Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“Morning, Riley,” says Katja with a smile.
She’s wearing a red romper and black army boots. Her pale blonde hair is piled high on her head. My own choice of a simple, floaty, sky-blue sleeveless cotton mini dress with a pair of designer sneakers seems boring in comparison. As for Ava, she’s rocking a ruffled sheer beige maxi dress with matching bra and shorts underneath. All the drama. She looks great. But Katja is on a whole other level.
“Stop staring at her,” hisses Ava. “It’s bad enough in Europe when she gets recognized. I don’t need it happening here too.”
I sigh. “I’m sorry. She’s just so beautiful. It’s like looking into the sun. My eyes are dazzled.”
“Danke,” says Katja in her German accent. “Ignore her. Lack of sleep makes her extra bitchy. But don’t believe her for a minute, I adore being objectified.”
“Sorry,” I repeat.
“Love me for my mind.” Katja gives me a wink. “I am going to go find this Nicole you’ve been telling me about. Maybe she’ll let me borrow a guitar.”
A young man with an impressive moustache and a llama walks past. Not something you see every day.
Ava gives him a nod. And then sees the wide-eyed looks Katja and I are giving the animal. “Kiss a llama is always popular,” she says. “Of course, it’s not as big as the competitions. We’ve got pie eating, sandcastle building, kite flying, and oyster shucking. Along with all the music and arts and crafts contests. But kiss a llama has its fans.”
“Huh.” I nod. “What’s its breath like?”
“Not good.”
“That was a fine-looking llama,” says Katja. “I have to admit, I am tempted.”
Ava is busy retrieving something from the back seat of the car. It’s big and unwieldy and wrapped in a towel. “Riley, where’s your chowder? We’ll go up together. They’ll be just about ready to do the tasting.”
I put on my sunglasses. “Where’s my what?”
Katja pauses.
“Your chowder,” says Ava again.
My brows go up. “I was supposed to make chowder?”
“You didn’t make chowder?” asks Katja with a frown.
Ava is not happy. “Joyce said they told you about the cook-off. How Denise runs it every year and it’s very important to her.”
“They did,” I say. “But I didn’t know I was supposed to enter.”
“Shit,” swears Ava. “You really didn’t make chowder?”
“No.”
Katja sighs. “She didn’t realize, Liebling. Go easy.”
“But how the hell do you think you’re going to win over Denise if you don’t take part in her chowder competition?” asks Ava.
“Wait. Who said I want to win over Denise?” I ask. “After dinner the other night and the scene at the café yesterday morning, staying far away from her sounds safest. And while it would be nice if we got along, since when do I really care if Connor’s mom likes me?”
Ava turns to Katja and says, “She hurts my head. It is actually aching now, and she did that.”
Katja winces.
“Riley, are you or are you not with Connor and planning a future with the man?” asks Ava, setting the pot down on the sidewalk. “Because if you are, you need to get in tight with his mother.”
“I tried. But she doesn’t want to know me.”
“Try again. Because I am telling you, she’s worth it.” Ava rubs her temples. “Look. My parents were a disaster who loved having public shouting matches and got divorced when I was twelve. It’s a big part of why Connor and I got together. We were both going through a whole heaping shitload of trauma—along with facing gossip and prejudices in a small town, which is its own special sort of hell. The point is…he and I both have damage. It’s why we fall back on certain behaviors and bad habits. For instance, I choose safety over a real relationship because I am afraid of getting hurt.”
Katja gives her a small, encouraging smile.
“Connor made everyone happy but himself. He always had to look like the town’s favored son. It’s why he kept taking me back. Because everyone loved the idea of us being together.”
He already told me this. But I sip my coffee and keep my mouth shut.
“And Denise is scared of change. She’s terrified of it. Of what harm someone new and unknown might do to her and her family,” she says. “But it was Denise who cared for me and cooked meals for us while my mom was killing herself working two jobs to pay the bills and my father was busy with his shiny new bride who was closer in age to me than him.”
“You really love her, don’t you? Denise?”
“Yes. I really do.”
“Why do you want to help me?” I ask.
Ava turns to Katja and frowns her heart out. Then she turns back to me and says, “He smiles when he’s with you. Okay?”
“Okay. You’ve certainly thought all of this through. Everyone’s issues and everything.”