"Yeah, willdo." I closed the door and headed over to my bus, already feeling my legs tightening up. The twenty in my purse wouldn't come close to getting me a ma.s.sage, but it could get some lunch. I immediately thought of the smell s from the Beachcomber the morning before, and decided to treat myself after a shower. On the highway, ocean air rushed in through the open windows and swirled all around me. I turned up my music, stuck my hand out the window, and flew the bus all the way home.

The rest of h.e.l.l Week flew by in a blur of running, eating, and sleeping. The eating became my big inside joke with myself. Ashley continually showed up at practice, consistently didn't finish the runs, and always kept tabs on what I had eaten that day. She was very considerate that way. I tried to help her out with the whole running thing, but it turned out that she didn't much like exerting herself. Still, she showed up to practice and began creating a role for herself there. Kind of a team cheerleader/fashion consultant/new age guru. It would take a little while, but I could see her slowly winning over the team, and even Coach Martin. Jillian and I continued the friendly rivalry we'd started on the first day, and one day, after a beach run, she even stayed after the rest of the girls had gone. We sat on the beach, people watching and tossing pebbles into the water. We talked mostly surface stuff-running and school, and I got the feeling she might actually want to be friends but was the kind of person who held people at a distance for a while first. I understood, and it felt like another thing we had in common.

Between practices I spent my days on the beach trying to soak up the last week of sun and summer before the start of school. And hoping to run into Tyler again. Each day when I came home, I checked the tower closest to our cottage. Not that I had any sort of chance at this point. I hadn't seen or talked to him since we'd met. But the possibility brought me down to the beach in a different bikini every day, sore legs and all. I walked a bit, looking for gla.s.s. I jumped into the water when it got too hot. Sometimes I tried to read. Mostly I drifted in and out of sleep with the sounds of the ocean and the kids around me making their way into my dreams.

My dad seemed happy that I had settled in. When he got home in the evenings, he would either go out for a dive or just paddle out and sit on his board, watching the sun go down. We barbecued and ate at our peeling red picnic table every night, listening to the crickets and the ocean. It was easy and seemingly peaceful, and we both left it at that.

From our back patio, though, I could just see the sagging roof of the beach cottage on the sand below. Every night we sat out there, I almost asked him to tell me about it, but something stopped me. Aside from the night we'd arrived, he avoided talking about the cottages so much that it seemed obvious. And I knew from experience that if he didn't want to talk about something, we didn't.

Still, each night when I flipped off the living room light, I stood for a minute in our warm living room, staring out the giant window at the dark silhouette of the abandoned cottage, waiting. For something.

CHAPTER 6.

On Sat.u.r.day morning I lay in bed long after I was awake, because I could. The sun shone brightly through my shades and lit up the room, golden and warm. My dad had the day off, and I listened as he made his coffee and shuffled around before settling down somewhere. When I got up, he was sitting on the couch, cup of coffee in hand, watching the water.

"Mornin'." He nodded at the window. "Check that out." I looked out just in time to catch three silvery dolphin fins surface and then dip below again.

Smiling, I stretched my arms above my head. "Yeah, they've been out here every morning this week." I shook off a yawn and sat sideways in the armchair, hanging my legs over the arm so I could face the ocean. It had become a favorite spot of mine. On the sand, families were already starting to stream down, lugging ice chests and umbrellas. A pair of little girls, still in their sundresses, ran circles around each other as their parents unfurled a bright red beach blanket and then smoothed the lumps of sand beneath it. Out in the water, beyond the lifeguard buoy, an outrigger canoe glided over the morning gla.s.s, its paddlers perfectly in sync. After the week's endless workouts, I couldn't think of anything better than being out there on the beach all day, doing absolutely nothing.

"You wanna go out on Andy's boat today? We're taking it out paddy-hopping, looking for sea ba.s.s. You wouldn't have to dive. You could just stay on the boat if you wanted, or you could come with us." My dad was grinning like he always did when he got together with Andy. I weighed the idea. "C'mon. He hasn't seen you in almost a year, since he was up last Christmas."

