The Last Song (14 page)

Ronnie seemed to consider his comment. “So why did you choose to use shrimp?”

“Because it was on sale,” he answered.

She giggled, then brushed lightly against him. “Cute,” she said. “But I guess I deserved that.”

He could still feel the warmth of her touch on his shoulder. “You deserve worse,” he said. “Believe me, fishing is like a religion to some folks around here.”

“You included?”

“No. Fishing is… contemplative. Gives me time to think without interruption. And besides, I enjoy watching the clouds while I wear my NASCAR hat and chew tobacco.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t really chew tobacco, do you?”

“No. I kind of like the idea of not losing my lips to mouth cancer.”

“Good,” she said. She swung her legs back and forth. “I’d never date anyone who chewed tobacco.”

“Are you saying we’re on a date?”

“No. This definitely isn’t a date. This is fishing.”

“You’ve got so much to learn. I mean, this… is what life’s all about.”

She picked at a sliver of wood on the dock. “You sound like a beer commercial.”

An osprey glided over them just as the line ducked once and then a second time. Will jerked the rod upward as the line went tight. He scrambled to his feet as he began to reel it in, the rod already bending. It happened so fast that Ronnie barely had time to figure out what was happening.

“Did you get one?” she asked, jumping up.

“Come closer,” he urged, continuing to reel. He forced the rod toward her. “Here!” he shouted. “Take it!”

“I can’t!” she squealed, backing away.

“It’s not hard! Just take it and continue to turn the reel!”

“I don’t know what to do!”

“I just told you!” he said. Ronnie edged forward, and he practically forced the rod into her hands. “Now keep turning the reel!”

She watched the rod bob lower as she began to turn the crank.

“Hold it up! Keep the line tight!”

“I’m trying!” she cried.

“You’re doing great!”

The fish splashed near the surface—a small red drum, he noticed—and Ronnie screamed, making a scene. When he burst out laughing, she started laughing, too, hopping on one foot. When the fish splashed again, she screamed a second time, jumping even higher, but this time with an expression of fierce determination.

It was, he thought, one of the funniest things he’d seen in a long time.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” he encouraged. “Get it closer to the dock and I’ll take care of the rest.” Holding the net, he got down on his belly, stretching his arm over the water as Ronnie continued to reel. With a quick motion, he was able to scoop the fish into the net, then he stood. As he inverted the net, the fish dropped onto the dock, flopping as it hit the surface. Ronnie continued to hold the reel, dancing around the fish as Will grabbed for the line.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “You’ve got to put it back into the water!”

“It’ll be fine—”

“It’s dying!”

He squatted and grabbed the fish, pinning it to the dock. “No, it isn’t!”

“You’ve got to get the hook out!” she shrieked again.

He reached for the hook and began to pry it out. “I’m trying! Just give me a second!”

“It’s bleeding! You hurt it!” She danced around him frantically.

Ignoring her, he began to work the hook out. He could feel the tail moving back and forth, flopping against the back of his hand. It was small, maybe three or four pounds, but surprisingly strong.

“You’re taking too long!” Ronnie fretted.

He carefully freed the hook but held the fish pinned against the dock. “You sure you don’t want to bring it home for dinner? You should be able to get a couple of fillets out of it.”

Her mouth opened and closed in disbelief, but before she could say anything, Will tossed the fish back into the water. With a splash, it dove and vanished. Will reached for a hand towel and wiped the blood from his fingers.

Ronnie continued to stare at him accusingly, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “You would have eaten it, wouldn’t you? If I weren’t here?”

“I would have thrown it back.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you’re probably right.” He smiled at her before reaching for the rod. “Now, do you want to bait the next hook or should I?”

“So Mom’s been going crazy trying to plan my sister’s wedding and make the whole thing perfect,” Will said. “It’s been a little… tense at the house.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“August ninth. It doesn’t help matters that my sister wants to have it at our house. Which, of course, only adds to my mom’s stress.”

Ronnie smiled. “What’s your sister like?”

