Page 56 of Sawyer

Aunt Priscilla squeezes his hand, then turns to me.

“We got my blood work back this afternoon,” she says. “And everything’s looking great. Only one more round of chemo, and then I’ll move into a maintenance phase.”

“Aunt P.!” I cry. “That’s amazing!”

She swipes away tears, beaming at me.

My uncle blinks his eyes hard, then clears his throat, adding, “Looks like she’ll be done in December, just in time for Christmas.”

“The best Christmas present ever!” I say, jumping up to give them both a big hug from behind. I kiss them both on the tops of their heads. “I’m so happy for you! Do the girls know?”

My aunt nods. “We told them tonight…and you know how Jenny’s been so tough the last two or three months?”

I nod.

“She melted like a candle in the sun. Just burst into tears,” says Aunt P. “Couldn’t stop crying for a good twenty minutes. Poor kid, she had so much anger and fear pent up inside.”

“She did,” I agree, sitting back in my seat and taking a bracing gulp of coffee. “I’m so relieved. For you guys. For the girls. For me. This is the best news ever.”

“It sure is,” says Uncle Alan, kissing his wife’s hand before turning back to me. “You know, we’ve felt just terrible about derailing your future, honey. We want you to let Clark and your father know that you’ll be back in Juneau right after the holidays. No need for Alexander to make any more threats. We’d love for you to stay for Christmas, but then you can fly back down to Juneau and get on with your life and—and your wedding plans. We’re so grateful for your help, Ivy. We couldn’t have gotten through this without you. But we’re also relieved that you can get on with your life now.”

“Oh,” I murmur, my uncle’s words hitting me like a ton of bricks and just as unwelcome. “Oh. Right.”

Aunt P. tilts her head to the side. “Ivy?”

“Yeah?” I look up at her, forcing a smile that feels deranged. “Yeah. My…life. That’s—that’s…great.”

(It’s not great. Nothing about it is great.)

“Are you okay, honey?” asks my uncle.

(I’m not. I’m definitely not.)

“Just tired,” I say. “Long rehearsal.” I lean forward, covering their joined hands with mine. “But I’m so happy for you. So happy.” I pull my hand away, stand up and put my cup in the sink. “Good night.”

They look at me, bewildered expressions on their faces.

“’Night, honey.”

“Good night, Ivy.”

I walk quickly back to my room, getting there just in time for my deluge of tears to fall.

Chapter 7

Sawyer

When Bruce asked me and Quinn to come over on Saturday morning and help set up for the party, we were more than happy to lend a hand. Tanner and I had already promised to help McKenna and Reeve with decorations, which meant I’d be at the Parsnip anyway. And heck, I love a party. But I especially love a party that Ivy Caswell will be attending becauseI love Ivy Caswell.

I think I’ve been in love with her since I was a little kid, and my feelings for her only deepened during the summer we spent together. And yes, I felt the heartbreak of loss after that summer, but if the kisses we’ve been sharing on stage this week are any indication, the feelings we shared are still very much alive. I just have to figure out a way for those kisses to happen outside of the theater in real life.

And what better opportunity to tip the scales than at a party? Good music, strong drinks, tasty food, and a slow dance sounds like the perfect recipe for Ivy to find herself by my side, in my arms, and hopefully, one day soon, back in my bed where she belongs.

“Dear boys!” says Bruce. “We need a dance floor. Use those muscles to move these tables!” He turns his attention to McKenna, who’s arranging centerpieces at the bar. “Oh, my stars! These are just gorgeous…”

“You get that side, and I’ll get this one,” says Quinn, picking up the lip of a large six-person table.

We move it to the side, then bring the chairs over and push them in.

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