally gotten back on a board. And now she needed a break? Already? Katrina wanted to remind her sister that she had promised to help her with her lessons tomorrow.
But something wasn’t right. Marina was still avoiding eye contact. She looked like she’d been crying, or was about to.
“Is everything ok?” Katrina asked. “You don’t look well, Rina.”
“I’m fine,” Marina said quickly. The words came out clipped. “I just need a shower, that’s all.”
She stood up quickly, Skylla nudging her hand for more attention, and headed for the stairs without another word.
“Ok,” Katrina called after her. “Be quick. It’s getting late.”
“I will.”
The bathroom door closed upstairs. The shower started running.
Katrina stood in the living room for a moment, listening to the water. Then she went back to the kitchen and arranged a plate of cookies. She grabbed two cans of beer from the fridge and a bowl of peanuts from the cupboard and carried everything to the coffee table.
She thought about calling Ryan but decided against it. She didn't want to interrupt his meeting. It had to be important. Otherwise, he would've skipped it, right?
The whole thing felt strange.
As far as she knew, Ryan had been doing everything he could to avoid his boss, ignoring his calls and texts for days. So why had he suddenly dropped everything to meet with him, especially at this ungodly hour?
Well, Ryan or not, they might as well watch the movie. She'd already paid to rent My Cousin Vinny on YouTube.
She picked up the remote, opened YouTube on the TV, and selected My Cousin Vinny from her rentals. The opening credits appeared, and she let them play for a moment before pausing the movie. It looked promising. Marina would love it.
The cookies smelled good. She hoped Ryan would get to try them tomorrow. She hoped whatever was going on with Marina wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
But the way Marina had looked—that forced calm, the averted eyes—Katrina had seen it before. Her heart tightened. No. Ryan wouldn't hurt her sister. Maybe Rina was just overreacting to the meeting.
She picked up a cookie and took a bite, chewing slowly. The chocolate had cooled and hardened a little, but it was still good. Rich and sweet against the toasty oats.
She hoped Ryan knew what he was doing.
Marina came downstairs twenty minutes later, her hair wrapped in a towel, wearing an old t-shirt and yoga pants. She looked better. Too good. Her smile was wide and fixed, like she’d practiced it in the mirror.
“Sorry that took so long,” she said, dropping onto the couch beside Katrina. “The hot water felt good.”
Katrina studied her sister’s face. The redness around her eyes was gone, but there was something underneath the cheerfulness, a tightness around her mouth. She was hiding something. Katrina had known her sister long enough to recognize when Marina was performing.
“Want some cookies?” Katrina asked, pushing the plate toward her.
Marina reached past the cookies and grabbed one of the beer cans. She popped the top and took a long drink, tilting her head back. “Oh, I needed it,” she said, lowering the can. “Long night.”
Katrina frowned. Long night? Marina had only worked half a shift.
Katrina held out the plate again. Marina took a cookie and bit into it.
Her eyes widened. “Umm, best cookies you’ve ever made, Kat.
In fact, the best cookies I’ve ever had!
” She made an exaggerated sound of appreciation, closing her eyes and tilting her head back like she was experiencing some kind of religious epiphany.
Katrina chuckled. “Ok, should I be flattered? You don’t sound sincere. Are you saying it to make me happy?”
“I’m not! It is really good!” To prove her point, Marina grabbed another cookie and took a big bite, chewing with theatrical enthusiasm.
Katrina let it go. She picked up the remote and pressed play.
My Cousin Vinny started. Katrina laughed almost immediately.
It was the kind of movie that hit her sense of humor right away—the quick pacing, the accents, the way every situation became just a little more ridiculous than the last. Katrina laughed as Joe Pesci stumbled through his first courtroom appearance.
Ten minutes in, she was still laughing. But something was off.
Marina wasn’t echoing her. Usually they’d get the jokes at the same time, their laughter overlapping, one setting off the other.
But Marina was just sitting there, her beer balanced on her knee, her eyes on the screen but her mind somewhere else.
This went on for another ten minutes. Katrina reached for the remote and paused the movie.