“Smart. Lives in New York. A bit of a free spirit. Pretty much like another older sister I know.”

That seemed to please her. As they strolled the beach, the sun was setting and Will could tell that Ronnie was feeling more relaxed. They’d ended up catching and releasing three more fish before he drove her to downtown Wilmington, where they’d enjoyed lunch on a deck that overlooked the Cape Fear River. Drawing her eyes to a spot on the opposite bank, he’d pointed out the USS
North Carolina,
a decommissioned battleship from World War II. Watching Ronnie inspect it, Will was struck by how easy it was to spend time with her. Unlike other girls he knew, she said what she meant and didn’t play stupid games. She had a quirky sense of humor that he liked, even when it was directed at him. In fact, he liked everything about her.

As they approached her house, Ronnie ran ahead to check on the nest tucked into the base of the dune. She paused at the cage—it was made of chicken wire and secured into the sandy dune by extralong stakes—and when he joined her at the dune, she turned to him doubtfully.

“This is going to keep the raccoon away?”

“That’s what they say.”

She studied it. “How do the turtles get out? They can’t fit through the holes, can they?”

Will shook his head. “The aquarium volunteers remove the cage before the eggs hatch.”

“How do they know when they’ll hatch?”

“They’ve got it down to a science. The eggs take around sixty days to incubate before they hatch, but that can vary slightly depending on the weather. The hotter the temperature is all summer, the quicker they’ll hatch. And keep in mind that this isn’t the only nest on the beach, and it wasn’t the first one, either. Once the first nest clears, the others usually follow within a week or so.”

“Have you ever seen a nest hatch?”

He nodded. “Four times.”

“What’s it like?”

“It’s a little crazy, actually. As the time approaches, we remove the cages, and then we dig a shallow trench from the nest to the water’s edge, making it as smooth as possible, but high enough on the sides so the turtles can only go in one direction. And it’s weird, because at first only a couple of eggs are moving, but it’s like their movement is enough to set the whole nest going, and before you know it, the nest is like a crazy beehive on steroids. The turtles are climbing over each other to get out of the hole, and then they hit the sand and head toward the water in this little crablike parade. It’s amazing.”

As he described it, he got the sense Ronnie was trying to picture the scene. Then she noticed her dad stepping onto the back porch, and she waved.

Will motioned to the house. “I take it that’s your dad?” he asked.

“Yup.”

“Don’t you want to introduce me?”

“Nope.”

“I promise to have good manners.”

“That’d be good.”

“So why won’t you introduce me?”

“Because you haven’t taken me to meet your parents yet.”

“Why do you have to meet my parents?”

“Exactly,” she said.

“I’m not sure I follow what you mean.”

“Then how on earth did you ever make it through Tolstoy?”

If he wasn’t confused before, he was completely baffled now. She started walking slowly down the beach, and he took a few quick steps to catch up with her.

“You’re not exactly easy to figure out.”

“And?”

“And nothing. Just noting it for the record.”

She smiled to herself, glancing toward the horizon. In the distance, a shrimp trawler was making its way to port. “I want to be here when it happens,” she offered.

“When what happens?”

“When the turtles hatch. What did you think I was talking about?”

He shook his head. “Oh, we’re back to that. Well, okay, when do you leave for New York?”

“Late August.”

“That’s cutting it close. Just hope for a long hot summer.”

“It’s off to a good start. I’m boiling.”

“That’s because you’re wearing black. And jeans.”

“I didn’t realize I’d be spending most of the day outside.”

“Otherwise you would have worn a bikini, right?”

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“You don’t like bikinis?”

“Of course I do.”

“Just not around me?”

She tossed her head. “Not today.”

“What if I promise to take you fishing again?”

“You’re not helping yourself.”

“Duck hunting?”

That stopped her. When she finally found her voice, it was disapproving. “Tell me you don’t really kill ducks?”

When Will said nothing, Ronnie went on, “Cute, sweet little feathered creatures, flying toward their little duck pond, just minding their own business? And you blow them out of the sky?”

Will considered the question. “Only in the winter.”

