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Truth was, shehadpined. A little. But she was feeling better now.
“Guess who’s here?” Her mom leaned forward, her voice dropping into an excited whisper.
For a second, Grace’s heart stopped. “Who?”
“Ethan.” Her mom looked almost hopeful as she leaned in close. “He came back to town last week. I saw his mom at yoga and she said he might be here tonight.”
Disappointment washed with relief. Ethan had been Grace’s prom date senior year. She’d barely thought of him since then. “What’s he doing back here?”
“He’s come home to help his dad. And according to his mom, he’s single.”
Grace shook her head. “Please don’t tell me you asked her if he was.”
Her mom cupped Grace’s face. “I know you’ve found it difficult since you came back from Paris. Pascal hurt you. But Ethan’s a nice boy. Maybe it’s a good thing he’s back. You and he…” she trailed off.
Her mom wasn’t wrong. She had found it a struggle since she came back to Hartson’s Creek. The small town she’d grown up in hadn’t changed in all those years she’d been in France. But she had.
She felt different. But she also felt wary. Despite her bravado, at first she’d been constantly worried she’d bump into Michael Devlin on the streets.
That he’d find out who she was.
It was convenient to let her mom think she was pining after Pascal, rather than constantly beating herself up for being reckless.
“Please don’t go matchmaking,” she told her mom. “I’m not ready.”
“I don’t need to. He’s already asked about you.”
Grace rolled her eyes. She loved her mom, but honestly, this was the problem with living in a small town. You knew everybody, and they all knew you. And maybe it was the lack of things to do, but their favorite pastime seemed to be to interfere. Her mom was cool, but she wasn’t subtle.
“I’m going to talk to my cousins now,” she told her mom, because at least she’d feel protected in their company. There were eleven of them in all – thirteen if you counted their step cousins, which no, she wasn’t going to do right now. When she reached them, she hugged Presley and Marley, the oldest of their crowd, and then the others, including her younger brother who was home from college for spring break. He was talking with Sabrina, their only girl cousin.
She was also Michael’s little sister. Or half-sister if she wanted to be precise. It felt strange knowing that. But that wasn’t Sabrina’s fault.
“Hey, long time no see,” Sabrina said, smiling at her. “You look great.”
Grace hadn’t seen Sabrina since she’d been back from Paris. Her younger cousin had spent last summer as a camp counselor in Virginia, then headed straight to college on the West Coast.
“So do you,” Grace told her. Despite the five-year age difference, she’d always had time for Sabrina growing up. “How’s college?”
“A lot of hard work,” Sabrina said. “Expensive. Fun.” She shrugged. “How are you finding it back here?”
“A lot of hard work,” Grace said, and they both laughed.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Sabrina told her. “I can’t imagine myself living back here once I graduate. Especially after living somewhere like France. I’d die to move over there.”
“No need to do that,” Grace joked. “Just get a passport. It’s easier.”
“Whatever I do, I’m not going to end up back here,” Sabrina said.
“What’s wrong with here?” Presley asked. He was four years older than Grace, and the eldest of identical twins. The two of them ran a construction business, but their real calling was the band they played in.
Presley also had a little girl – Delilah, who was six years old. She was running in the grass with her friends, playing tag. Presley was a single dad since his wife had died. It was good to see them both looking happier.
Presley and Marley were in a band that had been doing well before the tragedy. They hadn’t hit it big though they had a good local following. But Presley had taken a break from playing to concentrate on his business and raising Delilah.
“It’s boring as hell,” Sabrina said. “Nothing goes on here.”
“It’s not that bad,” Marley said. Like his twin, he was talented and handsome, though he was the quieter of the two. The two of them were known for breaking hearts in Hartson’s Creek and the surrounding towns.
