Page 140 of Love is a Game

I narrow my eyes. “Never heard of this ‘tradition.’”

Violet’s smile tightens. “Sure—well, it’s anewtradition. And this month…Penelope is hosting!”

I let that sink in. “Pen’s hosting a social event?”

“Absolutely!” Violet confirms. “And—” She checks her watch. “We’re all running extremely late, so why don’t we get going?Tuck?”

I rub my jaw. “Let me get this straight. There’s a community event. That Pen’s hosting. Out of town. Today. Ateleven?”

“That’s right!” Violet nods enthusiastically.

The others follow suit, like some kind of synchronized support team.

I glance around at the well-dressed crowd. “And everyone’s…dressed up for it?” I look down at my casual flight attire. “I’ve got luggage in the car—should I change?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Violet claps her hands.

A visible wave of relief washes over the group, like they can’t believe I’m finally onboard. Seriously, why didn’t they justleadwith this?

Sean and Laurie leave a trail of melting ice as they take off in one direction, while I head back toward my rental with Violet, Finn, and Molly.

“I’ll follow you, then?” I ask, popping the trunk and unzipping my bag.

Violet considers. “You know…it’s a bit off-road.” She tilts her head. “Not sure your rental insurance covers unsealed surfaces. Why don’t you just ride with us?”

Before I can argue, she’s peering over my shoulder.

“Oh, the cream shirt. Perfect. Are those linen pants?”

I blink. “Uh…yeah?”

“Great. Take those. Go stand over there.” She points to the far side of my vehicle. “Get changed while I pull the car around.” She checks her watch again.

Minutes later, I’m buckled into the passenger seat as Violet swings onto the highway. Finn’s conducting some coded conversation on his phone while Molly hands around a bag of Cheezels and fusses with her hair.

But my confusion has only partially lifted. I thought I was meeting with Penalone. To work out our future. Is this her way of deflecting and distractingyet again? Or some inspired effort to convince me of the beauty and livability of Blue Mountain Lake?

The thing is, I don’t need convincing. This place was always home. It was Pen who wanted out, who fought tooth and nail to escape small-town life.

And now, she’s hosting some kind of community event?

I pull out my phone, scrolling back to that dropped pin she sent me. The one that seemed haphazardly placed in the middle of the lake. I zoom in, tracing the map back to solid land—until a name catches my eye.

“So, Pen chose the location?” I ask Violet.

“That’s right,” she replies smoothly.

“And where, exactly, is this…event?”

Violet flicks me a look. “Eagle’s Cliff. Or thereabouts.”

Then, she signals as the exit appears ahead.

“Why, does it mean something to you?” she adds lightly.

I slowly nod, my chest constricting.

Mean something? It’s the place I reminded Pen about, the ledge where we stood side by side, hand in hand, hearts pounding before we took that leap. A moment crystallized in my mind forever.

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