Read Online Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexandra Bullen
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and Hazel reminded herself not to look down.
On the beach, Maura and Craig kicked their shoes into a pile by the dunes. Hazel did the same, letting her toes sink into the cool, damp sand. The wood was collected in a hole dug up at the edge of the cliffs, and Hazel watched as a group of scruffy-faced older guys arranged it in a pyramid, attempting to light the bottom with a match.
“There’re burgers and hot dogs,” Craig said, pointing across the fire to where Emmett was arranging patties on a charcoal grill.
“Veggie, too, if you want,” Maura added, bending down to roll up the cuffs of her jeans.
“Thanks,” Hazel said, glancing quickly at the crowd as she followed Craig over to a blue plastic cooler. “Are Rosanna and Billy coming?”
“Doubt it.” Craig shrugged as he grabbed a handful of beers from the cooler and offered them around. Hazel politely declined, as Maura tapped the top of her can twice with dirtcaked fingernails before popping it open.
“They let us do our own thing at night,” Maura explained. “Rosanna rocks.”
Hazel felt a mix of disappointment and secret pride. She wanted to know more. If she couldn’t spend time with Rosanna, she at least wanted to be learning as much as she could.
“Heads up,” a familiar voice called from the shore.
Hazel looked out toward the water. Standing just a few yards away was Prince Charming himself, the chestnut-haired guy from the ice-cream shop. Before she could say anything he tossed her a can of beer, lobbing it through the air in a high, impressive arc. She caught it with two hands, the cold aluminum biting her palms.
“Hey, Luke,” Maura called as he joined them. His hair was shaggier and longer than Hazel remembered, and even in the dark there was a glimmer in his deep brown eyes.
“That’s creative,” Craig joked as the boys slapped five. “Throwing things at the new girl. Kind of like kindergarten all over again.”
Luke laughed. He was wearing baggy cargo shorts that came to his knees and a hunter green T-shirt. One sleeve was pushed up higher than the other and she could see the line where his tan ended beneath it. She was surprised at how relieved she felt to be seeing him again—as if she’d been waiting for him to show up.
“Oh, we go way back,” Luke insisted, nudging Hazel with his elbow. “Guess those directions I gave you worked out.”
“Looks that way.” Hazel nodded, and held her arms closer to her sides. Maura and Craig set off for a walk on the beach, and Hazel looked down at the sand, tracing a line with her toe.
“So …,” Luke began. “How’s it going so far?”
He settled down into the sand and patted the space beside him. Hazel lowered herself carefully to the ground, tucking her bare feet beneath her legs. She wished she’d had the sense to grab a sweater. The sun had almost slipped completely below the water line and the air was already crisp and cool.
“Okay.” She shrugged. “I got the job.”
“I had a feeling you would,” Luke said, taking a long sip of his beer. Hazel looked down at the can in her hands and tapped it with her fingers, as she’d seen Maura do. She’d only been to a few official parties in her life, one or two with her college-aged coworkers at the pharmacy. But she knocked back a full swig, trying not to make a face. The beer was bitter and not as cold as the can let on.
“How do you know Maura and Craig?” Hazel asked, swallowing hard. She wedged her can in the sand and twisted it in tight little circles.
“It’s a small island,” Luke said, before turning to face her with a sly grin. “And it’s an even smaller barn.”
Hazel looked up sharply as he leaned back and dug his elbows into the sand. “You live in the barn?”
“I do.” Luke nodded and stretched his long legs. His shins were tanned and strong-looking, with a layer of dark blond hair. “I looked for you yesterday, but I figured you had your hands full with Jaime.”
As if on cue, Jaime
On the beach, Maura and Craig kicked their shoes into a pile by the dunes. Hazel did the same, letting her toes sink into the cool, damp sand. The wood was collected in a hole dug up at the edge of the cliffs, and Hazel watched as a group of scruffy-faced older guys arranged it in a pyramid, attempting to light the bottom with a match.
“There’re burgers and hot dogs,” Craig said, pointing across the fire to where Emmett was arranging patties on a charcoal grill.
“Veggie, too, if you want,” Maura added, bending down to roll up the cuffs of her jeans.
“Thanks,” Hazel said, glancing quickly at the crowd as she followed Craig over to a blue plastic cooler. “Are Rosanna and Billy coming?”
“Doubt it.” Craig shrugged as he grabbed a handful of beers from the cooler and offered them around. Hazel politely declined, as Maura tapped the top of her can twice with dirtcaked fingernails before popping it open.
“They let us do our own thing at night,” Maura explained. “Rosanna rocks.”
Hazel felt a mix of disappointment and secret pride. She wanted to know more. If she couldn’t spend time with Rosanna, she at least wanted to be learning as much as she could.
“Heads up,” a familiar voice called from the shore.
Hazel looked out toward the water. Standing just a few yards away was Prince Charming himself, the chestnut-haired guy from the ice-cream shop. Before she could say anything he tossed her a can of beer, lobbing it through the air in a high, impressive arc. She caught it with two hands, the cold aluminum biting her palms.
“Hey, Luke,” Maura called as he joined them. His hair was shaggier and longer than Hazel remembered, and even in the dark there was a glimmer in his deep brown eyes.
“That’s creative,” Craig joked as the boys slapped five. “Throwing things at the new girl. Kind of like kindergarten all over again.”
Luke laughed. He was wearing baggy cargo shorts that came to his knees and a hunter green T-shirt. One sleeve was pushed up higher than the other and she could see the line where his tan ended beneath it. She was surprised at how relieved she felt to be seeing him again—as if she’d been waiting for him to show up.
“Oh, we go way back,” Luke insisted, nudging Hazel with his elbow. “Guess those directions I gave you worked out.”
“Looks that way.” Hazel nodded, and held her arms closer to her sides. Maura and Craig set off for a walk on the beach, and Hazel looked down at the sand, tracing a line with her toe.
“So …,” Luke began. “How’s it going so far?”
He settled down into the sand and patted the space beside him. Hazel lowered herself carefully to the ground, tucking her bare feet beneath her legs. She wished she’d had the sense to grab a sweater. The sun had almost slipped completely below the water line and the air was already crisp and cool.
“Okay.” She shrugged. “I got the job.”
“I had a feeling you would,” Luke said, taking a long sip of his beer. Hazel looked down at the can in her hands and tapped it with her fingers, as she’d seen Maura do. She’d only been to a few official parties in her life, one or two with her college-aged coworkers at the pharmacy. But she knocked back a full swig, trying not to make a face. The beer was bitter and not as cold as the can let on.
“How do you know Maura and Craig?” Hazel asked, swallowing hard. She wedged her can in the sand and twisted it in tight little circles.
“It’s a small island,” Luke said, before turning to face her with a sly grin. “And it’s an even smaller barn.”
Hazel looked up sharply as he leaned back and dug his elbows into the sand. “You live in the barn?”
“I do.” Luke nodded and stretched his long legs. His shins were tanned and strong-looking, with a layer of dark blond hair. “I looked for you yesterday, but I figured you had your hands full with Jaime.”
As if on cue, Jaime
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