Page 134 of Big Dill

“Ouch,” she mutters.

“I… I have to help him. He was there for me when I needed someone to help me get back on my feet.”

Lauren’s lips curve into a sly grin. “Perfect, then.”

“Perfect?” I echo, a little wary.

She grabs my hands, tugging me to my feet. “Yes. This is your perfect opening. Now you can go back… and talk to Brody.”

A flicker of fear curls inside me, and I shake my head. “What if⁠—”

“Jami,” she interrupts, sensing the hesitation. “This is exactly it. Go back under the guise of helping Jaxon, even though technically you are helping him, but if Brody is distant… if he’s with her… it doesn’t look like you’re chasing something that was never yours. You’re showing up on your terms.”

I nod, a little breathless. “Right. That… that is the perfect plan.”

Lauren picks up my suitcase and bag, handing them back with a grin. “As happy as I am to see you, you need to go. Go home, Jami.”

Home.

The word hits me like a punch in the chest. My stomach twists, and once again I ask, “What if⁠—”

“What if I’m right about everything?” she interrupts, grinning. “I think you’re going to find exactly what you’re looking for.”

I bite back a laugh, heart thrumming, as a bubble of excitement builds inside me. I call an Uber, clutching my bags like they’re lifelines. Once inside, reality sets in—I need flights, connections, and a lot of prayers that I don’t end up on a cargo plane again.

The next few hours pass in a blur: phone calls, confirmations, frantic check-ins, and a quick stop for caffeine. I finally manage a flight to Deer Lake, where I have to overnight it, and now I’m aboard a Dash 8, flying toward Churchill Falls.

I peer out the tiny window, watching the world shrink beneath the plane. Here I am once again headed to the coldest place on the planet.

Fine. Not the coldest place.

Not really.

But okay.

My phone buzzes. It’s Jaxon letting me know he’s headed to the airport to pick me up, and then we’re off to the pickleball social.

A pickleball social.

On the polar ice cap.

Fine. Not literally the polar ice cap.

But okay.

I can’t stop a grin from spreading across my face. Every chaotic flight, every panicked connection, every moment of fear—it’s led me here. I feel like I’ve come full circle. Except this time, I know the lay of the land. I know who my brother’s best friend is, and this time, I’ve come with a plan.

But wait…Jaxon.

Am I going to ruin everything?

31

Brody

I pace the length of the small commercial space beside our social, nerves crawling under my skin. Is it too small? Too much? Not enough? Am I making a mistake? Will she believe anything I have to say?

I stop at the window—now free of old newspapers—and stare out at the street. I didn’t have much time to get the space ready for Jami, but with Jaxon and my family—Mason, Abby, all hands on deck—we made it happen. We got this place into shape in record time. Even Mr. Cheeseman pulled strings to rush the paperwork through.