Louisa had ignored the advice, of course, because what did her mother know, and had she seen how gorgeous Cody had gotten this past year? He had muscles and that swift summer tan, not to mention eyes as deep and rich as chocolate cake and hair to match.

What if she had listened? What if she’d heeded her mother’s advice? She wondered that often, unfortunately. Because if she’d been wiser, there was a good chance Mr. Boggs would still be alive and their two families never would’ve fallen out.

Conversely, however, her mother had been charmed by Eric Anderson, Louisa’s only real grown-up boyfriend. (It didn’t escape her that those two things seemed to contradict each other. After all, the very idea of a “boyfriend” didn’t sound very grown-up.)

Everyone was charmed by Eric—he was charming. None of them ever saw him for who he really was. Last time she’d talked to her mom, the older woman had asked if there was any chance of reconciling with “that dashing Eric from the hotel.” As if all her hopes and dreams were pinned on that relationship. As if their breakup had simply been another one of Louisa’s silly mistakes.

So perhaps mothers didn’t know everything.

Yes, maybe she wouldn’t tell her parents. Maybe they’d never find out their daughter would be dead right now if it weren’t for the strong, firm, muscular arms of their old pal Cody Boggs.

Yeah, and maybe pigs would fly.

“Should I come back?”

Her eyes shot open and instantly drank in the sight of a fully grown and eternally handsome Cody Boggs. This was terribly unfair, she thought, that he emerged from this morning’s fiasco looking like he’d just stepped off a photo shoot for the “World’s Most Eligible Bachelor” and she looked like she’d decided to try out life as a drowned sewer rat. With red hair, no less.

Thank goodness nobody had given her a mirror. Although right about now she was wishing she’d at least done a quick pass over the curls.

“Louisa?”

“Sorry,” she said. She ran a hand over her hair and felt the frizz, stifled a groan. “No, it’s fine.”

“Just came to see how you’re feeling,” he said. “And to tell you how stupid you were to be out there without a life vest.”

“You don’t have to be ugly about it,” she said. “I didn’t mean to get out that far.”

She’d been careful to stay within the designated swim zone—was it really her fault the current had picked her up and dragged her so far out? Maybe the empty beach should’ve been a clue. Everyone else knew better. She wanted to hide—it was her fault!