Brandon stared at his phone. It made a black rectangle on Rose's pink comforter. Twice, he reached to pick it up and hesitated. His mother expected him to arrive at the airport this afternoon. He did not wish to surprise her when he did not step off the plane.

Sweat beaded on his brow. It soaked the brown hair that hung in his eyes. The thought of speaking to his mother worried him. She did not like his relationship with Rose and demanded he break up with her. Nevertheless, Brandon's girlfriend had become too much a part of his life for him to walk away from her.

Brandon liked the Grover family. They made him feel welcome in their home. For the first time, he felt part of a real family. Rachel teased him like a brother. She offered to teach him how to surf, and he accompanied her to the beach early in the morning following his arrival.

Snow covered the beach sand outside the Grover home. Dressed in a black wetsuit, Rachel stood at the shore with her surfboard tucked beneath her arm. A crisp winter wind played in her sun-bleached brown hair. Brandon shivered and hugged himself. He felt unsure about swimming in the icy Atlantic waters. On the other hand, Rose's sister plunged into an oncoming whitecap.

"You're not going in there?" Rose asked, jogging up to him. She wore jeans and a cable knit sweater. Her purple wool scarf fluttered in the wind.

Brandon shrugged and blew into his cupped hands to warm them. Rachel insisted he borrowed a wetsuit. The cold penetrated it, and he shivered. Brand and Rose watched her sister catch a wave and ride it to shore. Sitting astride the board, she waved frantically toward the couple on the beach.

"C'mon, Brand," she shouted above the roar of the surf. "Time for your first lesson."

"I don't know, Rach," Brandon returned, losing his confidence. "Maybe next time...during the summer, perhaps."

"Are you chicken?" Rachel called mockingly.

"Leave him alone, okay?" Rose interjected, hugging herself against the low temperatures. "Winter isn't the most opportune time for a surfing lesson."

"Killjoy," Rachel muttered, paddling the board back into the surf.

Heedless of the cold seawater, Brandon waded into the surf. Rachel halted her board and waited for him. When he drew close enough, she pushed the surfboard toward him. He stopped it and climbed astride. A wave lifted him, and he settled into a trough.

Rachel steadied the board and instructed Brandon to stand on it. Planting his feet, he squatted and then stood on shaky legs. Another wave lifted him, and he canted to one side and slipped. Regaining the surfboard, he rose again and fell. Finally, he stood upright and found his balance. It lasted only a second before he splashed into the surf again.

"Give it a rest, Rach." Rose cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "You can't expect him to stand up on his first try."

"We'll try again tomorrow," the younger Grover sister relented. She steadied the board while Brandon continued to sit astride it. "Is Simon Tremaine really your brother?"

Brandon nodded and, after a long pause, said yes.

"Do you know Simon?" he asked as another wave rose beneath him.

"Only by reputation," Rachel replied. Saltwater crashed over them, and she sputtered over a mouthful. "We asked him to enter the competition here last summer, but he had a previous engagement on the West Coast."

"Simon went to Redondo Beach, California in August for the International Surf Festival," Brandon responded reluctantly. "He took Brittany to Australia from there for their honeymoon. They surfed at Black Rock in New South Wales."

When Brandon mentioned one of Australia's best surfer beaches, Rachel's mouth turned into a round 'O'. She often thought of becoming a professional kahuna. However, her parents and Rose both tried to dissuade her. They expected her to go to college and take up a career.

Like Simon, Rachel Grover lived for the beach. Riding the waves excited her. She longed to join the circuit and travel to all the best beaches. Envious of people such as Brandon's younger brother, she wanted the beach bum lifestyle.

On the other hand, Brandon did not wish to discuss his wayward brother. Uncle Geo and his mother both indulged his whims. Their uncle funded his expeditions worldwide, and his mother encouraged Simon's life decisions.

How differently the family treated each boy, Brandon thought, frowning. His mother discouraged his urge to become a writer and insisted he become an architect. Architecture belonged to his grandfather and Uncle Geo, not to Brandon. He did not have the desire to create blueprints or design houses and office buildings. The whole procedure bored him.

Brandon wanted to unleash his mental capacity. Characters and plots circled inside his mind. With Rose's encouragement, he knew he could develop a story and, perhaps, interest an agent or publishing house. Since he went away to college, he leaned more on Rose than his mother. He felt himself moving further away from his family's plans for him and toward freedom of thought and action.

Determined, Brandon strode from the beach into the Grover residence. He had to call his mother to tell her his location. His cell phone stared up at him from the pink coverlet. He reached toward it and hesitated. Tongue-tied, he did not know what to say. Instead, he turned toward Rose's and Rachel's voices in the hallway.

"Let's take Brand up to Barnegat Light, Roe," Rachel suggested, grinning. "It's Saturday, so we can stop at The Arlington on the way."

Both girls rushed into Rose's bedroom and surrounded Brandon. Quickly encircling him, they hurried him toward the stairway. Grabbing his phone, he succumbed to the adventure. Thoughts of speaking to his mother evaporated swiftly.