Andy was my surrogate uncle, Dad's best friend since elementary school. Together the two of them were ridiculous and perfect, and the closest thing to a family I had, besides my grandma. Andy had never left this area like my dad did, but had always made the trek up north to see us on holidays and vacations. I loved him dearly, but it wasn't what I had in mind.

"I don't know." I rubbed my eyes. "I was kinda looking forward to just hanging out here for the day." My dad shook his head. "You'd like it out there in the big blue. You're gonna be sitting on the beach later today, and all of a sudden have a feeling that you're missing out on something." He set his coffee cup on the table and looked at his watch. "You have an hour to change your mind. I'm gonna get my gear packed up." He messed my hair as he walked by.

I swatted at his hand, and he did it again, trying to get a smile. "I'll think about it," I conceded. We both knew I wouldn't change my mind, but I didn't have the heart to just flat-out say no. Now that we were down here, Andy would probably become a regular fixture anyway.

"Fifty-eight minutes!" my dad yelled from the kitchen.

I turned my attention back to the beach and to the guard who was just opening his tower. The lifeguard truck waited while he undid the padlocks on the windows. Once he had it open, he jumped onto the sand and pulled a set of fins and a red buoy from the back of the truck. A hand reached out from the pa.s.senger window and gave him a radio. He climbed the ladder again, and the truck slowly trundled south to open up the next tower. I couldn't see who was inside, but I buzzed with the possibility that it could be Tyler, and I was perfectly happy to stay on the beach, with my dad far out on the ocean in a boat with his friend. Heh heh heh.

I bided my time in my chair until I saw him heave his scuba bag into the back of the bus. Dressed in trunks, a T-shirt, and flip-flops, my dad looked younger than he was. Anyone who saw him with Andy probably a.s.sumed they were just a couple of single bachelors. He came up the front steps and poked his head in the door. "Last chance to change your mind."

I leaned my head back on the chair. "Nah, I'm stayin'. Ashley might come down to hang out."

"All right. Suit yourself. He's gonna be disappointed, though. You'll hear it next time you see him, for sure."

"I know."

"Okay. I don't know how long we'll be out. There's plenty to throw together for dinner. If you go anywhere, leave me a note." I nodded. "Bye, Dad. tell Andy I said hi, and get some fish while you're out there."

"Will do."

As soon as he pulled out, I jumped up and went to find my bathing suit for the day. Within ten minutes I was on the sand, heading over to the mystery lifeguard in the tower. He saw me coming and came outside on the deck of it without taking his eyes from the water. I stopped in front of his ladder and squinted up at him. He kneeled down, eyes still on the water.

"Hi there. Can I do something for you?" His big, cheesy smile was further complimented by his dark brown mustache and reflective aviators.

I smiled back, tilted my head, and leaned on the tower ladder. "Hopefully. I'm looking for a guard who works here ... Tyler." I stopped, realizing I didn't know his last name, then tried to recover. "I thought he was schedulled for this tower today." Another smile crept across the lifeguard's face, though this time it was more mischievous. He raised an eyebrow. "He was schedulled for this tower ... until our new supervisor up and shifted the schedule all around for some reason." He pushed his sungla.s.ses back into the ma.s.s of salty-dry curls and smiled at me with eyes older than I had initially guessed he had. "You must be Anna." He stuck out a hand. "I'm James. James Mil er. And I've been warned about you already."

We shook, and I smiled back, startled. "Warned? By who?"

"Oh"-he grinned again-"a few different sources.... Cute little blond girl trying to pa.s.s herself off as a regular ol' tide-pooler, when she's actually the daughter of the boss man." He took in an exaggerated deep breath. "Yep. I've heard about you. Luckily, my taste is far more sophisticated ... like Mona here." He motioned to a woman jogging through the soft sand. Her skin shone, brown and oiled, except for her face, which was shaded under a running hat. Along with her resolved expression she wore a sports bra, a water belt, and bikini bottoms. She pa.s.sed by the tower and nodded at James. He gave a wave and watched as she went by. When she did, there was nothing I could do but marvel. Her bikini bottom was a black thong that revealed a high, rounded b.u.t.t of all muscle. "The benefits of running the beach," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Wow. She's gotta be in her forties." James nodded appreciatively, still looking. I tried to figure out how old he was. He carried himself like a young guy, but the lines around his eyes told a different story. He was probably a perma-seasonal, as my dad called them. Guys that started out lifeguarding for their summer jobs at sixteen and just kept on doing it and living the life. I liked James already. He was like every one of my dad's friends that came around. All of them wanted to be young forever, and at some point they neglected to realize that they weren't. We both stood and watched Mona b.u.mp farther and farther away.

