Page 25 of Reeve

“Not really, weirdo.”

Joe leans over Harper, his voice purposely low so that no one else overhears. “Mum’s the word, but we know about you and Aaron. About the date.” He mimes locking his lips and throwing away the key, which he totally negates by adding a wide smile. “Did you have fun?”

“Sure,” I say. “We’re burying the hatchet.”

“Not in his back, I hope,” says Joe.

I offer my well-meaning brother-in-law a small smile and shake my head. “We work on the show together, you know? He asked if we could be friends. I said, sure. That’s all. No big deal.”

“Oh, good,” says Harper, looking relieved. “You’re just friends.”

“Obviously,” I say. “I’m not looking for anything serious. Not with him, anyway.”

Lies.I’ve been thinking about nothing but Aaron Adams since our amazing six-hour date last night.The truth?It might break my heart if I never get the chance to have something serious with him. But no good will come from my family getting involved. So as far as they’re concerned, Aaron and I are friends, and nothing more.

“Good thinking,” says Harper. “You’ve got your whole life in front of you. Take your time. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

“Harp,” says Joe. “Aaron’s a real good man. If Reeve was, at some point, looking for something serious, he’d be a great—”

“Shut up, Joe,” whispers Harper, shaking her head at him like he’s way out of line. “She’s way too young.”

“No, I’m not,” I protest. “I’m an adult, Harp.”

My older sister rolls her eyes at me. “You know what I mean.”

“What’re you two squabbling about?” demands Tanner from across the room.

Because Harper is a shit liar, I need to change the subject as quickly and smoothly as I can. I turn to Sawyer and Ivy with a huge smile. “I can’t believe the play is next Sunday! Are you guys excited or terrified?”

Sawyer’s tight lips warn me not to breathe a word about the ring, but he has nothing to fear. I’m a good secret keeper.

“So excited!” gushes Ivy.

“I’ve been at every rehearsal,” I say, “and these two are killing it. It’s going to be even better thanWuthering Heights! Who here has readRebecca? The original book?”

In a unanimous response that would make the first Emily Anne proud, it turns out that everyone in the room, except Wren, Madden, and Emily Anne, has read the book. Everyone starts talking about the two Mrs. de Winters, and for now, at least, the subject of Reeve and Aaron is off the hot plate.

I briefly consider finding a way to tell them all about college—that I’m leaving for Anchorage in less than three weeks—but I can’t bring myself to ruin Parker’s first family dinner party by upsetting everyone.

Surely, there’ll be a better time soon, I think, telling myself to enjoy the here and now before everything changes.

Chapter 5

Reeve (and Hunter)

For the last two years, Hunter and Isabella have come up to Skagway the day after Christmas and stayed until New Year’s Day, but this year, they’ve decided to come the weekend before Christmas, and stay for three days only. This New Year’s Eve is Isabella’s mother’s sixtieth birthday, and they can’t miss the huge party her father has planned in Seattle.

I volunteer to open up Hunter and Isabella’s cabin the day before they arrive—turn on the heat, get the water running, stock the kitchen shelves and fridge, and make the bed in the master bedroom—and my dad says he’ll swing by after lunch with a Christmas tree that we can decorate for them.

The cabin’s warm, stocked, dusted, and vacuumed by the time my dad shows up. He’s got the tree, plus the tree stand and two boxes of decorations from the basement of the lodge. I put on the kettle to make hot cocoa for us, while he tests the lights to make sure a year in the basement didn’t damage the strings.

When I step into the living room with the cocoa, the tree’s standing tall, and my dad’s sitting on the couch. He pats the seat next to him.

“Come sit by me and tell me how you’re doing.”

I hand him a hot mug, and he puts an arm around my shoulders.

“Pretty good, I guess.”

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