Page 10 of Someone to Tempt
“More than somewhat in this case. A deer ran across the road, and the driver swerved to avoid it. Ended up losing control and rolling the car several times before smacking into the cattle fence bordering the highway.”
“I vaguely remember hearing about that.” Avah frowns. “But no one had details.”
“Because Jake’s familyhandledthe situation.” I use aggressive air quotes around the word handled.
“You said the driver lost control.” Molly leans forward. “Who was driving—Jake or your brother?”
A familiar wave of anger washes over me, hot and ugly like it was right after the incident. You’d think time would diminish my emotions. It heals all wounds, right? But not all wrongs.
“The official line was that Nick was behind the wheel.” I blow out a long breath. “We found out later Jake had been driving, but his dad convinced my brother to take the fall.”
A chorus of disbelieving gasps greets my revelation.
“He can’t do that,” Avah insists.
“Oh, he did it.” I shake my head. “I confronted Nick, but he claimed he couldn’t remember who was driving, so it might have been him.”
“Did you talk to Jake?” Sadie asks. “Were the two of you close like him and Nick?”
“Not like that,” I say carefully, keeping my gaze away from Sloane’s.
She knows the truth about my feelings for Jake Byrne, and I can’t bear to see that truth reflected in her blue eyes. “But I did demand the truth. He refused to confirm or deny anything. Totally shut me out, and by then it didn’t matter.”
“Why?” Taylor whispers.
I release my grasp on the table when my fingers start to ache. “Both of them were facing serious consequences, Nick especially. That’s when the Byrnes worked theirmagic.” More air quotes. “Jake’s grandfather handled the cops and the girls’ families. His dad stepped in and arranged for them to spend the rest of the summer—a month—at one of those wilderness camps for troubled teens. I hated the idea of Nick being sent away, but Jake’s dad made it seem like there was no other choice.”
Molly shakes her head. “What did your mom think?”
I force a smile like this part doesn’t bother me anymore, even though the ramifications are still turning up like a bad penny. “She was so distraught by the whole thing she felt the need to take comfort in the arms of Skylark’s very married mayor.”
“Pew, pew,” Avah whispers.
“It was devastating in more than one way,” Sloane tells the group.
“All the ways,” I agree. “I don’t care what Jake and Nick said or refused to say. My brother got a bum deal because we didn’t have the money to pay for our scandals to go away.”
“So not exactly a happy reunion for you and Jake,” Avah says.
That’s putting it mildly. “He still can’t drive for shit, but the rest of it is water under the bridge.”
Sadie refills her cup and offers the pitcher to me, but I shake my head. “How does your brother feel about Jake and the Byrne family?”
“He won’t talk about it.” I wrap my arms around my stomach like that can protect me from the memories that have haunted me since that night. “He had a rough time at camp. I don’t think he and Jake stayed in touch, not with how Nick spiraled after that summer. And I haven’t given Jake Byrne another thought until I just about lost my kneecaps to his truck’s bumper.”
Avah hums a sound of disbelief but doesn’t call me out on the lie. They all must know I’m telling one.
I drain the last few drops of my sangria, hoping the alcohol will warm the chill in my veins.
Taylor drapes an arm around my shoulder. “Okay, now that we’ve established that Jake Byrne is a total piece of shit, do you want to talk about this morning at the mayor’s office?”
Another laugh bubbles up inside me, this one more resigned than forced. “Long story short, my lovely assistant threw me under the bus with the Community Spirit Committee. But I have a plan for managing that, and it involves the bucket list.”
Sloane grins. “The bucket list can solve everything.”
Avah rolls her eyes. “You’re giving Kristen Quinn way too much credit.”
Avah is the most skeptical thatThe Year of Losing It—the book club selection that inspired Sloane to start this bucket list challenge—is anything more than a montage of superficial clichés and Pinterest-level wisdom. But she’s going along with the program for Sloane’s benefit. Just like the rest of us.