"So, little Ryan." He turned to me. "You're looking for Tyler Evans, just so you know. There's about five Tylers who work here, but he's the one you sicced your dad on the other day. Unintentionally, I'm sure. He's been banished to Tower Two for the last week." I stood silently, not knowing if I should apologize or laugh. James helped me out. "Walk on down and say hi. It's the least you could do. And, hey, tonight's the end of the season lifeguard bonfire, down at Muddy Creek." He held his arms out like a circus ringleader, then bowed to me. "If he doesn't invite you, then, I have." With that he picked up his binoculars and scanned the water to the south, then swept up to the north, where I was sure Mona and her amazingly toned b.u.t.t were the main points of interest.

"Thanks," I said, and turned south, toward Tower Two.

"See you tonight, sunshine!" James called out. "Bring your tiny blond friend." I turned back and put my hands to my mouth.

"She's too young for you!"

James put a hand to his chest like he had been stabbed, and staggered backward for a second before resuming his position leaning over the railing. I turned around, smiling and plotting as I walked.

It was one of the last weekends before school, and the beach was packed. Most of the sand in front of our house was claimed already, different groups marking their territory with bright beach towels and umbrellas. The tide was high and there was swell, which made the beach even small er. I walked in the wet sand, and when a big set rolled through, the water splashed warm over my feet. Just ahead of me were the tide pools, now crawling with people, and I smiled, remembering Tyler's exasperation at running down there. James didn't seem too concerned, although today would be the day to be. The first wave of a set thundered down onto the rocks, and people let out a collective yell , then scurried for a safer spot. I kept my eyes on Tower Two, which was a long walk down the beach.

Once I pa.s.sed the tide pools, the crowd thinned out and I slowed down. Directly in front of me as I walked was the point I had run to my first day here. The point where my dad had told me my parents had met. I looked down, remembering the piece of gla.s.s I'd found that first day, but the waves had scoured the sand clean. When I rounded a small er point, Tyler's tower came into view, but I didn't see him on the deck. I straightened up and walked more carefully, just in case he happened to be looking in my direction through his binoculars. When I was sure I was close enough for him to have to notice me, I smiled and attempted to saunter over with an ease that I hoped looked believable. He came out of his tower shaking his head. I put my chin up and feigned innocence. "What?"

"Anna Ryan," he said, still shaking his head. My stomach jumped at the sound of my name spoken by his voice. "Boss's daughter ..."

"I couldn't tell you he was my dad right off the bat. You wouldn't have given me your little tour." Tyler's eyebrows raised behind his sungla.s.ses as he leaned forward with an emphatic look in each direction. "Where is he, by the way? Did you tell him you were coming on down, cuz it's just about time he got down here to bug me today. And now he has a real reason."

"Funny." I rested a hand on my hip. He looked down, and I guessed that he was looking me over from behind his sungla.s.ses, the same as I was him. I hoped he was as impressed as I was at the moment. He had the long, lean body of the swimmers I'd seen over the years, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. I took a few steps closer and grabbed the handle of the tower ladder, then looked right up at him. "So, James told me about the bonfire tonight." He looked interested ... or surprised. I went on, encouraged. "Where's Muddy Creek?" He laughed and pointed down toward the south point. "Just down there, where that ramp comes down to the beach. You ran past it last weekend." It took a second, but then I remembered the backpacks on the sand and the surfers in the water. "You were out in the water."

"And you were showing off."

He had me there.

"Somebody had to do something impressive. I didn't see you guys out there getting any waves." I winced a little, inwardly. It wasn't one of my best lines.

Tyler looked back out at the empty water, apparently disregarding my lameness.

