Safe Harbor (Scoops Series Book 1), page 20
“Yale, wow,” Gram said breathily. “So you are smart. Calvin told me you were, but that’s on a whole other level.”
Melanie smiled bashfully. “Thanks. We’ll see if I get in.”
“You’ll get in,” Calvin said. At this point, he was caught up about her dream of going to Yale. She told him about how hard she worked at Garrison Prep, how scared she was that it was all about to be for nothing. He reassured her, just like her father. Made her feel calm and secure as he stroked a hand through her hair.
Gram sighed in Calvin’s direction. “I wish you were going to college, sweetheart. It’s such a shame.”
Melanie’s gut dropped, realizing that in their extensive conversations about her own dream, she had yet to ask what Calvin was doing this fall. She was having a terrible start to this whole “girlfriend” thing.
“I am going to college, Gram,” Calvin responded.
Gram rolled her eyes. “I don’t mean a community college, I mean a university. I wish you would just let me help you pay for school.”
Calvin shook his head defiantly. “We already discussed this. You’ve done enough for me, you are not paying for school.”
Gram exhaled noisily, looking disgruntled. “You get that stubborn pride from your grandfather, and it drives me nuts.”
He smiled at her comment, like he was proud to be compared to him.
“All right, now go get those cookies on the table that I baked, secretly hoping you would bring her over today,” she said, winking at Melanie now. “These were the only cookies Calvin ever actually liked as a boy, other than Oreos.”
“Because Oreos are the best,” he said, heading over to the kitchen to grab a plate of fresh-baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
“They’re stale and made in a factory, not with love,” Gram teased. “But of course, that never stopped our Calvin here from ordering Oreo ice cream every day after school. I tried to get him to order anything else, but it was never an option. Too stubborn to change things up.”
Melanie watched him closely as he sat down with the cookies, handing one each to her and Gram before grabbing two himself. A part of her could understand how that felt—to turn to something familiar when everything else felt chaotic and uncertain in life. For Melanie, it was textbooks. For Calvin, it was Oreo ice cream. Because sometimes, when everything felt unsteady and unsure, the familiarity of that one thing helped keep your feet planted on the shore.
Chapter Eighteen
Melanie felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She reached for it quickly, noticing it was a text from Calvin, then hid it behind her crossed legs as she opened the screen.
It was a picture of Gram, sitting at the kitchen table in her robe, holding her yellow sunshine mug with a fresh batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in front of her.
She says she’s ready for you to visit her again.
Melanie chuckled, typing back.
She’s almost as desperate as you are. It hasn’t even been a day!
She watched the little gray bubbles dance with his immediate reply.
What can I say? The Balls are crazy about you, headband.
“If you’re going to join this meeting, phones must be away,” said Mrs. Pearson curtly. “Otherwise, you may leave.”
Melanie shoved her phone in her pocket, looking up at Mrs. Pearson’s puckered lips, like she just ate something incredibly sour and was about to spit it out. “Sorry,” Melanie mumbled.
Jan sniggered next to Melanie, singsonging quietly in her ear, “Someone got caught.”
“Yeah, who ya texting?” Dan asked, leaning over her with a mischievous grin.
Melanie rolled her eyes as Mrs. Pearson stepped back toward the front, calling the official Sandy Cove Beach Association meeting into order. “It’s that time of year yet again for us to talk details about the Sandy Cove block party,” she said stoically, without an ounce of enthusiasm in her voice.
Regardless of her cold demeanor, the room burst out in cheers. Melanie was told she could join today’s meeting as they talked about details for the party, especially since Mom had now coerced her into helping.
“As you know, each cottage will be bringing some kind of game or activity for everyone. Remember to please keep it kid-friendly,” Mrs. Pearson stated, her eyes pointedly on Tim Mackey, who was snickering as she made her point. “Cottage one, you first.”
Each cottage presented what activity they would be contributing to the block party, as well as any foods and drinks they planned on adding to the potluck lunch. The Bentleys said they would be bringing corn hole—again—and the Lancasters (cottage three) would take on stocking the water balloons this year, which garnered a round of applause. Then it was their turn.
“We’ll be doing a Jello treasure hunt,” Mom announced with a grin.
Mrs. Pearson frowned. “And what is that?”
“We fill up two kiddie pools with Jello, then drop a toy soldier or something inside of it. The first person to find it with their feet wins.”
“That’s abhorrently vile,” Mrs. Pearson said.
“That’s brilliant,” Jan said at the same time, turning toward Dan. “Oh, I’m so going to kick your ass.”
The room’s buzzing over the Jello-foot-treasure-hunt overpowered Mrs. Pearson’s objections to the activity, and after many strenuous attempts to kill the idea, she finally resigned to it—writing “Jello atrocity” as cottage five’s activity on the whiteboard behind her.
Jan turned toward Melanie, beaming with excitement. “Will you be making the Jello?”
Melanie nodded with a smile. “Yep. She’s even recruited Calvin to help.”
“Oh, ho, ho,” Dan said, leaning back into his chair. “He’s going down.”
