Page 66 of Fall Love

She squints at the object. “He carved a bear taking a . . .”

I glance back to see that Landon added an extra touch to his bear. A heart in one paw and a tiny penis held in the other, like he’s peeing in the woods.

Yep, juvenile.

“I’m gonna go get something to drink.” Isolde isn’t a big drinker, and it’s early in the morning, but there are tents serving java-jack, a coffee special.

After Landon’s round at the wood carving, Tate makes his way toward me. He’s almost to me when he’s intercepted by a couple. His gaze leaps almost immediately to me as he stops and wraps his arms around the man, clapping his back with a stunned expression on his face. As for the woman, Tate hesitates a second before leaning in and kissing her cheek.

The move is innocent enough but the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise in suspicion. Something is off about the situation, and I stay planted where I am.

“What?” Lumi asks, glancing from Tate to me.

“I don’t know,” I whisper, feeling like I’m witnessing something that I shouldn’t.

Within seconds, Tate is leading the man by the elbow toward me. The woman follows behind. The man beside Tate is tall and built like him, with hair the same color, only cut shorter. His face is clean of any scruff. The woman is willowy and thin, blonde and put together, and something about looking at her makes me pull my flannel shirt tighter over my middle. Then I realize what I’ve done, and I brush the two sides of my shirt open again.

“Neve.” Tate’s voice is tight, almost clipped when he addresses me. “This is my brother, Jake.”

“Neve?” Jake’s head immediately turns toward his brother before he slowly glances back at me, taking his time to gaze down at my belly.

“Did you leave something out?” Jake arches his brow at his younger brother.

I instantly wrap my arms around my belly to protect what can’t be seen.

“I told you she was pregnant,” Tate says out of the side of his mouth, keeping his eyes on me.

“She looks due any day,” Jake says.

“She’s standing right here, listening to both of you,” I state loudly. “And I have another two weeks.”

Lumi links her arm with mine in solidarity. I don’t need their judgment.

Jake shakes his head, like he’s dusting off wood shavings, and reaches for my upper arms, leaning in to kiss my cheek, like Tate did to the woman with them.

Startled by the quickness of the move, I remain motionless, Lumi’s arm still linked in mine.

“So nice to finally meet you. Tate has told me so much about you.” Jake’s voice is friendlier as he pulls away from me.

“Apparently, not enough, though.” I glare at Tate, who is standing to the side of Jake. “And Tate didn’t mention to me that you’d be coming here today.”

“Surprise,” the woman on the other side of Jake says. “We thought we’d stop by for the festival.”

“Just popping in from New York?” Tate questions.

Do they have a private plane?

The woman giggles. “We were looking at wedding venues in the area.”

Tate turns toward her. “You hate Maine.”

“I don’t hate it.” She smiles tightly and looks away from him, eyes sheepish.

She hates it.

“You two are getting married,” I surmise, still not having been introduced to the woman. “Congratulations.”

Jake chuckles, slipping his arm around the woman. “This is my bride-to-be, Lisa.” With her hand on his chest, she leans into him, smiling up at him. They look in love. Not that I recognize the expression on their faces for myself personally, but I’ve seen Lumi gaze at Saint the way Lisa is looking at Jake.