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Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“How’s school going?” Letty asked, as Isabelle helped her fold an unwieldy fitted sheet.

“Kinda boring, to tell you the truth,” Isabelle said, smoothing her hands over the folded sheet. “Graduation is in two months, but I’ve already finished most of the stuff I was supposed to do. School seems so lame right now. I’m ready for summer, and then college.”

“Senioritis,” Letty said. “I remember it well. But you’ve got so much exciting stuff still ahead of you yet. Take it from an old lady like me, don’t wish it all away.”

“You’re not that old,” Isabelle said, cocking her head. “You’re what, like, twenty-five?”

“I wish,” Letty said. “I’m thirty-three, but some days I feel like twice that old. Especially nights when Maya isn’t sleeping, or has one of her meltdowns.”

“She’s super smart, you know,” Isabelle said. “When I’m reading to her, she can sound out a lot of the words. And she can totally read the menu in the McDonald’s drive-through.”

“She’s got it memorized, unfortunately,” Letty said. “But I agree, she is pretty smart.” She sighed. “I guess I need to start thinking about kindergarten in the fall.”

“Here?” Isabelle asked. “I mean, do you think you’ll still be living here at the Surf?”

“I’m not sure,” Letty said. “Your mom has been so great to me, but living in a motel room isn’t an ideal situation for raising a child. Maya needs some stability. A room of her own. Maybe a backyard.”

“I get that,” Isabelle said. “I always used to wish we lived in a real house. My friends all think it’s so cool, living in a motel, with a pool right here and the beach and everything. They don’t really get that we live, like, above the store. Like, my mom is on call, twenty-four seven. If one of the guests’ air-conditioning isn’t working, they’ll wake her up at two in the morning to bitch her out about it. And all the regulars think that they’re the boss of me. And Joe.”

“They think the same thing about me, if it makes you feel any better,” Letty said.

Isabelle nodded. “Where would you go, if you leave the Surf?”

“I’m not sure. I’m taking it a day at a time. I need to make plans, but right now, I feel sort of frozen.”