artwork was amazing.
“I’m glad you like it,” Tor said. He leaned in and kissed me gently on the cheek. I melted .
“We’re still on for dinner?” he asked. My parents had insisted that I bring Tor over for the family barbecue later.
“Yeah. Hopefully, they won’t be too hard on you.”
“I think I can handle whatever they dish out.” He brushed his hand clean of sand. “I have to close up the kiosk. Meet me later?”
“Yes, we should definitely show up at my house together.” My gaze lingered on him as he left. When he was out of sight, I went to Samara and Becca’s section and admired their turtle. It looked just like the surfer dude turtle from Finding Nemo .
“That’s great you guys,” I gushed. “You’re both so talented.”
“My mother would rather I be talented in algebra like you, Dori,” Becca said with a big grin, “but, thanks.”
“What’d Tor sculpt?” Samara shielded her eyes from the sun and peered down the beach.
“Come see.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of their expressions and their initial silence made me nervous and embarrassed.
“It’s official,” Samara said. “He’s gone for you.”
I couldn’t help but giggle when she said that.
“He’s a pretty good artist, too,” Becca said with admiration. “He’s obviously sculpted sand before.”
“Well,” I said. “He does spend a good amount of time on the beach.”
Dad had the barbecue fired up by the time Tor and I slipped into the back yard.
“Hi, sweetie,” Mom said. She had a tray in her hand filled with glasses and a pitcher of iced tea.
Tor stepped up to assist. “Let me help you with that.”
“Oh, all right.” She handed the tray to Tor and looked at me pointedly. “So, are you going to introduce us?”
“Mom and Dad, this is Tor, Tor, my mom and dad.”
Tor set the tray down on the patio table. Dad shook Tor’s hand with a soft pleased-to-meet-you, then turned back to the barbecue without further inquiry. Dad lacked his usual easy-going smile and I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t so crazy about me bringing boyfriend-type guys home.
Mom was far more expressive. “So, glad to finally meet you, Tor. Of course we’ve heard a lot about you. We’re so happy that your incident in the ocean turned out fine.”
Mom!
“Thank you, Mrs. Seward. The moss on the rocks makes them very slippery. Climbing them was a dumb thing to do.”
Dad piped up. “Not at ease on the ocean, eh?”
Tor shot me a quick sideways glance and I tried not to laugh.
“I guess I could learn a few things.”
Mom turned to me. “Nana’s in the kitchen, Dori. Go in and help her with the salad, okay?”
I didn’t like leaving Tor with my parents, but figured he could take care of himself. The salmon steaks were starting to smell good, and I realized I was hungry.
“Where are Luke and Mark?” I asked on my way up the back steps.
“They should be here any minute,” Mom said, dropping cobs of corn into a large pot of boiling water.
Nana was staring out the opened window, obviously spying on all that had just transpired in the back yard.
“Hi, Nana.”
“Hi, darling.” She reached over and pulled me into a one-arm hug, kissing me on the head before letting me go. “How’s my girl?”
“I’m good.” I grabbed the carrot peeler and a carrot.
“So, that’s your new boy?”
Not like I had an old boy.
“I guess so,” I said. Nana wouldn’t stop staring out the window. Her brow furrowed as she watched Tor sitting in a lawn chair petting Sidney who seemed to have finally accepted him as a friend. I didn’t think she liked the idea of me bringing a boyfriend type boy home either.
“Where did you meet him?”
“At the beach, why?”
Her frown lingered. “No reason.” She threw in the cucumber pieces she’d finished chopping and settled her blue eyes on me.
“Dori, I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything— and I mean anything.”
Huh? Oh, no. She
“I’m glad you like it,” Tor said. He leaned in and kissed me gently on the cheek. I melted .
“We’re still on for dinner?” he asked. My parents had insisted that I bring Tor over for the family barbecue later.
“Yeah. Hopefully, they won’t be too hard on you.”
“I think I can handle whatever they dish out.” He brushed his hand clean of sand. “I have to close up the kiosk. Meet me later?”
“Yes, we should definitely show up at my house together.” My gaze lingered on him as he left. When he was out of sight, I went to Samara and Becca’s section and admired their turtle. It looked just like the surfer dude turtle from Finding Nemo .
“That’s great you guys,” I gushed. “You’re both so talented.”
“My mother would rather I be talented in algebra like you, Dori,” Becca said with a big grin, “but, thanks.”
“What’d Tor sculpt?” Samara shielded her eyes from the sun and peered down the beach.
“Come see.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of their expressions and their initial silence made me nervous and embarrassed.
“It’s official,” Samara said. “He’s gone for you.”
I couldn’t help but giggle when she said that.
“He’s a pretty good artist, too,” Becca said with admiration. “He’s obviously sculpted sand before.”
“Well,” I said. “He does spend a good amount of time on the beach.”
Dad had the barbecue fired up by the time Tor and I slipped into the back yard.
“Hi, sweetie,” Mom said. She had a tray in her hand filled with glasses and a pitcher of iced tea.
Tor stepped up to assist. “Let me help you with that.”
“Oh, all right.” She handed the tray to Tor and looked at me pointedly. “So, are you going to introduce us?”
“Mom and Dad, this is Tor, Tor, my mom and dad.”
Tor set the tray down on the patio table. Dad shook Tor’s hand with a soft pleased-to-meet-you, then turned back to the barbecue without further inquiry. Dad lacked his usual easy-going smile and I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t so crazy about me bringing boyfriend-type guys home.
Mom was far more expressive. “So, glad to finally meet you, Tor. Of course we’ve heard a lot about you. We’re so happy that your incident in the ocean turned out fine.”
Mom!
“Thank you, Mrs. Seward. The moss on the rocks makes them very slippery. Climbing them was a dumb thing to do.”
Dad piped up. “Not at ease on the ocean, eh?”
Tor shot me a quick sideways glance and I tried not to laugh.
“I guess I could learn a few things.”
Mom turned to me. “Nana’s in the kitchen, Dori. Go in and help her with the salad, okay?”
I didn’t like leaving Tor with my parents, but figured he could take care of himself. The salmon steaks were starting to smell good, and I realized I was hungry.
“Where are Luke and Mark?” I asked on my way up the back steps.
“They should be here any minute,” Mom said, dropping cobs of corn into a large pot of boiling water.
Nana was staring out the opened window, obviously spying on all that had just transpired in the back yard.
“Hi, Nana.”
“Hi, darling.” She reached over and pulled me into a one-arm hug, kissing me on the head before letting me go. “How’s my girl?”
“I’m good.” I grabbed the carrot peeler and a carrot.
“So, that’s your new boy?”
Not like I had an old boy.
“I guess so,” I said. Nana wouldn’t stop staring out the window. Her brow furrowed as she watched Tor sitting in a lawn chair petting Sidney who seemed to have finally accepted him as a friend. I didn’t think she liked the idea of me bringing a boyfriend type boy home either.
“Where did you meet him?”
“At the beach, why?”
Her frown lingered. “No reason.” She threw in the cucumber pieces she’d finished chopping and settled her blue eyes on me.
“Dori, I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything— and I mean anything.”
Huh? Oh, no. She
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