Page 278 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

“Good. I hate it when you get headaches,” he says.

“Really?” That makes me laugh for some reason.

“Why are you laughing?”

I shrug. “That’s sort of a random thing to hate.”

“No, it’s not,” he says, insistent. “I don’t like it when you don’t feel good, Owen. I want to fix it for you. I wish I could take them all away. Stomp on them and crush them out of existence.”

My heart hammers again.

Yup. Ineedto get back in the dating game for sure. Turn my attention away from River. Get all the way over him because every little thing makes my dumb heart jitter.

I pat the couch. “Naps cure pretty much anything, so I’m all good.”

“Naps should come with a label. Like the opposite of a warning. Instead, they should say...naps arealways a good idea. Anyway, we’re here now and you feel better. I say we make the best of tonight. Want to pop open some champagne and play a board game? That’s what they do in cabins, right?”

They do other things in cabins. Lots of other things.

But at least we’re not arguing. We’re having fun again, like we vowed to do back in college. Stick together. No matter what. “Yes. But does that mean we’re sneaking champagne from thehostess giftfor Declan’s mom?”

River brings his finger to his lips. “Shh. I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

I wink at him. “Your secret is safe with me.”

He pops up, heads to the kitchen, and grabs the bubbly. “By the way, I texted Grant and Declan. Told them we needed to spend the night here. They were totally fine with it. Did you tell Nisha?”

“I texted with TJ, so she knows, but I’ll give her a quick call,” I say, then grab my phone from the floor, and hit her name.

One ring, and she picks up.

“You had me so worried,” she says, and I can practically see her in her home, shaking a finger, all statuesque and goddess-like.

“Sorry, Mom,” I tease.

“If it weren’t for TJ, I would have gone to Markleeville and tracked you down myself,” she says, sighing like she’s still annoyed, though I know she’s not.

“Yes, you are definitely a mom.”

“Not yet.”

“Wait. Are you and Hailey trying to?”

“Don’t change the subject, Owen Hayes. You had me so worried that for two hours I was pacing and convinced you were dead.”

“Well, there was snow, and I took a nap.”

“You and your nap fetish,” she says. “Anyway, if the snow doesn’t melt by tomorrow, I’m sending a helicopter for you. I really want you here.”

“You are a determined goddess. But question—can helicopters fly in this weather?”

“My imaginary one can. You’re in that little car, right?”

“Yes, River has a Honda.”

“My cousin has a new van for work. It’s all weather, or all-terrain, or jet-fueled, or something. Anyway, I can send him to pick you up tomorrow if the snow is still shitty. He loves helping. It’s his thing. Send me your address.”

“I’ll text it when I hang up. See you tomorrow.”

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