The Coast is Clear (Breakaway Shores #1)

Izzy

Independence

Small-town parades were my favorite, and Breakaway had the best parade for the Fourth of July. It wasn’t anything special, but everyone in town was there to watch or walk in it, and the parties afterward went all out. The boys and I wore our favorite American flag shirts and walked down the sidewalk toward Main Street. It was busy, and everyone was heading to the same place we were going to. It had been a week since I’d seen Zander. A week since, I’d awkwardly asked him to hang out with me, and he’d run away. It was fine. I was fine with it, and I’d even written a little yesterday. It had only been about five hundred words, but it was something. Better than nothing.

We passed the little corner grocery store, and I tried to spot Luke. He said he’d be across from the ice cream shop, which was just a little farther up. Kingston poked my leg with his mini flag, and I looked down at him. He wasn’t paying attention, just waving his flag through the air. “Luke!” Christian yelled, and through the crowd, I spotted my brother. I’m not sure how Christian saw him before me. Luke turned, holding his arms out for Christian, and Zander caught my eye. He held an iced drink, wearing a white shirt with the words Land of the Free because of the brave on the front. The white of the shirt made the warmth of his skin stand out, and his hair was even darker. So, he was handsome, whatever. I could admire his looks. That wasn’t illegal. I was widowed, not blind.

I bit down my frustration over how our last interaction went. How embarrassed it had made me feel.

Luke pulled Christian into a hug, and Zander smiled, watching them. Kingston spotted them as we got closer, but he went straight for Zander, grabbing his legs. Zander squatted and gave him a one-armed hug, “Hey buddy. Cool flag.”

“Perfect timing, the parade is just about to start,” Luke told me. We moved to the sidewalk's edge, and the street in front of us was empty for now.

Christian squealed, “Is there candy?”

I laughed and ran my hand over his wild hair. “I think so. Let’s make sure we’re paying attention, okay?”

He moved onto the curb and sat down, intently watching the empty street. He held his tiny American flag. Luke moved over to me, “I ran into someone the other day who said he knows you.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Yeah, he’s looking for a house on the coast. His name is David Richards, and he said he knew you from college.” David, who I’d run into at the candy shop. Weird.

I nodded and noticed Kingston leaning back into Zander’s legs. “Oh yeah, I saw him in town, too.”

“He asked me if you were dating anyone,” Luke said, smiling nervously.

“Seriously?”

He laughed, “I told him he’d have to ask you, like an adult. But thought I’d give you a heads up.”

I glanced at Zander, whose eyes were on mine. Quickly, I looked at Kingston, who appeared very comfortable standing next to him. I hoped David wasn’t going to ask me out. That’s not something I would be interested in, and it had nothing to do with Zander. Nothing at all. David had never been my type.

Music started to thump through the air, and Christian stood, waving his flag around. “It’s starting!”

What looked like a high school band came around the corner onto the main road and was playing a mash-up of a few songs I recognized. Behind them, a group of girls waved around thin strips of ribbon and threw candy toward the kids on either side of the road. Christian was having a blast, and Kingston moved forward, jumping up and down next to him as candy fell near their feet. They picked up a few pieces, their free hands full. Next was a police car, sirens jolting through the air every few moments. Someone came up behind me, tapping on Luke’s shoulder. I glanced and saw a petite woman with curly blonde hair hugging him. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Luke was a lover of all women and couldn’t stop himself from finding new ones to date. Luke pointed to Zander, and the woman waved at him before they took a few steps away from the crowd. I turned back to the parade, the boys dancing to the music playing from the back of someone’s Suburban. The smell of pine wafted through the air, and I stiffened as Zander came to stand by me.

I needed to play it cool like I hadn’t been embarrassed by his not-really-a-rejection rejection. He cleared his throat, “Did Luke invite you guys to my barbeque?”

“No,” I told him, keeping my eyes forward.

“Oh, well,” I saw him shift on his feet out of the corner of my eye, “It’s just a little gathering with some neighbors, but if you guys want to come, you’re welcome to.”

I forced a nice smile and glanced his way, “I’ll see how the boys are doing after this. Thanks for the invite.”

Zander’s eyes ran over my face, and I felt self-conscious. “Fire truck!” Kingston yelled, and I hollered behind them. They were both so excited, and it made my heart happy.I cherished these moments when they were able to just be kids .

Zander clapped beside me as the firefighters tossed large blown-up balls out of their truck. Kingston and Christian shot out into the road to get one, along with many other kids. Kingston grabbed one, and Christian helped him keep a hold of it as they came back to us. He gave me a thumbs-up, and they turned around and watched the end of the parade.

“He’s a good kid,” Zander said.

“The very best.”

“Has he always been happy to be a big brother?”

I paused, not sure what answer to give. The one where I shared how broken he was after Jack died, how he cried for him throughout the day, and when Kingston came along, it healed him a little bit. Or if I just say yes. Zander’s forest eyes were locked on me, so I said, “Kingston was exactly what we both needed after losing Jack.”

Luke came up behind us, his arms wrapping around one of Zander’s shoulders and mine. “It’s almost barbecue time.”

The blonde girl stood awkwardly behind us, watching the conversation. Zander nodded. “Are you asking for a plus one?”

“No, I always have a plus one.”

Zander rolled his eyes, and I shook out of my brother's grasp. Christian stepped up beside me, “This was cool, Mom!”

Kingston was holding his ball, his grip tight as he approached me. “I got a ball! ”

“That’s awesome. Do you want me to carry it back home?” Kingston nodded, handing the ball over.

“You coming, sis?” Luke asked his arm now draped over his date’s shoulders.

“I think we’ll skip it. I’ve got the boy's favorite in the slow cooker at home.” Which was true. I didn’t plan on someone else making us food today. I had made their favorite mac and cheese featuring dinosaur-shaped pasta noodles which I paid too much for. It was going to be perfectly done in about a half hour.

Zander turned his body to me, “I grabbed hot dogs for the kids and even some little cupcakes with dinosaurs on them.” His voice was so earnest, and his eyes serious. What was he playing at buying food specifically for my kids? If I weren’t so annoyed, I’d be flattered.

“Um—" Luke was eyeing me with confusion. I shook my head before saying, “I guess we can come for a bit.”

“Great,” Zander smiled as I held tightly to the plastic ball. He turned to Christian, “You want a piggyback ride? It’s your turn.”

Christian’s face filled with excitement. “Yes, yes,” he told Zander as he climbed onto his back. Kingston held Luke’s hand as they started to walk back the way we came.

Again, I watched Zander relax with my kids like he enjoyed them being around. Like they weren’t something extra or annoying to deal with but worth it. I closed my eyes, reliving my rejection when he said no to staying for lunch. I just needed to clear the air and let him know I hadn’t been asking him out. That would help.

Definitely.