Page 47

Here goes nothing. I heave a log into position, hold the axe high over my head and make sure to flex my core. Thankfully, nobody can see me grimace through the mask, but... Holy shit, my shoulders are protesting. I'm getting too old for this.

At least the axe splits the log easily.

I'll cut the video together so nobody will hear me wince like an old man as I lean down to pick up the pieces.

"Kieran?" Of course. It was only a matter of time until Lauren would come over after I left Thanksgiving dinner so spontaneously and with the most cryptic explanation.

"Chopping wood shirtless in the garage," I shout back and put the axe on the ground. "Come in here at your own discretion."

She rounds the corner, demonstratively covering her eyes, her free hand hovering through the air so she doesn’t run into a wall.

"Are you busy?"

I stare at the pile of wood I have already chopped. Then at my camera. Then the clock over the connecting door. I’ve got two hours of filmed material at this point. It should be enough to cut some decent videos together and last wood-chopping wise for the rest of the year.

"Not anymore." I pick the axe up again, throw it onto the woodpile, and walk out of the garage and into my front yard with her.

Dick is hanging out here somewhere. I whistle sharply, hoping he'll listen for once. Luckily, today is a good day. He trots over, past Nic and Kylie huddled together in front of the door.

"Oh, hi, Kylie. Nic." I pull the mask off my face. Kylie's eyes widen ever so slightly once she sees me, and her jaw drops.

"You weren't kidding," she murmurs to Nic, who is pointedly looking away. Say what you want about the three, but they’re certainly not an ego-boost to have around.

"Kidding about what?" I brush past them, open my front door, and motion for the three of them to go ahead.

"Your job," Nic declares as she toes out of her shoes and nudges them into a corner.

"Funny," I say dryly and shoot Kylie an amused grin. "Lauren clocked me within days of knowing each other because her algorithm showed her my profile. Aren't you a marketing manager and supposed to spend a lot of time on the internet?"

"Not in my private life." She grimaces and nudges her shoes next to Nic’s. "God, I'm happy when I get away from social media."

"Same," I declare with a nod. "Coffee?"

To be honest, I'm only trying to buy some time before the inevitable three-against-one interrogation commences.

"I'd love a coffee," Kylie declares and sits down at my dining table. Abby, her dog, whizzes around the legs of her chair, then decides to lie down on my couch.

Until she notices the scent of dogs she doesn’t know there and stares at me, confused. Which I pointedly ignore. Dick flops onto the ground in front of the couch, and as soon as Abby realizes he’s okay with the strange smells, she joins him.

"I've brought afternoon snacks," Lauren declares, holding up her bag. "Though one of us"—she frowns—"certainly doesn't deserve them."

"Hey." I lift my hands defensively and walk backwards to my coffee machine. "If you knew what kind of heroic shit I've been up to since yesterday, you'd say I so deserve treats."

"Then why don't you tell us more about this ‘heroic shit’?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Because from where I’m standing, you ditched us on Thanksgiving for friends we never even heard about before. Then Caleb brings you food and comes back saying you have four dogs here, and Kylie sees you with a pretty redhead on your porch."

I gulp. What the hell was Kylie doing up so early? Either way, I’m not surprised, but still amazed at how quickly news travel along this lake shore.

"Did you go to Kinstead and fight the flames with your bare hands? Pee on the fire? Rescue kittens? What could have been so commendable? You run out on the dinner we've been looking forward to forever with barely a word, and then never even send us an update."

"She was worried," Kylie explains, way calmer, gently puts her hands on Lauren's shoulders and marches her to the dining table. Meanwhile, I take a deep breath and turn on my coffee machine.

Lauren keeps on bitching while Nic lowers her voice and leans closer. "I get there are some things you don't want or need to share, and trust me, we’d know how awkward mixing friend circles can get," she explains and hands me a mug to put under the machine. "But Lauren feels guilty because she thinks she's been a bad friend."

"I know," I reply with a sigh, running a hand over my face. It was never my intention, but I see where she’s coming from.

I turn around and set the first finished cup down in front of Kylie. Then I grab more milk to foam up from my fridge.

When our cappuccinos are done, Nic slides Lauren's over the table. I get a bottle of gingerbread syrup I keep mainly to keep Lauren happy when she’s here. Who knew it would come this much in handy? And as she pours a good amount of it into her cup, the wrinkle between her eyebrows already softens.