“Be nice,” Dad said. “We don’t want to scare him away.”
“Oh, I think it would take more than that at this point,” Jan said, nudging Melanie’s arm and making her blush.
Melanie pulled into a practically empty parking lot at Hillside Park. Now that they were official residents of the town, her parents were able to buy a pass for the season at a discount—meaning Melanie could drive Mom’s car over to the park when it was too cloudy or drizzly to ride her bike.
Rory was already there, arms crossed tightly across her chest as she sat along the ledge that divided the parking lot and the beach. She clutched a cup of coffee in one hand, another one by her side with SC written in big, bold letters. Shorthand for Sandy Cove latte.
She closed the door and sat down on the ledge, picking up the latte. “You didn’t have to.”
“Calvin said it’s your favorite,” she replied. “Although, he tried to convince me to buy you an herbal tea instead, not sure why.”
She chuckled, making a mental note to give him crap about that later. “So, too cold to lay on the beach?”
“Too wet, actually,” Rory replied, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of sand. “It’s still damp from the rain last night.”
She nodded, taking a sip of her latte. The break in conversation was agonizing as they sat there in silence. Talking to Rory had always felt natural to her. But now, with so much that needed to be said between the two of them, the words didn’t come so easily.
Rory exhaled audibly like she was ready to get it over with. “Why didn’t you tell me about Calvin?”
“Why did you ditch me at the party?”
Silence again.
“Okay, that’s fair,” Rory said. “That was a dick move and I’m sorry.”
Melanie took a slow sip of her drink before she continued. “What happened that night?”
“Ugh, what didn’t happen,” Rory replied. “Blake bailed early with Zach because Jay was being his usual dumb-ass self, and then Jay said something about my body that was really harsh.”
Melanie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “What a dick.”
“Thank you, he is,” Rory said. “Also, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use that word before, and now I feel like a proud mom.”
“Only speaking the truth,” Melanie replied.
Rory smirked. “True that. Anyway, I was upset, and then Tyler sort of went off on him, and it all just blew up. I should have gone through the house to find you, but I…” She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee before continuing. “I was so upset about it, that Tyler just wanted to get me out of there, get me home.”
“I’m sorry,” Melanie said softly. “That must have been hard.”
“It was, but you shouldn’t be sorry,” Rory said. “I’m the one who screwed up and treated you like garbage. I do not deserve your friendship.”
Melanie shrugged. “Too late.”
Her shoulders relaxed as relief flooded her face. “Do you ever get tired of being nice? You’re so goddamn good at it.”
She smiled timidly. “Do you remember what you told me on my first day at Scoops?”
Rory grimaced. “Did I call Calvin an ass-hat? I’m sorry, I should have known you were into him.”
“Well, no, but I am going to pocket that nickname for later,” Melanie teased. “You told me that I was going to be fine as the new kid at Haverport High. Because I have you guys.”
“Oh. Wow, maybe I am nice.”
“Yes, and,” Melanie continued. “You made me feel safe and welcome when I felt like my life had just turned upside down, and I don’t think you realize how much that meant to me. How much that means to me.”
Rory threw an arm around her shoulders. “Well, you are one of us now, even if you made the poor decision to become Mrs. Ass-Hat.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Now,” Rory said, letting go as she tucked a leg up underneath her so she could face Melanie full-on. “Tell me about your first kiss.”
“Which one?”
“What do you mean which one?!” Rory balked. “You only get one!”
She laughed, then launched into her story, starting with the Fourth of July fireworks—and the curl of a pinkie that turned her summer right side up.
Melanie had a habit of arriving for her shift at Scoops at least fifteen minutes early. She liked having the time for herself for a brief few moments before clocking in, getting a sense of the front and what needed to be done before things would get crazy for the evening. At this point in the game, she no longer worried about stains on her shirt or milkshake explosions across the wall. She moved through the shop swiftly like the rest of them, sometimes scooping cones faster and even more efficiently than Calvin did.
She noticed the chocolate jimmies needed filling, so Melanie headed for The War Room to grab the box and found Jess standing awkwardly, waiting for her.
Melanie reached for the box, pulling it down.
“God, you’re worse than Calvin,” Jess said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Melanie replied.
“Hey, do you um, have a minute?”
Melanie slowed, placing the box down on the desk. Jess had her arms crossed over her chest tightly, almost as if what she was about to do was physically painful. But she gritted her teeth and just went for it. “So, I’m, um, going to take a vacation with my boyfriend in a few weeks.”
“Oh, wow, that’s great!” Melanie replied, her enthusiasm making Jess wince.
She reeled in all of her bubbling curiosity. Since when did Jess have a boyfriend? How long had they been together? And…why was she still working here? Melanie couldn’t help but take a peek at Jess’s wallet when she left it open on the desk a few weeks earlier, realizing that Jess was almost 22—much older than the rest of them. And while the pay per hour was certainly generous, Melanie wondered if there was something more than the pay keeping Jess here.
“Yeah, whatever,” Jess replied. “He wants to go to the Cape, which I think is so stupid because we already live by the beach.”
