“I hadn’t really thought about it, honestly. I’m happy with what I’m doing. In the way, way future, I’d like to buy Busy’s. But for right now, maybe just get the shop’s website up and running. Someone asked about online orders. I think maybe that’s something I’d like to talk to Tom about. I love making people happy with food. The sweetness of a slice of cake has the ability to turn a bad day around. There’s a lot of memories in food, you know.”

“That would be really cool,” Levi said. “You’d be a small business owner.”

I smiled faintly. “Yeah.” I pulled away from him and drew my knees to my chin, staring out at the serene water.

“What just happened?”

I half turned, resting my chin on my shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“You went away from me for a second there.” He followed my lead and propped himself up on his elbows.

“I guess it’s just weird to think about you leaving. About doing all these things without you here. It feels like you’ve always been in Oar’s Rest. Almost since we first met, you’ve never felt like a stranger. There’s already been so many changes this summer that I hate to think of another one.” I shook my head. “Please don’t be creeped out.”

“I’m not,” said Levi. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple. He held his nose there a moment longer before drawing back. “The truth is, I don’t want to leave here. My gut’s saying—” He broke off. “I feel like this place—you—is the right place for me. Does that sound crazy?” His voice was so soft I had to strain my ears to hear him.

“Not at all,” I murmured, reaching to run my thumb across his exposed wrist. I pressed a kiss to his palm and sighed. I understood more than he knew. Since the beginning of the summer, I’d felt like I was walking on shifting sand. First with graduation, then Penny, then Elodie.

With Levi, there were no games. No second-guessing. No strings. It was easy in a way none of my relationships had ever been. Elodie had always been afraid to embrace the idea of us, always looking over her shoulder. Chad had always been more Penny’s than mine, even if it sometimes felt the opposite. And Penny, well, I didn’t want to think about Penny.

All I wanted right then was to be just Levi and me. No one else.

Levi flicked some sand from between his fingers. “What will happen to us?”

I startled. The terms of my relationship always seemed to be decided for me. For the first time, someone was looking to me to set the pace. “Um, what would you want to happen? Would you want more than a summer romance?”