Chapter Ten
Liam
Following Tim down to the beach, I glance around for my cousin. Calypso stayed back to help Bonnie and Selena with a few things, but I don’t mind. Lucas has nothing but great things to say about the Millers and Davies, so if I can make a good impression for her sake, I’ll do anything.
Knox is close by but hasn’t noticed me yet.
One of his boys is trying to stand up on a surf board with the help of an instructor, so I don’t expect him to be concerned with much else.
I assume that the brunette man standing next to him is Grady.
Even from a distance, he looks like a perfect mix of his parents.
“That’s my son, Grady,” Tim confirms as we walk to the grill he set up already. “He mentioned you hadn’t met yet.”
Setting the tray on the fold-out table, I shake my head. “Not yet.”
“Didn’t think so.” Looking around the beach, he points toward a couple walking along the shore with two kids. “That’s my daughter, Blake, and her husband Adrian. They have three kids, but Millie doesn’t love the water. Blake and Adrian work at my vet clinic.”
Blake has a light complexion and raven black hair, like her father. Next to her is a tall man with mahogany skin and a clean buzzcut. The two boys walking with them are kicking water at each other and giggling while holding their parents’ hands.
I nod along, appreciating that someone is taking the time to put all these names to different faces. I expect I’ll get official introductions later, but it helps to have a quick cram sesh before.
“Over there, on the chair—” he points toward two women sitting near the empty fire pit, “—is Vivi, my future daughter-in-law.” He says it proudly, a hint of affection that feels more paternal.
Calypso has told me a bit about her family’s history with the Millers.
They’ve all watched Grady and Vivi grow up together, fall apart, and find their way back to each other. “I assume you’ve met Lexi?”
Next to the curvy redhead is a familiar brunette who is whispering something to Vivi, making her head fall back on a laugh. Lexi doesn’t get to Brighter Daze until after my morning visit with Calypso, so I haven’t seen her since Jake and I stopped in.
“Just once,” I answer and continue to scan the beach.
Lucas is standing off to the side, talking to some of the other parents. They must not be a part of the regular group. When Jake notices me from under an umbrella, he waves happily, sand flying off his hand. Chuckling when the girl next to him pushes his hand down and scowls, I wave back.
Soft skin nudges my arm, and I find Calypso standing next to me—arms crossed and sunglasses perched on her nose. Without saying anything, she tilts her head curiously.
“Tim was just giving me a quick rundown of who’s who.”
I’m good, I silently tell her, hoping she can read it in my eyes. We’re good.
“Crap, I forgot the cheese,” Tim mutters and sets the grill brush down.
“I can go,” I offer, taking a step away from Calypso. She mimics the move, closing the small distance between us. Folding my lips between my teeth, I look back at Tim, not wanting to make it a big deal despite how fast my heart is racing.
It was probably subconscious on her part, but I’m very aware of it. If Calypso knows I know, there’s a great chance she’ll erect a taller, sturdier wall around herself.
Looking over our shoulders, a mischievous smile takes over Tim’s face. “No, I can grab it. I’ll leave you two to deal with them.” He nods behind us.
I glance back as two men amble closer. The one with blonde hair has a towel thrown around his shoulders but his shorts are still dripping water—he was the guy teaching Matty and his friend to surf.
The brunette is wearing board shorts without a shirt, like most of the men on the beach.
He doesn’t give the impression he’s getting in the water though.
Honestly, he looks like a grumpy fuck next to his friend.
“Ugh,” Calypso quietly groans and picks up the grill brush. “This was the introduction I was hoping Tim would do.”
Frowning, I watch her back. “Why? Who are they?”
She glances over her shoulder with a quirked brow and smirk. “Calm down, killer. Those are my twin brothers.”
I turn back around as they step within ear shot of us.
“Hey, Lyp,” the blonde says with an easy smile. He looks similar to Calypso with his brown eyes and high cheekbones, but he’s a little more tan and his hair is a few shades lighter from the sun.
She turns in time to accept his side hug as he slings his arm around her shoulder.
“Hey, Ash,” she says and waves at her other brother. With less dramatics than her mom, Calypso introduces us. “This is Liam, Lucas’s cousin. And these are my brothers, Asher and Hudson.”
“Hey, man,” Asher says in a laid-back tone, but he assesses me for a long moment. He seems friendly though, not as guarded as Calypso warned.
“Nice to meet you,” I say and offer him my hand. He takes it and more of his demeanor warms.
