Free Playing with Fire by Amy Knupp Page B

lessons.”
    “Why would anyone want sand-castle lessons?”
    “To learn how to build big, beautiful sand sculptures, of course.”
    “You’re pushing your luck.”
    “Yeah, well, I’ve gotten good at that. Come on. We’re late.”

    “D ID YOU TWO HAVE SEX or something?”
    Macey jumped, then looked around to make sure no one else had heard Andie but her. Derek was out on the patio cleaning up trash and wiping tables, thank goodness.
    The crowd had thinned out considerably about an hour ago. It was just after midnight and they would most likely have one more rush on drinks between now and last call.
    “What are you talking about?” Macey asked.
    “I don’t know, but it sounds worth hearing.” Lauren was one of the new employees, a Texas A&M student who was spending the summer on San Amaro Island before her senior year. She’d just come out of the back room.
    “He’s been in a decent mood all day. I just wondered if you’re the reason,” Andie stated.
    “I told you, we went on a dolphin cruise this morning,” Macey said emphatically to both of them. “That’s all.”
    “Right.” Andie shook a drink she was mixing for a rail-thin woman who sat playing solitaire at the outer counter.
    “Derek and I aren’t… That wouldn’t happen.”
    “You’re getting flustered,” Andie taunted.
    “Your face is turning red,” Lauren added, and Macey wondered why she’d hired females. A guy would never notice any of this.
    “It’s hot in here. Lauren, weren’t you supposed to leave a few minutes ago?”
    The student checked her watch and swore. “I’m outta here. See you Wednesday afternoon.”
    “See you,” Macey said, and went to the back room to get a sleeve of plastic cups.
    When she returned, Andie was handing change to her customer at the counter. “So?” she said when the woman walked away.
    Macey had been hoping Andie would drop the subject. “You don’t know what happened to him before he came here, do you?” she asked, deciding now was the time to tell some of Derek’s past, if only to convince Andie they were not involved beyond friendship.
    “He doesn’t tell me and I don’t ask.”
    “His girlfriend was killed in a fire.” She made sure to say it quietly so no one else would overhear.
    “Holy shit.” Andie filled her cup with lemonade and added a shot of cherry syrup. “How long ago?”
    “January.”
    Andie was quiet and Macey straightened the shelf of liquor bottles.
    “She died?” Andie asked, after taking a gulp.
    Macey nodded.
    “And he was a firefighter?”
    “He worked the fire that killed her. Another firefighter died trying to save her. The entire building collapsed on them.”
    Andie didn’t say anything, just shook her head.
    “What’s up with the hen fest?” Derek asked as he walked behind the bar.
    Uncharacteristically, Andie hurried to the kitchen without a word. Normally she wouldn’t take the hen comment sitting down.
    “What’s with her?” Derek asked, still sounding much more cheerful than Macey had heard him since she’d been on San Amaro.
    She shrugged. “My guess is she’s just ready to go home.”
    “She was supposed to leave at twelve, wasn’t she? Go home, Andie!” he hollered back.
    She appeared in the doorway. “Bite me. I’m leaving.”
    Macey laughed as she continued to organize the liquor bottles and clean the shelves under them.
    All her tidying was for naught, because two hours later, when they finally kicked the last customer out to the patio so they could close up, the area behind the counter was a complete shambles.
    “That little rush helped the day’s sales,” Macey said, staring at the war zone otherwise known as the back counter.
    “Little rush? Word must’ve gone out that this was the last chance for alcohol this decade, the way they crowded in here.” Derek totaled out the registers and Macey glanced over his shoulder to see the numbers. “At this rate I’ll be able to retire in a week.”
    “Dream on,”