That was the first conversation we’d had since the night of the accident, and in all the conversations since then, we’ve never once mentioned Charity’s name.

We exist as though Charity is still alive. I treat Pixie like she’s my annoying little sister, and she treats me the same way. It works. It helps. And it’s familiar.

Except we’re not like siblings. At all.

I reach Ellen’s office and rap my knuckles against her door.

“Come in,” she says from within.

I let myself in and leave the door open. “Do you have my list for today?”

She looks up from her computer screen and hands me a piece of paper, looking exhausted and stressed out.

“What’s up?” I take the list from her hand.

She sighs and rubs her temples. “Yesterday was a disaster. I can’t have the fire alarm go off every time it rains. Guests will just freak out.”

I shrug. “So install an updated system.”

“Right. I know.” She looks back at the computer. “I just don’t know where to start. I’ve been looking up alarm systems all morning and there are so many and I have a ton of other work to do and a bunch of new guests are arriving this afternoon, and I’m just so overwhelmed.”

“I’ll do it.” I smile, partly because I’m sincere in my offer and partly because Ellen reminds me of Pixie when she rambles like that. “I’ll do research and figure out what type of alarm system would suit the inn best.”

Her hazel eyes light up. “Really? Ah! Levi, that would be great.”

Haley knocks on the open office door and finds my eyes. “You have, uh… visitors.”

I frown. “Visitors?”

“Visitors.”

“O-kay.” I look back at Ellen. “I’ll start doing research this week—sound good?”

She smiles brightly. “Sounds excellent.”

Leaving her office, I follow Haley back to the lobby, where I find Zack staring at the Fourth of July flyer by the front door—and beside him is his goat, on a leash.

“Seriously?” I say as I near them. “You brought the goat inside?”

He turns. “He has a name, you know. Marvin.”

“You brought the goat inside.”

“Well, I can’t leave him in the car. He cries and screams and it’s very unsettling. It’s like toting around a hairy toddler.” Zack points to the flyer. “You didn’t tell me about this.”

“About the Fourth of July thing?”

“No. About the cornhole tournament at the Fourth of July thing. We are so doing this.”

“No, we’re not.”

“Yes, we are.”

Ellen walks past the lobby in her high heels, stops in her tracks, and turns back around to face Zack.

She points at Marvin. “Is that a goat?”

Zack nods once. “Yes, ma’am.”

“In my lobby?”

“Yes, ma’am. But he’s a friendly goat.”

Ellen plasters on a polite smile. “I don’t care if he’s a tap-dancing goat. I want him out of here.”

“Ooh. Harsh,” he says. “But fair. Come on, boy.” He pulls Marvin away from the activities board, where he was chewing on a flyer for bingo night.

Ellen turns to leave, her heels clicking on the wood floor as she sings out, “Thank you, Zack. Always a pleasure to see you.”

“You too, Ms. Marshall,” Zack calls out, lowering his voice as he watches her walk away with his lips parted. “Trust me, the pleasure is all mine…”

“Dude.” I stare at him. “Stop it.”

He yanks his eyes away from Ellen and mocks an innocent grin. “What?”

I shake my head. “Come on.”

Zack and Marvin and I walk out the back doors and stand beside the lavender field as the morning sun slips behind a few leftover storm clouds. The smell of rain still clings to the humid air, but otherwise the storm has cleared out.

I cross my arms. “So why are you here?”

“Very blunt. I like it.” Zack pulls Marvin away from the potted flowers Ellen has flanking the back door. “You’re being a stubborn jackass.”

I raise a brow. “Me? Or the goat?”

“Both of you, really.” Zack tries to unwind himself from the leash as Marvin starts walking around him in circles. “But mostly you.” I watch Marvin yank on the leash and nearly trip Zack.

“I doubt that,” I say.

Zack unwinds from the twisted leash and exhales as he looks at me. “Coach said you haven’t even responded to Dean Maxwell’s request.”

I run a hand over my head and mutter, “Not this again.”

“It’s one fucking essay, dude. You can do that. Hell, you can pay someone to do that.”

“It’s more than an essay,” I say. “It’s me. I lost focus. And I don’t know if I even want to go back.”

He steps over the leash as Marvin moves in circles again. “So what, then? You’re just going to fix toilets for the rest of your life?”

I shrug, a thin burst of stress layering my skin. “Maybe.”

That’s my biggest fear. There’s nothing shameful about being a handyman. In a way, it’s actually pretty rewarding work. But it’s not what I want for my life, and with every day that passes I feel any future in something other than handiwork slipping farther and farther away.

He curses and pulls Marvin away from the nearby lavender flowers. “You’re unbelievable. And selfish.”

“Me? Or the goat?”

Zack looks up. “YOU, dude.”

“I’m selfish?”

“Yes,” he says, completely serious. “Me and the guys chose to be on this team because Levi Fucking Andrews was going to be our quarterback. This isn’t just about you anymore. Don’t screw us over, man. Get your goddamn head figured out and come back and play.”

Well… shit.

The kitchen’s back door opens and Pixie comes out carrying a bag of trash. She throws it away, completely oblivious to us, until Zack opens his giant mouth.

“Sarah!” he shouts out merrily.

Her face breaks into a wide grin. “Hey, Zack.” Her smile slips a bit as her eyes catch on mine, then quickly move back to Zack. “How’ve you be—is that a goat?”

Marvin bleats out a noise that sounds eerily similar to the cry of a small child.

“This is Marvin,” he says. “He eats everything and yells like a distressed baby to get attention. I’m goat-sitting him this summer.”

“Why?” She steps to the side as Marvin tries to lick her apron. “Did you lose a bet?”

He grins. “Better. I gained a phone number.”

She shakes her head. “You will do anything for a hot girl.”

“Present company included.” He winks.

“In that case…” She gestures to me. “Think you can get this schmuck to stop using all the hot water so I don’t have to take a cold shower every morning?”

I glare at her, but she simply cocks an eyebrow in return.

“Levi is depriving you of hot showers?” Zack turns to me and slowly says, “Interesting.”

I look at Pixie. “Maybe you could set an alarm and hog the hot water yourself.”

She says, “Maybe you could shower at night and save us both the trouble.”

“Maybe you could quit nagging me.”

“Maybe you could rock a half-beard for the rest of the summer.”

“Wow.” Zack appears thoroughly amused as he looks back and forth between us. He nods. “This feels good. This feels right.”

Marvin goat-yells again.

“Whatever,” Pixie says. “I have a job to get back to. It was good seeing you, Zack.” She gives him a little wave before heading back inside.

“Later.” Zack looks after her until she disappears, then turns back to me and smiles.

I stare at him. “What?”

He laughs. “I don’t know what your endgame is here, but you really need to get your shit together.”