“When I was a little girl, my favorite stuffed animal was a duck. I had duck wallpaper. I had a hamster named Daffy. I
love
ducks.”

“I do, too.” he said.

She didn’t bother to hide her skepticism. Will responded by counting on the tips of his fingers as he continued, “I love them fried, roasted, broiled, with a side of sweet-and-sour sauce—”

She gave him a shove, knocking him off balance for a step or two. “That’s terrible!”

“It’s funny!”

“You’re just a mean man.”

“Sometimes,” he said. He motioned toward the house. “So if you don’t want to go home yet, do you want to come with me?”

“Why? Are you planning to show or tell me about yet another way you kill small animals?”

“I’ve got a volleyball game soon and I want you to come. It’s fun.”

“Are you going to spill soda on me again?”

“Only if you bring a soda.”

She debated for an instant, then fell into step with him in the direction of the pier. He nudged her and she nudged him back.

“I think you have problems,” she told him.

“What problems?”

“Well, for starters, you’re an evil duck killer.”

He laughed before catching her eye. She looked down at the sand, then up the beach, then finally toward him. She shook her head, unable to suppress a smile, as if marveling at what was happening between them and enjoying every moment.

14

R
onnie

I
f he weren’t so damn cute, none of this would have happened.

As she watched Will and Scott scramble around the court, she reflected on the series of events that had brought her here. Had she really gone fishing earlier today? And watched a wounded turtle swim around a tank at eight o’clock in the morning?

She shook her head, trying not to focus on Will’s lean body and visible muscles as he chased the ball across the sand. Tough to ignore, since he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Maybe the rest of the summer wouldn’t be so terrible after all.

Of course, she’d thought the same thing after meeting Blaze, and look how
that
had turned out.

He wasn’t really her type, but as she watched him play, she began to wonder whether that was such a bad thing. She hadn’t had the best luck when it came to choosing guys in the past, Rick being the prime example. Lord knows Will was smarter than any of the other guys she’d dated, and more than that, he seemed to be doing something with his life. He worked, he volunteered, he was a pretty good athlete; he even got along with his family. And even though he liked to play things off in an “
aw, shucks
” sort of way, he wasn’t a pushover. When she tested him, he called her on it—more than once, in fact—and she had to admit she sort of liked it.

If there was one thing about him that gave her pause, it was this: She didn’t know why he liked her. She wasn’t anything like the girls she’d seen him with the night of the carnival—and in all honesty, she wasn’t even sure he’d want to see her again after today. She watched him jog back to the service line, then glance in her direction, obviously pleased she’d come. He moved easily through the sand, and when he got ready to serve the ball, he signaled something to Scott, who seemed to play the game as though his life depended on it. As soon as Scott turned toward the net, Will rolled his eyes, making it plain that he found his friend’s intensity a bit over the top.
It’s only a game
, he seemed to say, and she found that heartening. Then, after tossing the ball in the air and serving hard, he raced toward the side of the court to keep the volley going. When he sacrificed his body by diving for the ball and sending a plume of sand in the air, she wondered whether what she’d seen a moment earlier had been only an illusion—but after his shot went wide and Scott threw up his hands in frustration with an angry glare, Will ignored him. After winking at Ronnie, he readied himself for the next shot.

“You and Will, huh?”

Mesmerized, Ronnie hadn’t realized someone had taken a seat beside her. Turning, she recognized the blonde who had been hanging out with Will and Scott on the night of the carnival.

“Excuse me?”

The blonde ran a hand through her hair and flashed her perfect teeth. “You and Will. I saw the two of you walk up.”

“Oh,” Ronnie said. Her instincts told her that it was best not to say much.

If the blonde took notice of Ronnie’s wary reaction, she didn’t show it. Tossing her head with practiced skill, she flashed those teeth again. She definitely had to be a bleacher, Ronnie decided. “I’m Ashley. And you’re…”

“Ronnie.”

Ashley continued to stare at her. “And you’re on vacation?” When Ronnie glanced at her, she smiled again. “I would have known if you were from around here. I’ve known Will since we were kids.”

