Page 112 of Silver Player

“You just do,” she says, her voice rising in frustration and more panic. “If I could go back, I would. I can’t. You can.” It takes a minute for her words to sink in, the weight of her mother’s loss hitting me.

“Sadie.” The name is a plea and apology and frustration rolled into one.

“I thought it would work,” she whispers. Her eyes close, and I stare at her.

Confused by her words, I ask, “What would work?”

“If I picked Billy, I thought we’d be together. All three of us could live together.”

I stare at my niece, eyes unblinking as I try to process what she’s said.

“You…you planned this?” I’m not accusing her but questioning. “Sadie, it doesn’t work this way.”

“I know. I just thought if I made the decision and picked Billy, you would follow. He’ll let you live with us.”

Oh my God. “Sadie.” I state her name with exasperation and a chuckle without humor. “That’s not how these things happen.”

“But they could,” she retorts.

“But they don’t.” We stare at one another, a standoff of wills.

A sharp rap on the backdoor startles us both, and I jump. Sadie walks around me and answers it, and I take a deep breath as I prepare to see Billy. Only, the breath I took catches, and I choke when I see him in dress pants and a nice shirt wearing a long camel-colored jacket and a scarf. He looks formal and serious and delicious.

“Hey,” he says, stepping inside and ducking his head.

“Merry Christmas, Billy,” I offer with a weak smile as I still struggle with what Sadie has done.

“Merry Christmas.” His response comes with the surprise I’ve spoken to him. Then his eyes roam down my body, and heat crawls upward from his gaze. “Are you ready?”

“I’m…” I look back and forth between him and Sadie. “I’m not going.”

His brows rise as he glances at Sadie. A quick eye-conversation ensues between them, and I feel like an intruder in my own home.

“I just need my bag,” Sadie says and turns for the hall. Billy and I stand in awkward silence for a second before he clears his throat.

“I really hoped you’d come to my family’s house for the holiday. I don’t like you being alone.” The corner of my mouth crooks a little in hopes to reassure him.

“I don’t plan to be alone today. I have plans,” I lie. My destination isn’t conventional.

“Oh.” His brows rise as he waits for more explanation, but I don’t offer details.

“Can we talk for a second?”

“Sure.” I pull out the kitchen chair, but Billy steps up to me.

“Maybe in your living room.”

My brows pinch, but I turn and lead him down the short hall. Our tree is decorated with homemade ornaments, as getting a tree was a last-minute project. I stop near the evergreen, and Billy stalks up to me, standing so close I can smell him. Cloves and spice and a touch of bayberry today. He smells like a Christmas gift I’ll never have.

“I’m really sorry about how things happened,” he begins, but I hold up a hand.

“Sadie told me what she did.”

His eyes widen, and then he scratches at his neck before resting a hand on his chin. “She told you her plan?”

My head tips, and for some reason, I’m skeptical whether the plan was solely Sadie’s idea. “Did you put her up to this?”

Billy smiles, the grin a bit mischievous. “Nope. She came up with it all on her own.” He shakes his head. “But I told her it wouldn’t work.”