Page 21 of Making New Plans

“Crap, crap, crap on a cracker cackling at clackers,” I muttered under my breath.

“Are you practicing tongue twisters?” Amusement colored Hunter’s voice.

I glared up at him from our close quarters, trying to ignore his heat and spicy scent. “No, I’m avoiding my parents and the man they’re talking to.”

He glanced over my shoulder. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Snooty, I presume? And the slick-haired guy?”

I nodded, preferring not to tell him who the guy was.

“Well, apparently you have all-around bad luck hiding in bushes because they saw you.”

My eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

“Nope. They’re coming this way.”

Every curse word I knew burned through my mind as I adjusted my jacket and my smile and stepped out to meet them.

“Hi, Mom, Dad. Glad you could make it.”

My mom gave the delicate laugh she used around non-family members. “Where else would the mayor and his wife be, Chloe?”

She flicked invisible lint off her plum Vera Wang coat. Always dressed in a way that would make the queen of England proud down to the short haircut, sparkling brooches, and small, feathered hats, my mom was the perfect politician’s wife. Veiled double talk and all.

Then she glanced at Hunter behind me and bared her teeth in a smile. “Introduce us, Chloe.”

To most people, she probably sounded downright jovial, but I heard the censure.

“Of course. Mom, Dad, this is Hunter Erickson. Hunter, this is Mayor and Mrs. Higgins, my parents.”

Hunter shook hands with my parents. My dad, ever the mayor in his pristine suit and tie, asked Hunter how he was enjoying the town and the lodge. While Hunter gave a noncommittal and, no doubt, barely truthful answer, I focused on the man behind my parents.

He hovered like he knew he hadn’t been dismissed yet but was unwilling to engage. He wore the sweater I’d gotten him a couple Christmases ago. Gray to match his eyes. I’d still had the gift receipt a few weeks later when he’d told me he didn’t want to “keep up the charade anymore” and he saw no future with me where he’d be happy. I should’ve returned that sweater and bought myself several pounds of chocolate instead. Would’ve been better than the Mrs. Claus apron he’d bought me. I hardly ever cook.

“Chloe, you remember Davis?” My mother’s voice was like a layer of frosting over a poisonous cake. “Hunter, this is Davis Chadwick, another resident of our lovely town and the principal of Tangled River Academy.”

Davis’s eyes darted between me and Hunter as he shook Hunter’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Hunter. Chloe…good to see you.”

“Davis,” I said through clenched teeth.

Mom glared at me while Dad looked over our heads, something he did when drama flared.

“Davis was just telling us he’s engaged.” Mom dropped her bombshell as if discussing the weather. “Isn’t that wonderful? To one of your high school classmates, I believe. Kelly Prescott? She’s a lucky girl.” She aimed one of her best politician smiles at Davis’s red face.

Never in my life had I wanted the ground to swallow me whole as much as I did now. Except maybe that one time. I couldn’t even imagine what Hunter thought. Daring a peek at his face, I saw that it was more aloof than ever. Great.

“Um, congratulations,” I mumbled. “If you’ll excuse me, I think Sarah needs help with her booth.”

“Fine, Chloe.” Mom pursed her perfectly lipstick-ed lips together. “Remember, dinner tomorrow at six sharp.”

No kidding, Mom, really? At this point, that would be engraved on my tombstone: Here lies Chloe Higgins, always present for six o’clock Sunday dinner.

I bit back the sarcastic retort and nodded tightly instead.

She stopped me before I could step around her and said in a lower voice, “I expect you to be more diligent in the next Event Planning meeting. Maybe if you had, you wouldn’t be running around trying to fix things during the event.”

I kept my eyes forward and nodded again. I could almost hear what she didn’t say and what she’d said to me before on numerous occasions: “Don’t embarrass us. You reflect on us, and we represent the town. If you let us down, you let your family and the entire town down.”

As if in a trance, I stumbled in the direction of Sarah’s cart. She probably didn’t need my help, but I had to make it look convincing. A warm hand clasped my elbow, and I almost yelped.

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