“That’s it, Rina. Something is bothering you. You’ve got to tell me what it is. Stop pretending.” She turned to face her sister fully. “Did you and Ryan fight?”
Marina stared at her for a second. Then she sighed, her shoulders dropping like someone had cut her strings. “Yes,” she said.
She set her beer on the coffee table and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “Ethan showed up at the bar. It turned out he’s Ryan’s boss.”
Katrina’s mouth fell open. “No freaking way!”
“Yes.” Marina’s voice was small. “Right around the time Ryan came to pick me up, Ethan showed up. He insisted we stay for a drink, and we chatted for a bit. No big deal, really. But Ryan got upset after he realized Ethan was my ex. I don’t know why he was so upset, Kat.
I kept telling him it was over between Ethan and me, and I don’t care about Ethan anymore.
At first, I thought he was just jealous.
But even after I told him it was over between Ethan and me, he was still upset. ”
Marina’s voice cracked on the last word. She pressed her fingers against her eyes, but it was too late. The tears came anyway, sliding down her cheeks.
Katrina’s heart sank. She put down her glass and pulled her sister into a hug. Marina’s body was tense at first, then she relaxed into it, her face pressing against Katrina’s shoulder.
“There, Rina. Don’t cry. It’s no big deal, like you said. He’s a man. Of course he got jealous. This isn’t the end of the world. I’m sure he’ll come back. He’ll apologize and beg you to take him back.”
Marina shook her head against Katrina’s shoulder.
“I doubt it. He said something that really hurt me. Then I got upset, and I couldn’t help saying hurtful things back. I basically told him it was over between us.”
Oh no. This sounded more serious than Katrina had thought.
She hadn't seen Marina like this in a long time. Two years ago, when Marina broke up with Ethan, she'd been disappointed but not devastated. She'd grown quiet for a week, but she'd never shed a single tear.
This was different. The hurt ran deep.
“What did he say?” Katrina asked quietly.
Marina pulled back, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand. “He said it was just a fling between us.”
“No way.” Katrina looked her sister in the eye. The anger rose in her chest, hot and immediate. Ryan. That idiot. That absolute idiot. “I’m going to give him a call right now.”
She reached for her phone on the coffee table.
“No!” Marina grabbed her wrist. “He’s meeting with Ethan now. I don’t want to make a big deal, Kat. And we both need some space.”
Katrina held her sister’s gaze. Marina’s eyes were red and pleading. After a moment, Katrina nodded and set the phone down.
“You’re right. Give him a night. He’ll probably come to his senses.” She handed Marina the box of tissues from the end table. “Now, how about we forget that idiot for a minute and enjoy the movie?”
Marina wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She nodded, a weak smile forming. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Katrina smiled back and picked up the remote. She restarted the movie from the beginning.
This time, Marina laughed. It started small—a chuckle at Joe Pesci’s first courtroom outburst—then grew. By the time Marisa Tomei was explaining positraction from the witness stand, Marina was laughing hard enough to set her beer down before she spilled it.
Katrina glanced at her sister from time to time, laughing with her. The tension in Marina’s shoulders had eased. For now, at least, she was present. She was here, in this room, watching this ridiculous movie, and not somewhere else with whatever Ryan had said to her.
Katrina wasn't sure exactly what had happened at the Beacon. The pieces didn't quite fit. Ryan being jealous of Ethan made perfect sense. He'd just found out his boss had once been Marina’s ex.
But Ryan wasn't the type to call what they had a fling out of spite. He was careful with his words. He wouldn't have said something like that just to hurt Marina.
Besides, hadn't he kept saying he would come back on weekends?
She had faith in him. Ryan would come to his senses. He wasn't a jealous fool. He was better than that.
But she was still mad at him. Mad for making Marina cry, mad for ruining the evening she’d planned, mad for being stupid enough to let Ethan Caldwell—of all people—get under his skin.
Later, after the movie, she would text him. Nothing long. Just enough to let him know that if he hurt her sister again, Katrina wouldn’t forgive him. Not easily, anyway.
For now, she reached for another cookie and settled deeper into the couch. On the screen, Joe Pesci was losing his mind in an Alabama courtroom. Marina laughed again, louder this time.