Page 46 of Back to Square One

Stevie squeezed her eyes shut. “Limbs. Everywhere.”

Rowan laughed along with them, thankful that none of them knew the story. For the first time, she felt completely part of the group, and that was nice. She made eye contact with Evie, who was clearly enjoying herself—something else that Rowan thought was nice.

Justine made sandwiches. Everybody who was hungry grabbed one, and they all headed outside. Rowan took a lounge chair on the deck. Stevie sat next to her. Evie headed down the stairs and walked out to the chairs on the dock.

Sara came out and said she and Justine were running to the store.

“We were just near town,” Stevie said.

“I didn’t realize we were out of a couple things,” Justine said as she popped her head out the door. “We’ve got three more days.”

“We won’t be long.” Sara leaned over and kissed Stevie on the mouth. “Miss me.”

“Always do.”

Rowan looked away and took a bite of her sandwich, feeling slightly like she was intruding on a private moment. They left and it was just Stevie and Rowan, and they ate quietly.

“You doing okay?” Stevie finally asked.

Rowan nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Stevie’s eyes were on Evie. “She’s been kinda…close with you.” It wasn’t a question, merely an observation, but still. Stevie had noticed.

More nodding. “Yeah.”

“How does that feel?”

“Weird. Good. Familiar. Confusing.” She shrugged.

“Think you should talk to her about it? Ask what the fuck is going on?” There was a slight edge to Stevie’s voice. A protective one.

“Probably.”

They were quiet again for a moment, chewing their sandwiches and watching the water. Finally, Stevie said very softly, “At a couple points today, it was like old times. I looked back and the two of you were sitting on your boards, right next to each other, smiling and looking like nothing had changed, and something in me just…settled.” She frowned. “And then I’d remember. It was…strange.”

“I get that. It was strange for me, too, because I had the same feelings. Like I said: familiar and good. Comfortable and warm and perfect. And then…not.”

Lizzie’s boat was chugging in toward the dock.

“There they are,” Stevie said, unnecessarily. As if on cue, the door opened and Becca and Jasmine came out. Rowan and Stevie both turned to look at them. “Well, don’t you two look rumpled and satisfied.”

Rowan burst out laughing at Becca’s waggling eyebrows. “Good thing you didn’t go looking for them, Stevie.”

“I told you. Never again.”

Jasmine’s grin widened. “Oh, you told the story, huh?”

The pink of Stevie’s cheeks was back.

“You’re such a soft masc,” Becca said, giving Stevie a playful shove. “Hey, where’d you get the sandwiches?”

Rowan held up the half of hers that was left. “Here, take mine. I’m full.”

“You sure?” Becca took a bite, moaned in pleasure, then stopped chewing, her brow furrowed. “When the hell did Justine make chicken salad?”

“Where’d you guys go?” Becca asked as Lizzie and Claire climbed the stairs to the deck. Evie had stayed on the dock and hadn’t even glanced at Claire, Rowan noticed. For her part, Claire looked miserable—a combination of sad and angry that set her face in an expression of marble, as if that was how she was going to look from here on out. Eyebrows down, a little divot above her nose, mouth in a straight line, all permanent. She spared a glance toward Rowan, but the expression didn’t change.

“We drove around a bit,” Lizzie said. “Then dropped anchor and just floated.” She turned toward Claire. “I think we both napped a little.”