Rose took over the second-hand Ford driver's seat with Brand in the passenger seat. Rachel sat in the middle of the back bench and perched between the two front bucket seats. Eagerly, she pointed out the towns as they passed.

"We're gonna stop at Bay Village on the way back, aren't we, Roe?" Rachel asked, hitching herself still further between the front seats. "We're passing it now, Brand. We're in Beach Haven."

"Sure," Rose quickly agreed. "We'll get some Chowda at the Country Kettle."

"And some fudge," her sister added, "and a Belgian Waffle."

Brandon grinned and settled further into his seat. The passing scenery depicted a beach resort in winter. Snow falling lightly from the overcast sky did not deter their happy journey. He longed to return in the summertime and join in the local activities.

Rose and Rachel felt like family to him. He briefly thought about his mother and pushed her aside. Determined to have a good time, he did not want to think of her anger at his change of plans. Brandon wanted to live for the moment, to enjoy life for the first time.

"Wake up, dreamy," his girlfriend chortled, pulling off the Boulevard. She slid the car easily into a parking spot outside The Arlington. "Time for lunch."

"Let's get the steamed mussels and the Bavarian pretzel," Rachel decided, squeezing out of the backseat before Brandon left the front. "Then I want..."

"Hold your horses, Rach. We're not inside yet." Rose hooked her elbow through Brandon's and led the way onto the restaurant's front porch. "Children," she called over her shoulder as Rachel trotted to join them.

"Who are you calling 'children?'" her sister remarked, passing the couple. Swinging the door open, she strode toward the check-in desk boldly. "Three, please," she told the hostess.

"If you'll stand aside momentarily," the pretty blonde employee stated briskly, "there are other guests ahead of you."

Unabashed, Rachel stepped aside while two other couples approached the hostess. Rose smiled at her sister snidely and winked at Brandon. He remained too happy to notice the little sister's gaff. Nevertheless, it wasn't long before they sat at a table amid the lofty dining room.

When the server approached, Rachel ordered her steamed mussels and pretzel quickly. Rose stared at Brandon and rolled her eyes into her head. Her sister never stood on ceremony. She floated blithely from one situation to the next. Turning to the server, she ordered two beers and a ginger ale for the minor.

The appetizers arrived at the same time Brandon's phone jingled. He glanced at the screen momentarily, then reached for a small plate. Rachel heaped the mussels on it, and he sat back to enjoy his lunch.

"Wasn't that your mom's ringtone?" Rose questioned, dipping a pretzel portion in yellow mustard.

"Nah, no, it's a spam call," he answered hesitatingly.

"Have you called her yet?" his companion demanded crisply.

"Yeah, I talked to her this morning," Brandon lied, turning his attention toward Rachel. "I'll talk to Simon about surfing here next summer. He might plan to attend the competition if he knows someone in the area. I'm sure he would enjoy meeting a fellow kahuna."

Rachel wiggled gleefully in her seat. She idolized Simon Tremaine and dreamed of teaming up with him someday. His sudden marriage dashed her teenage dreams of developing a real relationship.

"I'm nowhere near as good as a surfer as Simon," the younger sister mused. Quickly dropping the subject, she continued, "I'm gonna get the crabcakes. What are you having, Roe?"

"I think we've had enough for lunch, Rach," Rose countered swiftly. "We want to get to the lighthouse and back to Bay Village. I love the Arlington but don't want to linger here all day."

"Oh, all right, I guess," Rachel conceded. "You're paying the check, right? I left my purse at home, otherwise..."

For the second time, Rose rolled her eyes at Brandon. She called for the check, paid it, and then stood up.

"To the lighthouse!" she cried, quoting the Virginia Woolf title. Brandon grinned, immediately recognizing her meaning. On the other hand, Rachel completely missed the significance.

The second-hand Ford sped along the nearly deserted Boulevard. When they left Ship Bottom, Rachel began singing the Jan and Dean classic, Surf City. She drummed the tune on the back of Rose's seat.

"Rach...Rachel!" Rose hollered, slamming on the brakes. "Enough, all right, Rach?"

"Killjoy," her little sister muttered, plopping against the back bench.

"You don't have to sing it every time we pass through Surf City, you got that?"

Suddenly, Brandon began laughing heartily. Tears streamed from his eyes as he attempted to control himself. He had never felt such happiness in his entire life. The Grover family accepted him, and he enjoyed becoming a part of their life. The rocky relationship between Rose and Rachel intrigued him. Although he and Simon grew up side-by-side, they never forged a solid brotherly tie. He couldn't say he particularly loved his sibling—not in the same way he fell immediately in love with the Grover sisters.

"Very funny, Brand," Rose threw at him. "Very funny."

"It's not that," Brandon responded, gripping himself around the waist. Slowly, he choked back his mirth. "It's just...well...I can't explain it. I..."

A horn blew loudly behind them, and Rose shifted her concentration back onto the road. They left Surf City behind and continued toward the northern tip of Long Beach Island. In the distance, the white and red lighthouse appeared. Brandon hitched himself forward and stared at it in fascination. The tall, slim lighthouse suddenly became the focal point of his imagination.