Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Kids, this is your home until the end of August. Treat it like you’d treat our home,” Emmett said.
They toured the main floor, seeing the living room, formal dining room, bathroom, and the eat-in kitchen, which had a full-length porch and a view of the water. The floors were gray, the walls navy blue, which was fitting since Emmett was in the Navy, and everything had been trimmed in white.
“This house is nauti,” Leona said, laughing at her own joke.
Emmett pointed out there were two ways to get upstairs, either through the flight of stairs in the kitchen or via the main staircase in the living room. He led them through the house to the main set, and placed his hand on Leona’s back, guiding her up the flight.
The color scheme stayed the same on the second floor with the added touch of white starfish resting atop each window.
“Make sure you move the starfish if you plan to open the window,” Leona said. “They’re fragile.”
“I don’t understand why people put fragile things out in their homes and expect them not to get broken,” Skyla said.
“It’s décor,” Leona told her.
They came to the first bedroom, which was where the twins would sleep. It had twin beds with matching navy-blue bedspreads and wicker furniture. The beds faced the glass door, which when opened led to a small balcony. Kiel found the same set-up in his room, only with a larger bed and French doors.
Emmet and Leona’s room was the largest version of the first two bedrooms with an attached bathroom. The bonus was the jetted tub and a walk-in closet.
Whoever designed this house did so with the view and ocean in mind. With each bed facing the glass door and having its own balcony, albeit small, it gave off the perfect ambiance. Kiel was impressed. Not only with the design, but his parents for finding and renting it for the summer.
Kiel went downstairs and grabbed his things. He picked up an extra couple of bags and brought them upstairs. “Not sure whose these are,” he yelled from the hallway as he set them down. He closed the door to his room, set his things on the bed and walked to the door, pulled it open and stepped out onto the small balcony. It was big enough for him and maybe one other person, but that would be it.
He leaned against the thick wooden railing and stared at the beachcombers, the people sunbathing, splashing in the water, and the lifeguards watching over their charges. There were squeals of laughter which brought a smile to his face. His eyes scanned the area and landed on the boardwalk where there were many cabanas, a snack shack, an aquarium, and a gift shop. The Colliers were definitely in a tourist trap or destination. While they could see the ocean from their house, they’d have to walk over to the beach. He didn’t mind, especially with the view he had from his room.
Kiel left the door open and started to unpack his clothes. He hung his dress shirts and the two pairs of slacks he brought with him per his mother’s request and put everything else in the dresser. His three pairs of shoes—flip-flops, sneakers, and dressier shoes—went into the closet, as did his suitcase. Next, he took out his chargers, laptop, and a book about deciding your future and set those on top of the dresser. His finger hovered over the front jacket as he contemplated whether he should read it or not. Nothing or no one seemed to have the answers for him on which way his future should go.
He laid on the bed, with his arms behind his head and watched as the sheer white curtains fluttered from the breeze let in by the open door. He listened to people laughing, the sounds of the waves, and the seagulls squawking. Kiel could easily tell when one of them found food. Their pitch changed and their noises became frantic. And the smell was much better than it had been when they were in the car. The scent of sunbaked sand wafted into his room. Kiel could get used to this.
After everyone unpacked, Kiel went to the beach instead of heading to the grocery store with the rest of the family. The last thing he wanted to do was follow his family around the store. With his flip-flops on and a beach towel around his neck, he walked down the hill, only to surmise that walking back up was going to suck. Maybe this was where the trolley came in. He could easily see wanting to take it home after a long day at the beach.
Kiel walked through the parking lot and took the four or five steps—he wasn’t sure because the sand hid at least one step—down and promptly kicked off his flip-flops. He didn’t want to look like a fool as he walked along the beach, kicking up sand behind him. He remembered doing that when he was a kid. It was funny then. As an adult, not so much.