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Bandit jumps up on the couch, making himself at home and I smile as I set the wine down on the kitchen counter and finish setting the food out on my little table.
It only has four seats, so it’s a good thing that Flynn and Madelyn didn’t want to join us. I know that they’re still in the honeymoon phase of dating and trying to spend every minute that they can together.
“Dig in,” I tell them as they take a seat at the table.
“This smells amazing,” Lyla says as she pops a carrot into her mouth.
I’ve always loved cooking but sometimes it can get a bit tedious to only be cooking for myself.
“Thanks,” I say as I open the wine that Sutton and Lyla brought. “Red or white?”
“Red,” Sutton and Stan both say.
“White, please!” Lyla says and I nod.
I carry the glasses over and take my own seat between Stan and Sutton. I grab a roll and take a bite out of it as I listen to Sutton and Lyla talking about some festival that’s happening up in Honey Peak next weekend.
“We should go,” Lyla says and Sutton and I both nod.
“We already have two tours at the Mystery Cabin,” Stan reminds them and they sigh.
It’s summer, the busy tourist season so we’re all working more hours. By August, it will slow down again but everyone in town makes most of their money between May and August. That’s life in a small tourist trap town, I guess.
“We can still go after closing. That’s when they bring more of the alcohol out,” Lyla says with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
“Honey beer?” Sutton asks, looking slightly sick.
“Maybe it’s good?” I ask and we all try to imagine how it must taste.
“Maybe they’ll have honey wine,” Lyla says after a minute and I laugh.
“Yeah, let’s stick to that.”
The conversation moves to the Mystery Cabin and I wonder if Stan is going to retire after this season. He seems tired when he talks about it and all of the upcoming tours that they already have scheduled.
I know that Sutton and Teller could handle running the Mystery Cabin but it’s going to be weird when Stan isn’t there. He’s been running that place since before I was born.
My grandma used to tease me because I never handled change very well. I just always wished that things could stay the same and I guess nothing has changed since she’s been gone. I know that she would tease me about being sad for when Stan leaves. I can almost hear her voice in my head.
Iris, you’re so busy looking at everything that might happen in the future that you’re missing out on the present. You can’t stop change, darling. You have to just learn to let go and have some fun.
I never quite mastered that.
“Anyone want seconds?” I ask as I finish my wine and go to grab the bottle.
“I’ll take some more,” Lyla says and Sutton nods.
“Dinner was delicious, Iris,” Stan says, carrying his dishes over to the sink.
“Thanks,” I tell him with a smile and he nods uncomfortably before he goes over to join Bandit on the couch.
I grin when I see him pass the dog a few bites of meat.
“So, what are you going to do about Arlo?” Lyla asks me as I sit back down at the table with them.
I sigh, dropping my head back and staring at the ceiling. I should have known that this topic would be brought up eventually. Ever since Flynn and Madelyn got together, they’ve become almost obsessed with seeing me in a relationship too.
I kind of get it. They’re all over the moon happy and in love and they just want that for me. I just know that it won’t be that easy for me.