She nodded, but decided to leave whatever was going on with Jess alone. Jess didn’t seem like the kind of person that wanted pity or sympathy. Something she could completely understand.
“So I was thinking you could learn how to make the cakes,” she continued. “Just for a week, if you’re still up for it.”
“Yes! I would love to help,” Melanie said, resisting the urge to reach over and give Jess a hug. She just looked so tired—the bags under her eyes were even darker than the day of the festival. She really did look like she could use a vacation.
She smiled faintly. “Awesome. I’ll make sure Calvin schedules us together for afternoon shifts next week so I can train you.”
She nodded as Jess gathered her things and left, without saying another word. She carried the box of chocolate jimmies to the front and started filling when she felt a pair of warm arms coil around her waist.
Calvin dipped his head to kiss her neck, lingering there for a moment as she filled, a cat-like smile on her face as she relished the way his body felt curled around hers.
“I have a question for you,” he murmured.
“No, I will not drink herbal tea instead of coffee.”
She felt his chest rumble with amusement as he squeezed her tight, kissing her again. “The block party. Can I bring Gram?”
Melanie turned toward him, curling her hands around his neck. “Yes, of course, you don’t even have to ask.”
He grinned as he leaned into her, kissing her lips tenderly as he pressed her body up against the counter.
“Hey, this is a family establishment,” Jay mocked, repeating Ron’s words. “I don’t want to be the cause of Billy-Bob’s first porn-o.”
Calvin didn’t even look over at Jay as he flicked him off, causing Melanie to giggle with embarrassment, burying her face into his chest.
“Mel Mel.”
Melanie twisted frantically, noticing Duncan was leaning against the counter on the other side of the window. His expression looked grim and full of shame.
Calvin released her, stroking her back gently for a beat before stepping to the other side of the shop, checking that everything was set up for their shift.
“Dee,” she whispered. “What’s going on, why do you look upset?”
“I need your help.”
She felt her chest tighten, anxiety pulsing through her veins. She had a feeling that whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.
“Okay,” she replied, keeping her tone as calm and steady as she could. “What do you need?”
“I—I got myself into a little bit of trouble,” he admitted, his eyes darting around, making sure no one else was listening to them. He eyed Calvin for a moment then leaned closer, not realizing that his words were still vibrating clearly through the front of the shop. “A bit of financial trouble. And, um, I’m strapped for cash.”
Melanie froze. He was about to ask her for money. She did not feel nearly ready enough for this.
“Do…do you think you could help me?”
She coughed uncomfortably, her face and fingers now feeling particularly cold, nausea roiling through her stomach. “Um, h—h—how much do you need?”
“Three hundred,” he said. “I’ll pay you back every penny, I promise. Just need the cash up front now to fix the problem.”
Melanie took a step back, her vision going slightly blurry. Three hundred dollars. What in the world did he do that he would need that kind of money?
“What is the problem?” she asked.
“It’s nothing,” he said, his voice short. “Something I can fix.”
“Tell me, Duncan.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I, um—I asked this guy to supply for a party, told him I would pay him back by today.”
She knew he had to get his booze from somewhere, but until now, she never really thought through how he got the money to buy it. And it never occurred to her that he could actually be putting himself in danger.
She glanced over at Calvin briefly, noticing he was watching her from his periphery. For the briefest moment, he shook his head, enough to send a signal to Melanie without her brother noticing.
She turned back to Duncan, a placid look on her face. “I’m sorry, Dee, I can’t.”
“Oh, come on, Mel,” Duncan pleaded. “You make that kind of money in a week in just tips alone. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, I promise.”
She considered it for a moment, wondering if it really would be that big a deal to help him out, just this once. She did have the money to give him. Other than buying the occasional latte or dress at Lacey’s, she’d been saving a majority of it for when it was time to leave for college.
But even though her heart wanted to give it to him freely and relieve him of whatever hardship and pain he was going through, Melanie’s gut wasn’t having it. She knew giving him money may not be a one-time ask, and if she were to do it now, what would stop him from coming to her in the future?
“No,” she repeated, her voice catching when she said it. She cleared her throat. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
He huffed, but to her surprise, he didn’t yell. She expected the lion to explode on her like it always did when things didn’t go its way, but something had shifted. Like he was almost embarrassed for even asking in the first place.
“Okay,” he said, standing up straight. “Forget I asked.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away from the shop, eyes cast down at his feet.
She felt a hand touch her arm, but brushed it off, not bothering to look in Calvin’s direction. “I need a minute.”
She stepped through The War Room and out the back door, taking in a big gulp of the stifling late-July heat. She sat down on the small patch of grass behind Scoops, tucking her head between her legs as she took big, unsteady breaths.
Melanie wondered if it was always going to feel this way. The constant back and forth of having good moments and bad moments, of feeling like life was either normal or anything but. She wondered if her parents were even aware that Duncan truly had a problem, or if they were just credulous in thinking that this was just a phase that would soon pass. Melanie even wondered if it was time to talk to them about it.