“Uh-huh,” Ronnie said again, trying to sound noncommittal.

“I guess you two met when he made you spill your soda, huh? Knowing him, he probably did it on purpose.”

Ronnie blinked. “What?”

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen him do it. And let me guess. He just took you fishing, right? On that little dock on the other side of the island?”

This time, Ronnie couldn’t mask her surprise.

“That’s what he always does when he starts getting to know a girl. Well, either that or he brings her to the aquarium.”

As Ashley went on, Ronnie stared at her in disbelief, feeling the world around her suddenly begin to narrow.

“What are you talking about?” she croaked out, her voice deserting her.

Ashley roped her arms around her legs. “New girl, new conquest? Don’t be mad at him,” she said. “It’s just the way he is. He can’t help it.”

Ronnie felt the blood drain from her face. She told herself not to listen, not to believe it, that Will wasn’t that way. But the words kept echoing in her mind…

Let me guess. He took you fishing, right?

Either that or he brings her to the aquarium…

Had she really misjudged him? It seemed like she was wrong about everyone she’d met down here. Which made sense, considering she’d never wanted to come down here at all. When she drew a long breath, she noticed that Ashley was studying her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her perfectly shaped eyebrows knitted together in concern. “Did I say something to upset you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Because you looked like you were about to get sick.”

“I said I’m fine,” Ronnie snapped.

Ashley’s mouth opened and closed before her expression softened. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me you were actually falling for it?”

New girl, new conquest? It’s just the way he is…

The words kept ringing through her head, and Ronnie still didn’t answer—couldn’t answer. In the silence, Ashley went on, her voice sympathetic. “Well, don’t feel too bad, because he’s pretty much the most charming guy in the world when he wants to be. Trust me, I know, because I fell for it, too.” She nodded at the crowd. “And so have half the other girls you see around here.”

Ronnie instinctively surveyed the crowd, taking in the sight of half a dozen pretty girls in bikinis, all of their gazes fixed on Will. She felt incapable of speech. Meanwhile, Ashley was going on.

“I just figured you’d be able to see through it… I mean, you seem a little more sophisticated than the other girls around here. I guess I thought—”

“I’ve got to go,” Ronnie announced, her tone steadier than her nerves. She felt her legs shaking slightly as she stood. On the court, Will must have seen her stand because he turned toward her, smiling, acting…

Like the most charming guy in the world…

She turned away, angry at him, but even angrier at herself for being so stupid. She wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of this place.

In her bedroom, she tossed the suitcase on the bed and was shoving clothes inside when the door opened behind her. Over her shoulder, she saw her dad standing in the doorway. She hesitated only briefly before crossing to the dresser and grabbing more of her things.

“Tough day?” her dad asked. His voice was soft, but he didn’t wait for an answer. “I was in the workshop with Jonah when I saw you come up the beach. You looked pretty mad.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her dad stayed in place, keeping his distance. “Going somewhere?”

She drew a furious breath as she continued to pack. “I’m out of here, okay? I’m calling Mom and I’m going home.”

“That bad, huh?”

She turned toward him. “Please don’t make me stay. I don’t like it here. I don’t like the people here. I don’t fit in here. I don’t belong here. I want to go home.”

Her dad said nothing, but she saw the disappointment in his face.

“I’m sorry,” she added. “And it’s not you, okay? If you call, I’ll talk to you. And you can come see me in New York and we’ll spend time together, okay?”

Her dad continued to watch her in silence, which made her feel even worse. She surveyed the contents of her suitcase before adding the rest of her things.

“I’m not sure I can let you go.”

She knew this was coming, and inwardly she tensed. “Dad…”

He raised his hands. “It’s not for the reason you think. I’d let you go if I could. I’d call your mom right now. But given what happened the other day at the music store…”

With Blaze
, she heard herself answer.
And the arrest
…

Her shoulders sagged. In her anger, she’d forgotten about the stolen goods.

