Page 112 of Wish You Were Mine

He frowned. “You used your chains, I hope?”

Frannie rolled her eyes. “Of course she did, Dad. Summer knows what she’s doing.”

I shot her a grateful look. He hadn’t meant anything by it, but it could be frustrating when men felt the need to give women advice about things we’d known since we were ten. We had grown up here, after all.

“So…” Brenda cradled a full glass of wine. “How long has this been going on for?”

“This?” Asher asked.

“You know.” She gestured between us. “You two.”

Asher sipped his water. “A couple of weeks.”

Frannie placed her palms on the table and leaned toward us. “You’ve had feelings for each other for longer though, right?”

The way she was looking at me made me think she knew about my years-long crush.

Damn it.

I squirmed in my seat. “Maybe for a little while, but nothing ever happened.”

“We’ve been interested in each other for years but pursuing anything seemed too complicated.” Asher rested his hand on my leg beneath the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I was glad he hadn’t outed my teenage infatuation with him. Not that I’d expected him to, but the fear was always there.

Brenda beamed. “Well, I think it’s wonderful you’ve decided to go for it anyway.”

“Thank you.” I could have kissed her. I’d always worried about how our families might react if we did get together—although, admittedly, more mine than his. It was definitely nice to get his mother’s explicit approval though.

A server came by to take our orders, and the food arrived soon after. We decided not to order dessert because Marcy was getting fussy and Frannie and Dean wanted to get her home.

“This has been lovely,” I said as we stood to leave. Garth had paid the bill, claiming it was a family celebration. Another thing that warmed me inside.

I was cause for celebration.

“It has,” Brenda agreed, her smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. “Let’s do it again sometime.”

“Soon,” Frannie added, passing Marcy to Dean, who hefted her onto his hip.

We wandered down the corridor, pausing in the foyer to each don our jackets. It was chilly outside and no one wanted to be exposed to the air for longer than necessary. Frannie pulled a tiny, knitted hat from her pocket and fitted it over Marcy’s head. The baby cooed at her.

I waved to Tabitha and promised to pass along her good wishes to Kennedy, whose pregnancy she’d heard about earlier this week. Kennedy and Tabitha were old friends of a sort. I didn’t really understand their relationship, but then, I didn’t need to.

We clustered together at the base of the steps, beside the drive that led out of the parking lot and down the mountain. Asher and Garth were deep in conversation, and I scanned the parking lot. It was packed. The resort must be at full capacity. Something moved in the shadows, and I frowned. Was that…?

“I think there’s a person over there,” I said, gesturing toward one of the parked cars, where I’d seen movement. I peered into the darkness. Nothing so much as twitched, but I had the distinct feeling that whoever was there was watching me.

“I don’t see anything,” Brenda said, adjusting her glasses.

There it was. The slightest hint of movement. As subtle as an indrawn breath.

“Hello?” I called.

Asher and Garth’s conversation halted, and they both stared at me. Meanwhile, I didn’t take my eyes off the shadow that had broken away from a vehicle and was moving rapidly.

I raised my voice. “Who’s there?”

“It’s probably nothing,” Asher murmured. “Just one of the guests.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. After the cat, the rock, and the fire, he was still going to assume the best? When I turned back to the figure, they were gone. A car door slammed and then a pair of headlights illuminated the driveway.

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