"Yeah, that day was c.r.a.ppy. I should be out there today. Look at it." He pointed to a wave that broke off a set of rocks just offsh.o.r.e and peeled across the little cove. "Yep, I just get to sit down here in no-man's-land and look at it all day. Courtesy of the Ryans." He leaned forward on the railing and watched another wave roll through.

I leaned my back against the ladder and looked up over my shoulder. "Sorry about that." He laughed. "Nah, don't be. I knew what I was getting into when I talked to you." I turned around. "Wait a sec. You knew who I was? Why'd you go along with it?" I was suddenly intrigued.

"James bet me I wouldn't do it because you're Ryan's daughter. He gets a laugh out of that stuff. Why'd you go along while I talked c.r.a.p about your dad?" I shrugged. "He drives you crazy as a boss. Imagine having him as your dad."

Tyler held on to the tower railing and leaned back, pulling his shoulders back in a stretch. "You're his daughter. He's supposed to be that way. He's been around long enough to realize that most guys are a bunch of jerks."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. Now you sound just like him." This wasn't the direction I'd envisioned this conversation taking. I needed to bring his focus back to me, so I turned slowly around so that I was facing the ladder, leaned my chest against it, and looked up at him casually. "Anyway, are you going tonight? To the bonfire?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." Tyler turned to spit out a sunflower seed sh.e.l.l . "You shouldn't be, though." He cleared his throat and laughed. "That's probably why James invited you. He's a pot-stirrer."

I suddenly felt not so cute anymore, deflated, just like that. He spit another sh.e.l.l into the sand, then looked down the beach. I should just turn around and walk away, I thought. Take a hint. But his att.i.tude p.i.s.sed me off. I looked out at the water and the outline of Catalina directly in front of us. "My dad and his buddy took their boat to Catalina for the night. I think it'll be fine," I said flatly. It was probably safe. They'd gotten off to a late start and would most likely go out for beers or something afterward.

Tyler didn't take the bait. "Oh, yeah? well, in that case he'll probably have one of his buddies checkin' in on you. Or all of us." He smiled down at me.

Condescendingly, I thought. "Maybe some other time, like when we all don't have to answer to your dad." Heat crept across my chest and settled on my face. He really didn't like me. At all. Jerk. Humility peeled my fingers from the railing while at the same time pride made me open my mouth. "Wow. I guess a middle-aged lifeguard supervisor is a pretty scary thing." Again, it wasn't all that impressive, but I had to say something. I walked away, wishing I had thought up something better.

"Bye, Anna!!" he called. I didn't turn around, but waved my hand over my head, more out of annoyance than anything else. Then I loosened my ponytail and let my hair fall down to my back, shaking it out a little with my fingers as I walked away. I had plans to make.

CHAPTER 7.

The sun dipped into the ocean as we pulled into the Muddy Creek lot. Ashley squinted behind her giant sungla.s.ses and scanned for the best place to park.

"Does it matter where I go? I don't want to get a ticket or get carjacked or anything." I smiled. "n.o.body's gonna carjack you. Besides, if you get a ticket, I'll just have my dad take care of it."

"All right, all right. It just looks so ... remote. Is that the right word for when it seems, like, far away or something?" I laughed. "Yeah, that's what it means, but I wouldn't call it remote with that shopping center over there." I pointed to the lights across PCH.

"Whatever." She pulled into a spot, or rather, two spots. "I hope we brought enough goodies. I grabbed everything I could think of that would be good for a bonfire. Do you think someone will have a corkscrew?"

"For what?"

"For the champagne. It was the best thing I could sneak out of the house. My mom has a big stash of it for her parties."

"Um, Ash, you don't need a corkscrew for champagne. You know how it pops and all ?" I couldn't help but smile. "And ... why'd you bring champagne for a bonfire, anyway?"

She looked at me like I had just asked her why the sky was blue, then said simply: "It's festive!" She pulled her lip gloss out of her purse, reapplied, and then smacked her lips. "I figured there'd be some cute lifeguards to lug it down. Come on, Anna. That's supposed to be your thing."

