Amaya elbowed his side.
“Hey, buddy.” Grim and Nikki walked up. It didn’t escape Merrick’s notice that they were holding hands. “Should we have gotten you one too?” Grim held up a yellow shaved ice—pineapple.
“I’m good,” Merrick said. “I sort of have this thing.”
Amaya rolled her eyes, her favorite pastime. “Your girlfriend again? Are you sure she exists? Are you certain she’s not a mermaid you imagined?”
Merrick gave her another hug and decided he’d let her have today. Maybe he needed to loosen up, let her out more. This was a good thing for her.
It was good for both of them.
They parted ways after Merrick reminded Grim and Nikki not to let Maya out of their sight. Nikki assured him they’d stay linked and took Maya’s hand. Merrick expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
Maya liked Nikki more than she liked her own brother.
He watched them go until they were lost in the crowd. Amaya had to hold up one side of her shorts to keep them from falling off. Guilt stabbed Merrick’s ribs.
She’ll be okay. It’s one night. I’ll buy her a double cheeseburger tomorrow and watch her eat it until it’s gone.
The pier and boardwalk waited fifty yards off. Merrick headed to her spot. The Summer of Lights Festival was in full swing, complete with balloon-animal artists, cotton-candy vendors, and two shaved-ice trucks. A canopy booth was set up on the boardwalk where attendees could buy lanterns, markers, and lighters. Every July, people from all over showed up to write their wishes on the white paper lanterns and send those wishes afloat over the ocean. The entire sky lit up. Better than fireworks, there was a serene calm to the Lights Festival. The last time he’d sent a wish into the sky, his mom was there. Merrick was young and had wished to make his dad proud.
He’d stopped believing in wishes after that.
“But . . . I’m starting to again.” The words released on a murmur as he kicked up some sand behind him.
Coral sat on a dry patch beneath the pier, hidden away from the crowds and lights and noise above. Band music played a nostalgic tune in the distance. Merrick tapped the beat out on his thighs, whistled along for good measure. The ocean approached and receded against the shore. It barely reached Coral’s feet before it backed away. She wiggled her toes, shifted closer. The sun began to set, the day fading like the end of a song.
She was writing again, lost in the world she’d created between the pages of her notebook. She didn’t look up, didn’t even notice Merrick standing a foot behind her.
Intrigued, he stayed back and crossed his arms. Was she . . . humming?
The sound was soft, almost nonexistent.
Merrick withdrew his harmonica from his pocket, played the chords to match her tune. His heart swelled with each step toward her.
Coral continued to hum. She bobbed her head, tapped one foot on the damp sand. She was lost in her own world. With her, time dwindled from existence. Merrick wanted to freeze these moments before they escaped.
He leaned forward and caught a glimpse of his name on her notebook page. A diary entry? A poem? A few more inches and she’d be leaning back against his shins. But she didn’t look up from her notebook.
Merrick became an intruder in the private bubble she’d created. So he pocketed his harmonica, cleared his throat, and offered a casual, “Hey.”
Coral stopped humming and closed the notebook cover. “Hi.”
He sat and their hands lay side by side in the sand. If he moved his pinky finger a few centimeters, they could make another promise. One that mattered more than the one they’d already made.
She lifted her hand and played with her braid.
“So . . .” He coughed. Classy, Merrick. “You came.”
“I said I would.”
“I’m glad.” He inched his hand closer, hoping she’d place hers next to his again.
She didn’t. “Me too. What are we doing?”
“Trust me?” He wanted her to say yes more than anything. To take his hand and let him show her that he could be her safe haven.
When she looked at him, a strange sensation in his chest took over.
“Lead on,” she said.
It wasn’t the answer Merrick wanted, but he’d take it.
They stood at the same time. Merrick almost offered his hand, but he didn’t want to mess this up. He’d told her he’d wait and he would. He wasn’t about to rush things when she’d only begun to let him in.
“I went through my grandmother’s attic.”
“Without me?”
“Yes.”
Questions ran rampant, but he allowed her to speak first, showing her he could be as patient as she needed him to be.
“You’ve only shown me some recent photos of Lyn, so I can’t be sure.”
His ears perked. “You found something, didn’t you? Tell me you found something.”
“Maybe. It might be nothing.”
Merrick stopped where they strode. They were both barefoot and their strides matched in pace. He tried not to get his hopes up. He didn’t want this evening to be all about that. Still, she couldn’t mention it and expect him not to ask questions. “What is it?”
“An old newspaper clipping. An engagement announcement. That’s it.”
“Did you bring it?”
She nodded, then withdrew a small square of faded newspaper from inside her notebook.
It wasn’t much. A few sentences. Lyn Camden, town sweetheart, to marry the most eligible bachelor in San Francisco. Wedding date to follow in a later edition.
His dad’s name wasn’t listed, but Camden had been his mom’s maiden name. This had to be about them. “How long did it take you to find this?”
Coral shrugged. “A few days. My grandmother has a lot of junk. I pulled out a stack of old photo albums too. I haven’t gone through them yet . . .” Her voice trailed.
Was it an invitation?
Merrick pocketed the clipping and didn’t think before he made his next move. He pulled her into a hug, picked her up, and swung her around. When her feet met sand again, she drew away, her hands sliding down his arms. When her hands found his, they stayed.
This was different from anything he’d experienced.
Merrick reached out to touch her face, half expecting her to flinch. She didn’t. His confidence boosted. “You’re amazing. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Questions glazed her eyes. She searched his as if looking for a flaw. It was the longest she’d ever held eye contact.
He leaned closer. Was this his chance?
She didn’t move. They were so close he could feel her breath on his skin.
A popping noise resounded from somewhere to their left.
Coral jerked.
“It’s okay,” Merrick said. “Probably a balloon or some firecrackers or something.”
But it was too late. Coral withdrew, ending the moment.
They walked down the beach, their arms brushing. After a few minutes, their fingers found the other’s again. Soon they intertwined. Her hand, icy in his palm, was soft despite the chill. Merrick squeezed it, hoping to share some of his warmth. Hoping to make her see, with a touch, that he’d keep any promises he made.
When they reached the other side of the boardwalk, where a giant screen and projector had been set up, Merrick beamed. “I hope you’re a movie buff.”
Coral’s eyes illuminated brighter than the lanterns that would soon be overhead. “I’ve never been to one.”
Merrick’s jaw dropped.