Cody’s Big Dreams on the Day He Turns Sixteen

1. Get a car

2. Learn to play the guitar

3. Qualify for state in two swimming events

4. Take the sailing trip with my dad

5. Get up the nerve to kiss Lou

He reread her last wish. Tell Cody how I really feel about him. How did she feel about him? Slowly their eyes met. Something inside him shifted. Her baby blues were trained on him, and in that moment, everything changed.

“Louisa.” He’d whispered her name—not because he thought it was sexy, but because he was so nervous, his voice didn’t come out.

She smiled shyly, which wasn’t like her. It made his head spin.

“You don’t have to get up the nerve,” she said. “I’d love it if you kissed me.”

His heart flip-flopped. He’d only ever kissed one other girl, Sydney Markham, on a dare. It hadn’t been pleasant. He was pretty sure he was bad at it, and she was definitely bad at it. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to try again.

He leaned across the dock until their faces were nearly touching and she smiled. “Finally.”

Their lips met, and he drank her in. She smelled fruity and tasted like strawberry frosting. If it hadn’t been his favorite before, it sure was now. His lips searched hers for several seconds until he pulled away. “Finally?”

She grinned. “I’ve got a crush on you, Cody Boggs.”

From that day on, they weren’t just friends. They were so much more.

How stupid he’d been to think it would last forever. Nobody found love just following them around on the beach. It didn’t work that way.

He was older now—he knew better. He’d dated plenty of women to confirm his suspicions on the subject—love, the real thing, was fleeting and hard to find. In fact, there was a reason he was still looking for it, though he wasn’t looking very hard. He’d practically made up his mind he was better off alone.

It’s not like he was good company.

Now, sitting across from Louisa, a world between them, he forced himself not to romanticize old times. He’d be smart to think about how everything ended—and why he hadn’t spoken to Louisa Chambers since.

But it was hard to think about those things under her watchful gaze, with a million questions begging for answers.

“Why do you have an envelope with my mom’s name on it?”

She hugged the folder to her chest. “Can we just talk about the fundraiser? Please?”

“Louisa.”

“Maggie’s dying, Cody.”

The words were like a swift punch to the gut.

“She’s dying, and it’s almost her birthday, so I’m planning a big party for her.” She paused. “Your family should be there.”

“She’s dying?”

Louisa nodded slowly. “Congestive heart failure.”