I didn’t mind not being part of it, though. It was one thing to compete with Penny, and another to compete against her. So I’d taken Lucy up on her offer to get ready, much to her delight. She and her mom were coming up to my lighthouse for a photo shoot, too, while her dad was painting her clamshell backdrop in their garage. I told them to come for lunch, so at noon, I started getting everything together. My bamboo cutting board was the bed for thin slices of a ripe Roma tomato, wedges of avocado, onion, different kinds of cheese, and crusty bread.

I hummed while I pulled three glasses from a shelf. I examined the rims to make sure there were no finger smudges; satisfied that the glasses were clean, I turned my attention to my hair. I was expecting the Bishops for lunch in a few minutes, and the day was so warm that my hair already felt a little damp. I pulled the claw clip free, wincing when the prongs snagged on my hair. I flipped my head so my blonde hair pointed at the floor, then began ruffling it at the scalp to fluff up the volume.

“Babe?” a male voice called out.

Levi? A grin spread over my face as I whipped my head back up. “It’s open!” I shouted in the direction of the door, knowing it would carry. On the exposed beam next to the counter I’d nailed a thrift-store mirror. The filigree oval mirror had reminded me of the wicked queen’s magic mirror from Snow White, and at just under five dollars, I would have been dopey not to buy it.

Some of the freckles on my face were more prominent from the sun, and the blonde streaks looked extra bleached. My cheeks were pink from my blush stick, but my upper lip looked a little sweaty. Frowning at my reflection, I used a clean kitchen towel to dab above my mouth.

“Hey.”

I turned, smile at the ready. My stomach sank like a stone. “Chad?” I asked in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

Chad’s eyes volleyed around my kitchen as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his baggy shorts. He glanced at the six slices of rustic country bread. “Expecting company?”

“Yeah.” I rocked on my heels, playing with my fingers. “I’m expecting Lucy and her mom for lunch. She’s getting ready for the Clamshell Queen pageant here.”

He laughed, but it sounded nervous. “Penny wants me to escort her there later. So, um, I guess I’ll see you there.”

“Guess you will.”

He didn’t take the hint. “Things seemed weird the other night. Between you and me,” he said.

The beach.

“When you were on a date with Penny?” My lips pursed.