"Yeah, we'll see," I said, looking around. "None seem to be falling at my feet just yet." I opened the door and scanned the parking lot, hoping to see one in particular. Ashley popped the trunk of her car and walked around to the back. I couldn't help but stare for a second at the perfect magazine picture that she was. She looked like an ad for Southern California rich, with her three-hundred-dollar jeans and gauzy white top. The front sections of her blond hair were twisted back into a hippyish do that left the rest of it wavy and expertly tousled. She smiled her sunset-lip-gloss smile, and for half a second I thought about the lack of logic in bringing a beautiful, friendly girl along when I was trying to hook Tyler.

I pulled down the sun visor and checked myself in the mirror. I had the kind of skin that tanned easily, and by this point in the summer it was deep brown with a few freckles scattered across my nose and cheeks. I had always liked it when it got like this, because it meant I'd had a good summer. Ashley walked over and bent to look at my reflection with me.

"You know, MAC makes a really good makeup that would totally take care of those freckles and even out your skin tone." I looked at her immaculately made-up face.

"I didn't have time to put on any makeup. Lemme see your lip gloss." I had actually thought about it before I'd left, but then had figured it'd be dark anyway.

And I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard. But then, a little bit couldn't hurt. She handed it over and I smoothed the thick cakey-smelling gloss over my lips. "Okay. Let's get the stuff and go down there."

Just as I stepped out and closed the door, a jeep pulled up next to us. It was James. "Ladies!" He leaned out of the car. "Glad you could make it. Can I help you carry anything down?"

"Sure!" Ashley interjected, before I had even opened my mouth. I gave her a look. She pranced back to her trunk excitedly and began pulling out grocery bags. "I have all kinds of stuff in here-chips and cookies, hot dogs, all the bonfire stuff I could think of. And s'mores stuff too! No dieting tonight." James followed her to the back of the car and stood there smiling as she loaded his arms up. "You don't mess around, do you?" She pulled out a stack of Mexican blankets and put them into my arms. "Aren't these cute? I picked them up today at Pottery Barn. Oh! And these." She handed me a bundle of tiki torches. "They're perfect, right?"

I nodded. "Ash, you didn't have to go out and get all this-"

She waved me off, then shrugged cutely. "Why not? It was fun. It will be fun. Right, James?"

"That's right!" He grinned from behind his aviators and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Super fun. Is that about it? We got a long walk ahead of us, and I could use an icy cold one ASAP."

Ashley shut the trunk. "That's it. Show me to the beach!" She put an arm out, and James took it, despite all he was carrying.

It was nearly impossible to be around her and not start thinking everything was just a grand adventure. As we tromped down the steep trail to the beach, I grinned and listened to Ashley chattering to James about what an admirable and heroic profession he was in, which I was sure he was eating up. They all did.

At the bottom of the trail the beach was open and empty except for a small gathering around the rock-bordered fire pit. A small pyramid of kindling sat in the middle, waiting for a splash of lighter fluid and a match. The group was mostly made up of tanned guys who stood holding red cups, barefoot in their best surf shirts and jeans. I dug my toes into the cool sand as I walked over, trying to find Tyler's face among them. James set everything down and walked around the circle of guys, giving high fives. Ashley and I stood on the outside of the ring, while a girl sitting on the sand looked both of us over as she chewed her gum. She leaned over and whispered something to her friend next to her, and they both laughed. Just as I started to rethink the idea of us being there, James raised his voice.

"Everybody, this is Anna Ryan. That would be Boss Ryan's daughter, so you never saw her here." He waited for a reaction, which mostly consisted of nods meant to say hi. I nodded back and wished I had a red cup in my hand to raise and hide behind. "And this is her friend Ashley, who has been so kind as to bring a giant spread of stuff for our little soiree here."

Ashley gave a coy little smile. "Anyone want to toast to anything? I brought a case of champagne." It was like someone had pressed play again after pausing a scene. Everyone hopped to life, and soon plastic champagne flutes were tapping, the fire was lit, and we all were feeling plenty warm, even though the night had cooled down. After a long, rambling toast delivered by James, the veteran of the group, we all settled around the fire that was now spitting and crackling.

Muted conversations drifted across the fire, then tapered off. In between, the periodic smack of a wave on the sand punctuated the easy, satisfied silences, and it felt like one of those nights so perfect, you always remember it. The breeze shifted in my direction, along with the smoke, so I stood up to avoid the burn in my eyes. With no moon illuminating the beach, everything beyond our little ring of bonfire was black. On the highway above an occasional set of headlights cruised by and illuminated the white lines of breaking waves. It had a different feel to it from the beach in Pismo, with its pier lights and busy promenade. There was a quietness here that felt unique and special.

