Page 1 of Keeping it Local

Chapter 1

Beth

My feet ached, but my heart was full.

“Hold up!” I yelled at Megan, who was a couple steps in front of me.

“Come on, you’re just in wedges. I don’t know why you’re moving so slowly,” she huffed.

“I’m normally in tennis shoes. Give me a break!”

I’d just moved in with Megan that afternoon, and she’d already strong-armed me into going downtown and having a drink to celebrate my new life in Port St. Clair—at least, for the summer, that is. The small Michigan tourist town on Lake Huron seemed like the perfect place to forget about everything at home.

Megan and I had met years ago through my cousin, and even though we’d never lived in the same town, we’d kept in touch over the years. She was one of the bubbliest people I knew, and I was secretly happy that she’d already taken me under her wing, knowing that I’d get some version of the college experience I never had.

When she found out about my move to Port St. Clair, she’d offered me her spare room and gotten me the job at Huron Rentals—a place that rented out boats and bikes to the tourists that came through. It was one of three shops, and I was excited about the part-time gig. Besides, I figured it’d be a good business to learn something from and figure out how to incorporate the changes back home. I wanted to move our small-scale market farm from selling to local vendors and farmer’s markets to expanding into more events. I thought the shop would be a great way to get more involved within the community and take back the things I learned.

“Okay, okay. We’re basically here anyway,” she said.

I followed her up the steps, and we walked to Windbreaker. She said it was the place to be and that there would be live music tonight. I was exhausted from the move, and the day already felt like a whirlwind, but I’d agreed to go along with her.

“There’s a spot back here!”

Megan and I made our way over to the corner, where she threw her bag down and hopped up into the big booth.

“This is perfect. I always feel like I’m stuck in the back. This is a good spot. Close to the bar, but also the stage. You don’t want to be too close though. Your ears will be ringing tomorrow.” She waved her hand toward the band.

I sat down across from her.

“Have you checked out the rental place yet?” Megan asked.

“No. Not yet, anyway. I figured I’d explore town tomorrow and check everything out before I start. The owner, Mary, seemed nice enough on the phone.”

“Oh, she’s the best. It’ll be totally fun. It’s a perfect spot for a summer job, especially in a tourist town like this. You’ll see tons of people. Plus, it’ll be really low-key compared to what you’re used to, especially with taking classes.”

Glancing around the room, I noticed the bar was already filling up even though the band didn’t start until nine.

“I’ll get us some beers. Anything you want in particular?” Megan asked.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having. Maybe something local.”

She headed off to the bar, stopping no less than three times to say hi to different people and flitting about to give people hugs on the way. You could tell she’d grown up here.

Me on the other hand? This was a totally different experience.

Being with Megan made things so much easier though.

The band set up on stage, and there were a couple old guys tuning their guitars and testing the mics with background noise going on around them.

My head was spinning after all the changes today, and as soon as she brought back the drink, I chugged half the bottle, trying to calm my nerves.

“Pace yourself, girl. We’ve got all night,” Megan teased, taking a pull from her own beer.

“I will. I will.” I gave her a half-smile.

“How are you feeling about everything?” She leaned close.

“I’m excited. Obviously.” I paused then added, “But I’m nervous, you know? It feels ridiculous that I’m almost thirty and I’ve never lived anywhere else. I’ve always lived within a couple miles of my parents. I should feel lucky that this is even happening. But half of me is just crawling up the wall, and the other half is asking why I haven’t given it a shot in the past.”