Hudson clears his throat. “Hey.” He holds out his hand, and I take it. “We’ve met a few times.”
My brows raise. Assessing him, I try to place him in my memories. He looks vaguely familiar, mostly from the fact he has heterochromia—one bright green eye and one hazel. “We have? Were you and Lucas friends?”
It has been close to a decade since I last visited Amada Beach; I don’t remember everyone I met.
He shakes his head. “I worked at Stanley’s hardware store in high school. He’d let me help on some of the small repairs and projects—fixing someone’s rain gutter or painting a garage. Stuff like that.”
Sounds like Stanley, and exactly how I ended up with Mikey as an employee.
It was twelve years ago that I spent my last summer here.
The image of teenage Hudson starts to come into focus but it’s fuzzy.
I liked spending time with Stanley, and my interest in his work was how we got to this point in our lives.
Plus, he hoped he would exhaust me enough to keep me from finding more trouble. It didn’t work.
“Yeah, I remember you,” I say. He was quiet, I think, always kept to himself, but Stanley loved the kid. “Sorry about that.”
He shakes his head again. “Don’t worry about it.”
Asher, still leaning against his sister, asks with a shit-eating grin, “Should we be worried about Calypso having to bail you out of jail for public urination?”
Hudson adds, “Or arson.”
I roll my eyes in jest. When Mia’s high school boyfriend broke up with her, we burned everything he gifted her.
The giant teddy bear was more flammable than any of us expected, almost catching their back tree on fire.
We put it out before anything serious happened.
They probably don’t know the details, just that one of the neighbors called the fire department on us.
It’s not the first time someone has brought up the memory.
“It was a controlled fire,” I insist and slip my hands in my pocket, shrugging. It’s the only way I can stop myself from rubbing my hand down my neck, a tell-tale sign I’m nervous. Playing off my nonchalance with Calypso is one thing, but I actually want her brothers to like me.
Calypso’s shaking her head in amusement. “And this entire time you’ve been worried I’d be the one arrested.”
Both of her brothers’ heads turn down to her in confusion and worry.
Rolling her eyes, she waves them off and slips out of Asher’s hold. She focuses on cleaning the grill. “For physically assaulting a man at a bar.”
They both nod as if it makes perfect sense.
“True,” Asher mutters.
Tilting his head, Hudson asks, “Not Stefan?”
Calypso sighs and gives me an annoyed look.
I hold my hands up in surrender. “I didn’t say anything—you’ve been here the whole time.”
I won’t break that promise to Calypso, no matter how badly I want to. Especially because she deleted the goddamn voicemail Stefan left her. At least that’s what she said when I asked to hear it a few days ago. However, I’m not upset that Hudson brought up the topic either.
Now they have some form of an idea that Stefan needs to be watched when it comes to their sister.
“We know he’s back in town. Has he been lurking around?” Hudson asks. His voice is low and quiet, trying to offer his sister some privacy.
I empathize with their concern for her. Despite being younger, it’s clear they care about each other deeply and want to protect her.
Knowing Calypso better, I have to fight the urge to shield their inquisition, to pull the attention away from her and the topic she wants to avoid.
Unless she asks me to, I won’t overstep into a conversation between her and her siblings.
Calypso puts a little more elbow grease into her scrubbing, giving away her discomfort. Asher’s staring at her with furrowed brows and Hudson is standing tall, arms crossed.
She shakes her head but avoids eye contact. “Stefan saw Liam and me at the farmer’s market. He was with Ruby—”
“Who the fuck is Ruby?” Asher asks, perplexed. Both of her brothers look at me, trying to grasp for answers.
“His fiancée,” Calypso says with no emotion. “She’s young and he’s a fucking snake. What’s new?”
Placing the brush down, she slams the grill lid. From the way she closes her eyes and slightly grimaces at herself, she didn’t mean to drop it so hard.
“You’d tell us if something happened?” Asher asks.
“Yup,” Calypso answers quickly, shutting down the conversation.
Asher and Hudson exchange disbelieving looks. A thousand silent conversations are held in the span of seconds. I recognize it from my own twin sisters, Ava and Amara.
Before any of them can say anything else, Tim comes back out with the cheese slices. Calypso happily takes the out, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away. “Taking him to meet Vivi, my favorite sibling, now,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Bullshit.” Asher laughs but it almost gets lost in the breeze.
Calypso stops next to a variety of Adirondack chairs set up around an unlit fire pit and drops the beach bag on one of the chairs.