I thought about the cottages lining the beach near my house, and of the one that sat alone on the sand. How they just sat in dark silence as the waves rushed up each night, probably all with stories to tell of perfect summer evenings. For a moment, when we'd first arrived, my dad had started to tell me about them. But I had been too mad at him about moving to listen, and since then they'd felt almost like a taboo topic. Like a lot of things were with him.

Now I was curious about how it had all started, this little place that felt so separate from the rest of the world. I sat back down and asked no one in particular, "So what's the deal with all of those empty cottages near the restaurant? The ones on my side of the beach are all fixed up, but those look like people just up and left twenty years ago or something." Next to me James cleared his throat and sighed. "Ah, the history of the cove. Let me give you the short version. A long time ago-like, back in the thirties or something-the cove was owned by a guy who leased it out to families that started out as campers. From Memorial Day to Labor Day-the whole summer." He took a swig of beer from his red cup and stifled a burp. "Eventually those people decided it was the best little piece of paradise around, and they got themselves long-term leases with him and started turning their camping spots into beach shacks. It was like a private little village with parties round the clock, and people just doing their thing-diving for dinner in the ocean, sharing everything with each other, being artsy ... whatever. The rest of the world left them alone, and they liked it that way." He paused. "How do you not know all this, Ryan? Your dad's like a piece of living crystal Cove history." Before I could answer, he took in a deep breath and went on.

"Anyway, fast-forward to the seventies, when the state bought the land from this landowner guy. The families got eviction notices from the state and fought them for twenty or so years until they finally lost. When they did, it got real ugly down here." Ashley had stopped listening and was complimenting the gum-chewing girl on her marshmallow-roasting ability. Everyone else had settled into two- or three-person conversations around the fire. James stopped for a second and stretched. "Am I losin' you, Ryan?"

"No, no," I encouraged. "What do you mean *ugly'?"

"I mean, they basically got kicked out of houses that had been in their families for generations. They were bitter, for sure. Some of *em refused to leave, even on the last night, and it got so out of hand that even the lifeguards had to help out the cops to get them out. Your dad's probably got some crazy stories from that night." He looked at me for confirmation. I hadn't heard any. Couldn't even think of over hearing any. I'd had no idea about any of it.

I took a long drink of champagne and forced it down with a shiver. "So, then what?" Bubbles fizzed at the back of my throat.

"By the time the state got the cottages, they were historical landmarks, so they started to fix *em up. They did all the ones on your side of the beach and up the bluff, and now they get rented out by vacationers from all over. Germans with a love for Speedos especially seem to like *em. You notice that?"

"And the ones on the north side of the beach? And that one near my house? They look like they're about to fall down."

"They probably are. But the money ran out. They'll be fixed up one day, but not anytime soon." A few beats pa.s.sed between us, and I pictured the beach cottage next to mine, with its turquoise fence and hazy windows. Stuck in time, waiting.

"Had your fill of history now? My cup's about dry. You want a refill?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I mean, thanks." James stood and brushed the sand off his legs. "Have you ever been in any of them?"

"Your dad has the keys to all of them," a familiar voice said from across the fire.

My stomach flip-flopped, and I ceased to care about anything else James could tell me. He immediately understood and excused himself to the keg, taking my cup with him. Tyler walked over casually and sat down next to me in the sand. I looked over and raised my eyebrows.

"Yeah?" I said. "I bet if I somehow got those keys, I wouldn't be able to find anyone brave enough to use them with me." He took a drink from his cup. I leaned into him, just slightly, and smiled. The champagne had made me bold. "In fact, isn't it dangerous for you to be here, sitting next to me?" I lowered my voice to a near-whisper. "I mean, my dad's your boss ..." A slow smile crossed his face, and he put his chin down. "There are some things in life you can't miss, and this bonfire is one of them." I looked at him, puzzled. It didn't seem like that big a deal.

"You'll see. We're only just getting started."