Of course she’d forgotten about them. She hadn’t stolen them in the first place! Her energy suddenly evaporated and she turned around, plopping down on the bed. This wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.

Her dad still hadn’t moved into the room.

“I can try to reach Pete—Officer Johnson—and see if it would be okay. I might not be able to reach him until tomorrow, though, and I don’t want you to get into any more trouble. But if he says it’s okay and you still want to go, I won’t make you stay.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Even though I’d rather you stay, I promise.”

She nodded, pressing her lips together. “Will you come to New York to see me?”

“If I can,” he said.

“What does that mean?”

Before her dad could answer, there was a sudden knocking on the door, loud and insistent. Her dad glanced over his shoulder. “I think that’s probably the boy you were with today.” She wondered how he knew, and reading her expression, he added, “I saw him heading this way when I came in the house to find you. Do you want me to handle it?”

Don’t be mad at him. It’s just the way he is. He can’t help it.

“No,” she said. “I’ll handle it.”

Her dad smiled, and for an instant, she thought he looked older than he had just the day before. As though her request had somehow aged him.

But even so, she didn’t belong here. This was his place, not hers.

The knocking at the door sounded again.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” she said. “I know you really want me to stay, but I can’t.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Though he smiled, the words came out wounded. “I understand.”

She tugged at the seam on her jeans before rising from the bed. As she reached the door, he placed a hand on her back and she paused. Then, steeling herself, she went to the door and pulled it open, noting that Will’s hand was hanging in the air. He seemed surprised that she’d opened it.

She stared at him, wondering how she could have been so stupid to trust him. She should have listened to her instincts.

“Oh, hey…,” he said, lowering his hand. “You’re here. For a second there—”

She slammed the door, only to hear him immediately begin knocking again, his voice pleading.

“C’mon, Ronnie! Wait! I just want to know what happened! Why’d you leave?”

“Go away!” she shouted back.

“What did I do?”

She swung the door open again. “I’m not going to play your game!”

“What game? What are you talking about?”

“I’m not stupid. And I don’t have anything to say to you.”

Again, she slammed the door. Will began pounding on it.

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me!”

Her dad motioned to the door. “Trouble in paradise?”

“It’s not paradise.”

“So it seems,” he said. “Do you want me to take care of it?” he offered again.

The pounding started up again.

“He won’t stay long. It’s better to just ignore him.”

After a moment, he seemed to accept that and motioned to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”

“No,” she said automatically. Then, putting her hands on her stomach, she changed her mind. “Well, maybe a little.”

“I found another good recipe online. This one has onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil, served over pasta, and tossed with Parmesan cheese. Does that sound okay?”

“I don’t think Jonah will like it.”

“He wanted a hot dog.”

“Now there’s a surprise.”

He smiled just as the knocking sounded again. When it continued, he must have seen something in her face because he opened his arms.

Without thinking, Ronnie walked toward him and felt him hold her close. There was something… gentle and forgiving in his embrace, something she’d missed for years. It was all she could do to stop the tears from coming before she pulled back.

“How about I give you a hand with dinner?”

Ronnie tried once again to absorb the contents of the page she’d just read. The sun had set an hour ago, and after surfing restlessly through a handful of channels on her dad’s TV, she had shut it off and picked up her book. But try as she might, she couldn’t seem to make it through a single chapter, because Jonah had been standing near the window for almost an hour… which forced her to think about what was outside the window, or rather
who
was outside.

Will. It had been four hours, and the guy still hadn’t left. He’d stopped knocking a long time ago and simply perched himself just beyond the crest of the dune, his back to the house. Technically, he was on the public beach, so neither she nor her father could do anything except ignore him. Which was what she and her dad—who, oddly, was reading the Bible again—were trying to do.

Jonah, on the other hand, simply couldn’t ignore him. He seemed to find Will’s vigil transfixing, like a UFO landing near the pier or Bigfoot trudging through the sand. Though he was wearing his Transformers pajamas and should have gone to bed half an hour earlier, he’d begged his dad to let him stay up for a little while, because, in his words, “if I go to bed too early, I might wet the bed.”