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“Where do y’all live in Florida?” Bree smooths her shiny golden hair over her shoulder, white teeth glinting in the overhead light.
“Seaglass Beach.” Juliet’s voice rings out over the hum of noise in the room.
Ryder moves to Bree’s side, winding his arm around her waist.
“Isn’t that where Lacey went on vacation this summer?” Bree lifts her chin at Ryder, and I freeze, the ambient noise fading away as blood whooshes loudly through my ears.
Lacey.
My entire body tenses as I lock eyes with Juliet. She stares back at me, unblinking, as we wait for Ryder’s response. My mind kicks into overdrive as I try to figure out what to say, how to keep them talking about Lacey.
“Yeah, I think so. She stayed at a historic inn. She and Opal had a really good time. Said they were right on the ocean.”
I suck in a breath, and I’m grateful for the loud music drowning out the hammering in my chest.
Lacey stayed at the Seaglass Inn? Was she looking for our mom that whole time? She had to see Poppy and probably Parker too.
“Wow, small world.” Juliet takes a sip of her drink and tries to act normal, make polite conversation. “Is Lacey your sister?”
Ryder shakes his head. “No. Cousin on my dad’s side. He has a bunch of brothers, all born and raised here. She belongs to Uncle Paul and Aunt Missy. They both passed now, though. She was their only child.”
“Well, good thing she has lots of cousins, right?” Juliet says, and a wave of nausea washes over me.
Lacey has more than cousins. She has three half brothers and a half sister.
I get why she’d reach out, now that her adoptive parents are gone. It’s too bad that our mom’s gone too.
“Half this town is McCauliffes,” Bree says, laughing. “At least every other person you meet is related somehow.”
“That’s why I had to import a wife.” Ryder kisses Bree on the lips, and she blushes, patting his chest.
“You’re so ridiculous. There are plenty of women in town who were ready and willing to date you when I showed up. Who aren’t your cousins.”
“None of them were you, though.” Ryder gazes down at Bree, and I shove my hand in my pocket, look away. I feel like I’m intruding on their private conversation.
“Yo, Ryder. It’s your turn,” Quinn shouts from across the table, leaning on his pool cue. “Winner takes all.”
“Y’all want another round?” I hold my empty bottle up.
“Sure. That’d be great,” Delaney says. “But drinks are on us. You’re visitors. What kind of hospitality would that be? Tell the bartender to put it on the McCauliffe tab.”
“No, I got it.” No way can I accept drinks from strangers.
“We insist. You need help? I can come with.” Delaney moves toward us, but I shake my head.
“I can get it. No problem.” I set my empty bottle on the nearby table, and Juliet follows close behind.
“I’ll come with you,” Juliet volunteers, threading her fingers through mine. We head out of the pool room, sliding through the crowd back toward the bar. The main room’s packed now, and a DJ’s setting up the microphone and projection screen for karaoke.
Juliet moves in close to me, her mouth at my ear. “So you found her cousins. That’s good, right?”
I roll my shoulders, trying to shake the tension between the blades. Seems like it’s been sitting there, constant, for the last few months. Since I got the blasted letter in the mail.
“I guess.”
There’s a line at the bar now, and Juliet and I take our place behind a group of middle-aged women. Probably enjoying a moms’ night out, from the looks of it.
“You okay?” Juliet tips her head, eyeing me up and down, reading me.
