Page 66 of Silver Lining Love

“Auntie Whitney, can I sit with Lilah for the movie?” Alice asked.

“Oh, um…” I was still getting used to navigating when children invited themselves to things.

“Absolutely!” Destiny exclaimed before looking up at me. “If that’s okay.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.”

“Do you want to come sit with us, too?” JJ asked Mikey.

Mikey’s only response was a head nod. He’d only managed to say one word to JJ since he’d met him.

“We’re just over there, by the benches.” Destiny pointed across the park.

“Oh, here, take some of this. Dolly packed a bunch of goodies.” I grabbed the tote bag and pulled out the popcorn and sweets she’d included.

As I watched them walk away, I felt tears prick my eyes. Alice and Lilah were holding hands as their arms swung. JJ was talking to Mikey, who was just staring in awe. They looked…happy. Content.

I sniffed as I felt Wyatt’s arms wrap around my waist. “Hey, are you okay?”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak because I was scared that I would blurt out that I didn’t want to go home in two days. I wanted to stay in Wishing Well. Forever.

Concern shimmered in his milk-chocolate stare as he said my name, “Whitney?—”

Whatever he was going to say was cut off when someone said his name, well his last name, at the same time.

“Briggs?”

Wyatt and I both turned, and I saw a man who stood a good inch taller than Wyatt, who was an impressive six-four. He had an athletic build, a strong jawline, and was wearing a police uniform that he filled out in all the right places.

Between the Briggs brothers and the rest of the men I’d seen since I’d been here, I was wondering if there was something in the water that made all the male species here like Men’s Health cover models.

Wyatt’s arms dropped from around me, and he held out his hand to the cop. “Kane, man, good to see you. How you been?”

Kane looked my direction and I smiled as I started to introduce myself, “Hi, I’m?—”

“Sorry, this is Whitney,” Wyatt took over, snaking his arm around my back and pulling me close to him. It was a very clear signal that we were together. Which, even though it was unspoken, I felt like we were. “Whitney, this is Kane Kingston.”

“Oh, Kane, right.” I nodded. Wyatt had talked about Kane and another guy…Remi, I think. I’d asked him about his friends after Alice had brought the subject up at dinner one night. He said the three of them had been like the three musketeers growing up. They’d met playing sports and even though they were nothing alike, bonded instantly. Wyatt was the introverted bookworm of the group, Kane was the wild daredevil, and Remi was the charming ladies’ man. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I would say don’t believe it, but it’s probably true.” He grinned. “Nice to meet you, Whitney.”

I noticed a look pass between Kane and Wyatt. I wasn’t sure what it said, but it was clearly a silent communication that I was fairly certain had something to do with my presence and Wyatt’s arm around me.

Before I could decipher the unspoken code, Wyatt said, “My mom told me about your grandad, I’m so sorry. How’s he doin’?”

“He’s better. He is getting released from the hospital next week and he’s going to stay over at the senior home.”

“Well, give him my best.”

“I will.”

“How’s Harper? She must be getting big.”

Kane’s entire demeanor transformed. “She is. She’s going to be five this summer. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by.”

“Oh, Alice is going to be five in a month,” Wyatt said.

I nodded. “She is.”

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