Page 82 of Enemies in Paradise

“Dude,” I protest, but Seb turns to Georgia.

“Bear wants the park and pond named after Aunt Heidi,” Seb tells her. “That’s the whole point of what he’s doing. It’s not just about hockey. It’s about his mom.”

With that, Georgia’s anger slips away. “Is that true, Bear?”

“It’s about hockey too.” I glare at Seb. “And I told you that in confidence.”

He and I have always been close, but I’ve seen little of him for the past few months since he got engaged. While I appreciate he’s trying to help, I’ve needed a friend the past couple of months with Mom getting worse, and he’s been too busy.

“I’m sorry, man,” he whispers, and I know he means it.

“It’s fine.” I look from him to Georgia. “Yeah, I want the pond and park named after her. Heidi’s Park, or something.”

She walks to me with her lips pursed in thought. “Have you told Grandpa? I’d think he’d want the same thing.”

Seb answers for me. “Grandpa said parks are named after people who have already died and Heidi isn’t gone. It feels macabre to him to name it after her when everyone is working so hard to keep her alive.”

“Hmmm.” Georgia nods with her whole body. Not in agreement, but in thought. She won’t stop until she solves this problem. “What if we named the community center after her?”

Her words are slow and gentle, but that doesn’t make me like the idea.

I shake my head. “The pond is a part of Mom. She’ll never step foot in the community center.”

Georgia’s eyebrows crease for half a second, but she asks no more questions. And I’m grateful I don’t have to answer any. The only thing I can think of now is all the other things Mom will never do.

Somehow, Georgia understands where my thoughts have gone. Instinctively, she knows I need a hug. She wraps her armsaround me, and I bend uncomfortably low to rest my cheek on top of her head.

“You’ve got a hard decision to make, Baby Bear,” she whispers, using the name Mom called me until I was a teenager and told her to stop.

I wish I hadn’t.

“You either give up the pond…” she continues. “Or else you give up your feelings for Cassie.”

As good as Georgia’s hug feels, it’s not enough to cushion the truth of her words.

Chapter 27

Cassie

The next morning, Iwake up without an alarm. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my alarm-less mornings since I got to Paradise, but today is even better. In my groggy state, a few seconds pass before I remember I’m in Bear’s bed. I take a deep breath and smile before getting up. After a quick mirror check and touch up, I pad into the other room.

Sunlight pours in the windows, and I gasp at Bear’s view of Smuk Lake. It was too dark to see it last night, but now I’ve got a panorama of the entire lake. The sun shines brighter than it has since I’ve been here. Instead of the grayish-blue the lake has been, rays of yellow light skim the top of the blue water, turning it the same dark turquoise color as Bear’s eyes.

There’s a soft knock, and I turn at the same time Bear pokes his head in the door. I’m still wearing his jersey, and only his jersey.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know if you were awake.” His eyes drop to the floor, but I catch them bounce back up to my legs. “I have your laundry. Some of it anyway. There are still some loads washing and drying.”

“You can come in.” I dash behind the kitchen island, suddenly very self-conscious even though Bear’s seen me in less.

Bear opens the door wider, then walks in with a laundry basket stacked high with my folded clothes. “Your cat is in the garage. Georgia’s in Florence for the next two days and Zach’s allergic.”

“But you are too. Willy can’t stay here.” Forgetting the fact I’m pants-less, I rush to take the basket from him. I’ve already been a huge inconvenience, and now my cat will make things worse.

“I won’t need the garage while you’re here. We’ll air it out once you’re gone. I can do laundry at Mom and Dad’s. It’ll be fine.” Bear pulls the basket out of my reach, then carries it into his bedroom. When he comes back out, I’m behind the counter again. “I’ve got some breakfast at the house, if you’re hungry.”

I look between the bedroom where my laundry basket is and Bear. “You folded my laundry and made breakfast? You probably spent hours cleaning up the shop, too. When did you sleep?”

I’ve got a million more questions, all of which lead back to the ones I keep to myself. Is this Bear being my friend? Or trying to be more?

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