The Coast is Clear (Breakaway Shores #1)

Zander

Overstep

“I want robots, no. Creatures! Wait, let me tink .” Kingston was trying to decide on his birthday cake. He was turning three, which seemed like such a small number to me. He was full of life and made me laugh more than most adults did. I was trying to keep out of it and let Izzy do her mom things. I wanted to be there for her for the boys, but I didn’t want to overstep.

Luke didn’t seem to mind butting in. “Okay, here’s this one that the baker did for another kid. It has a dinosaur, a shark, and a snake on it.” Kingston jumped up and stepped over to Luke, peering down at his phone.

We were all lounging around the living room while a kid's movie played on the TV in the background. “That one.”

Izzy sat up. “Let me see.”

Luke turned his phone away from her. “The men are deciding on the cake, thank you very much.”

She rolled her eyes, and I ran my hands up and down her legs. She was lying on the couch, sprawled over me. Christian was ignoring all of us, curled up next to me on the other side, actually watching the movie.

We hadn’t been back to the conversation we’d started the other night. I needed to man up and just ask her if we might live together. I liked this town; it was smaller than I was used to, but I loved being familiar with most people here. Nobody treated me like an ex-football player. I was just . And the thought of moving across the country now was unbearable. Even just moving somewhere other than Breakaway Shores.

“Okay, but can the baker have it done in time? His party is in a week.”

“Yes, he’s magic. Promise. It will be done with time to spare.” Luke was typing furiously on his phone.

“Are you having the party here?” I asked.

Izzy’s eyes flashed to me. She’d just decided on a party that morning, in fact. Kingston had asked her if he was having one, and she went full throttle into planning one. “I guess so. I’m not inviting that many people, just us, the few friends he’s made here and Jack’s parents. It’s last minute, so I don’t think they’ll be able to make it, but we’ll see.”

Christian twisted around. “You told Grandma and Grandpa?” Izzy nodded, and he turned back to the TV. His shoulders drooped down a little bit.

“I’ll call Dee, too. See if she can make the trip.” Izzy smiled, and I tapped her leg. “What are we doing for dinner? I’m starved.” I wasn’t starved, but I was ready to get out of the house.

“Pizza!” Kingston shouted, jumping up in the air.

Christian covered his ears, annoyed by the sound. I reached out and pulled Kingston closer, looking at him with a serious face. “Pizza? With frog legs on it?”

His entire face soured, but I could still see the glint of a laugh in his eyes. “Ew, frog legs are gross.”

Luke tickled him from the side, and his giggle warmed my chest. Dee used to giggle like that. When do kids stop doing that? Luke stood, grabbed Kingston around the waist, and pulled him toward the stairs. “Let’s get ready, boys. We’re going bowling.”

“But I want pizza!” Kingston yelled, and Christian groaned again, crawling after Luke.

Izzy sat up, and I leaned toward her. “Do you want to have the party at my house? I mean, it’ll be your house soon anyway.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I wanted her to say something, to not dance around the subject. She shrugged. “Sure, the boys love it there.”

And then she got up, walking toward the little closet where she kept her keys and coat. I tried to shake it off. It was okay. I was reading into it.

She was here .

She wanted to be here with me, too. I just hoped she wanted to be with me when summer was over.