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“Wait,Rowanmade this steak?” Willow asks.
“Yep.” I reach for my wine as I blow out a sigh, but I don’t take another sip. I’m feeling the effects from the earlier glass. I don’t want to drink too much, just in case Rowan does call… I groan into both my hands. What iswrongwith me? I don’t get all lovesick like this. I don’t wait by the phone, hoping it’ll light up with a text. When Anders would go radio silent for a night, I’d shrug my shoulders and binge watch all the sappy TV shows he hated watching with me. I hardly noticed he wasn’t around. But with Rowan, it’s as though a part of me is missing.
“You’ve got it bad, huh?” Aurora guesses.
“I’m so confused.”
“What’s there to be confused about?” Willow presses. “You fell in love with your best friend. And from the sound of things, that man’s been in love with you for at least three years. Probably longer.” She tilts her head, thinking back for a moment before nodding to herself in agreement. “He’d follow you anywhere when you two were growing up. Like a lost puppy only too happy to be in your presence. I don’t know how you didn’t notice it back then. Or did you?”
The memory of Rowan naked at the creek flashes in my mind. “Well…”
“Have you told him how you feel?”
I look at Willow like she’s lost her goddamn mind, because she has. “No!” How the hell am I supposed to tell my best friend that I have these unexplainable feelings for him? Sure, we’ve been fooling around. The way he kisses me makes my legs go limp in one point three seconds—everytime. “This is just lust. We’re grown adults who both need some release. By the time Grandma Rose gets back, I’m sure it’ll be nothing.”
Aurora spits out a sip of wine, nearly missing her glass, as she sputters a laugh. The knowing twinkle in her eyes makes her seem years older—wiser. “Do you actuallyhearyourself?”
“When Grandma Rose gets back from her world cruise, I’m going back to Anchorage.”
“To do what?” Aurora presses.
“Find a new place. Start over—”
“Butwhy?”
“Why not stay here?” Willow adds. “Your bookkeeping gig is remote, right? You could literally work from anywhere with an internet signal.”
“She’s right!” Aurora chimes in. “You could get a U-Haul and bring all that stuff you have in storage to Caribou Creek. The three of us could live in the same place again. Wouldn’t that be fun? I mean, we’re actually getting along. Why screw it up by moving away?” The pout in her voice is back, but it warms my heart that she cares so much. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this close to my sisters. It’s a feeling I really want to hold on to.
“Stay in Caribou Creek?” I test the words, chewing on the gravity of their meaning. I’m instantly filled with warmth at the idea of making my hometown a permanent part of my life. I remember the way Rowan reacted when I mentioned him moving with me to Anchorage. How the man practically bristled at the idea. If I stayed, maybe whatever is happening between us could have a chance to grow into something beautiful. Something…long lasting.
“We could get monthly pedicures together,” Aurora says.
“Celebrate opening night ofallof my plays together,” Willow adds.
“Have more wine nights,” I chime in.
“Yes!” Willow and Aurora say in unison.
“I’m staying in Caribou Creek.” The statement sounds a little like a question, but the certainty of it takes hold in my heart. I hold it a moment longer, feeling the weight of it, surprising myself when I don’t instantly bolt. Huh.Maybe.
My sisters reach across the table, each one taking a hand and giving me a squeeze. No one says anything. It’s as if we’re all afraid common sense will suddenly kick in; that my old fears of living and dying a small-town girl will spur me into action.
Except, those old fears don’t emerge. My heart beats faster in acceptance and excitement. “It’s official,” I acknowledge with a shaky laugh. “I’m staying. In Caribou Creek.” I glance at both my sisters, and realization dawns. “I need to tell Rowan.”
CHAPTER14
Rowan
The microwave timer beeps, alerting me to take the cast-iron skillet of cowboy spaghetti out of the oven. Another timer on the air fryer ticks down, warning me I only have a couple of minutes before the apple fritters are done. I still need to melt and brown butter in a saucepan.
“Where the fuck is the saucepan?”
I search the littered counters, the clamoring of pots and pans as I rummage annoying Bear. He lets out a long groan. The poor guy doesn’t know what to make of my sour-ass mood. If I hadn’t selfishly wanted him for my own comfort tonight, I’d have left him with Sophia. It certainly would’ve kept my well-meaning sister from asking too many damn questions about the rift between Cas and me. At least until morning.
“Sorry, bud. Blame your Uncle Cas.” As suspected, my brother needed his fucking password reset so he could access the invoicing system. Something any number of staff could’ve helped him with if he’d been working during normal business hours. I tried to talk him through it on the phone, but all he did was cuss up a fucking storm and grunt at me to meet him at the office in person.
The jerk didn’t care that it was already quarter after ten or that I was preparing a romantic dinner for Kinley. That I was going to confess to her, over candlelit filet mignon, that I’ve been in love with her since we were nine years old. Cassius doesn’t believe in love and is only too eager to spread his shitty attitude about it far and wide. Can’t entirely blame him considering the last woman he fell for was only using him for his money and status. It shook him so badly he went off grid for three years.
