Page 14 of Until We Come Home

“Appreciate the backup,” I murmur dryly, making her grin widen as she chews.

“Hey, somebody’s gotta keep this crew from burning the bluff down,” Calvin says with a laugh. “Remember last Fourth when Jack got overeager with the lighter fluid and torched Theo’s face?”

“It was just the one eyebrow,” Theo corrects, glancing up toward the lawn where Jack and Dominic are still locked in a heated cornhole match. “And it grew back just fine, thank you very much.”

Betty turns her full focus back to me. “Well, it’s a shame you’ve been lurking down here in the shadows, sweetheart. My niece Cynthia was asking after you earlier. I do believe you’re the most eligible bachelor left in Dark River, seeing as you’re the last unattached Midnight brother. You’re quite the catch.”

“Er...” I manage, tugging at my collar.

I can’t pretend I’m totally shocked by her line of questioning, given how regularly she stops by the station with fresh lemon bars whenever I’m in town—a gesture I originally thought was pure hospitality, until I realized she was playing the long game by showing off photos of her unmarried nieces.

Still, the sudden spotlight has me squirming, and I look to Calvin for a lifeline. Naturally, he just sits back on his log, taking in the entire trainwreck and offering zero assistance. Mia, on the other hand, looks thoroughly entertained, bumping her knee against mine.

"Did you hear that, Mateo?” she says. “You're a catch."

I give her a dirty look, which only delights her. Betty glances between the two of us, eyebrows climbing.

“Oh dear, did I say something wrong?” Betty asks, her eyes twinkling.

“Oh, not at all,” Mia tells her breezily. “That’s just his face. Mateo absolutely hates being the center of attention, it practically gives him hives. He’s a classic Scorpio, intense and every single emotion stays locked five layers deep where nobody can touch it. Compliments are physically painful. Add a Capricorn rising and it’s a lost cause. Don’t take it personally, Betty.”

Scorpio. Right, that was the one. I really need to write these down before she quizzes me.

“Now, I’m a Sagittarius with a Leo rising,” Mia continues brightly, “so please feel free to shower me with all the praise you want.”

The circle laughs, and Emma leans in with a wide smile. “I’ll kick things off then—you’ve got the kind of dancer legs the rest of us would kill for.”

“Excellent start! Now keep ’em coming.” Mia claps twice. “I don’t mind steering the praise if you need prompts.”

The rest of the circle jumps in, tossing out compliments while Mia accepts each one like a queen holding court.

I shake my head at her theatrics, though mostly what I feel is relief. She’s a natural social creature, quick-witted and funny, easily commanding the entire yard, and it’s always been one of my favorite things about her. Conveniently, her little performance pulls the spotlight off me entirely, which I suspect was her goal all along, given the quick wink she throws my way.

And thank God for that, because I was about two seconds away from bolting back up the hill.

“Well, I think you’re an absolute delight, sweetie,” Betty says, dabbing her mouth before patting Mia’s knee affectionately. “And you said you’re a Sagittarius? Well, that explains the constant travel! My sister Sally is a Sagittarius too, and you simply cannot keep that woman in one place for more than a week.”

“Speaking of, where has Sally landed lately?” Maren asks, shifting her seat on the driftwood log.

“Oh, she’s currently floating down the Nile on some extravagant river cruise,” Betty says, launching into her next story.

The conversation drifts easily from there into the usual family banter. Emma hands around slices of watermelon, my brothers go back to teasing each other, and laughter fills the yard. Gus finally scores a piece of burger when Henry loses interest, and out on the flat inlet water, boats begin dropping anchor in preparation for the night's show.

As the sun dips low and turns the sky a warm orange, I push up off my seat to get the fire pit going and make sure all safety measures are in place. By the time the blaze is rolling nicely, the rest of the party starts drifting down the lawn to claim spots around the flames.

"So what time do the fireworks start?" Mia asks, stretching her long legs toward the warmth of the fire.

"Ten o'clock, assuming they're on schedule, which they never are," Calvin says with a light chuckle. "And then the mystery guy out on the point does his own grand display around midnight."

"The guy out on the point?" Mia cocks her head.

"Some wealthy recluse across the inlet puts on a massive show every Fourth," Maren explains, pointing across the dark water toward a sprawling estate at the end of the peninsula, every light blazing. "Honestly, it's usually better than the town's display. He's only ever here for a few weeks a year, and nobody in town has actually met him."

Mia sits up straight. "Wait. Nobody? In a town this small?"

"Not a soul," Emma says. "Word is he's a tech millionaire who retired early. Though the lady at the bakery swears he was in a nineties boy band, so who really knows?"

"The guys down at the marina claim he won the lottery," Jack chimes in, settling onto a log opposite us.