I pull Harley into my arms, wrapping her up tight. I’m tempted to tell her it’ll be okay, that of course Nick’s parents would never not accept her, but I don’t, because I don’t know if that’s true and the last thing I want to do is lie to her.

I wait for her to disengage from the hug before picking her hand back up in mine and squeezing tightly. “I love you. And I’m here. Always.”

She gives me a faint smile. “Love you back.” She gulps down the rest of her water and rises to place her empty glass in the sink. “You coming up?”

“In a minute.”

Harley stops at the edge of the island. “I like Jack. He’s a good one.”

“And here I was thinking you were a smitten kitten. You already got eyes on someone else?”

She doesn’t bother to acknowledge my asinine statement because she’s a smart woman and has learned well over the years. “When you’re ready to talk about him, you know where to find me.” She blows me a kiss and heads up the stairs.

I sit in the darkness on my own for several minutes before I can finally admit it, if only to the yellow roses on the counter. “I think I like him too.”

Nine

Sadie Jane, if you don’t put down that phone right now, I swear to god!” Nick throws this empty threat at me while he’s waist-deep in the calm bay water.

I flip him off from my spot in a beach chair under an umbrella and return my attention to my phone. After posting another photo of a recent arrangement, I check my DMs. There are a couple of inquiries, which I answer, keeping my fingers crossed that at least a few of them turn into orders. My sales have been growing, steadily but slowly. Really slowly. And even though it’s a holiday and I’m sure most people will be away from their phones, I want to make sure I address all potential customer questions as quickly as possible.

But I know Nick is probably just a few seconds from throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me into the water like the caveman he is deep down inside, so once all DMs have been answered, I click off my phone, holding it tightly in my hand like some kind of millennial rosary, praying for some good business news.

“Sadie!” This time the scream comes from my three so-called besties and my roommate—the traitor—who apparently all have little to no regard for my entrepreneur life.

“Okay, fine! You imbeciles!” I toss my phone into my straw beach bag, making a mental note to put a bouquet in it later and snap a beachside photo.