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“It’s too long. At-ti-cus. That’s three syllables. Three. It’s exhausting and ridiculous. Now, Ace. Ace is simple. Easy. Quick. So when I need to call him, I don’t have to expend a lot of effort and energy.”
“Do you hear this guy?” I jerk a thumb at Jake.
Atticus sighs. “Every day.”
Jake puts his hands on his hips. “I’ll have you both know that I am a delight.”
I chuckle. “We’re all aware.” I grab my bag from the back seat of the Jeep and give Atticus a smile. “Thanks for the ride. Good luck with the kids. Is Finley down at the camp?”
“Yes. She and Archer both. I better get back. See you both down there.”
The taillights disappear around the curve in the driveway, and I loop the crook of my arm in Jake’s. “So. Tell me everything I’ve missed.”
“Archer is a dick.” We stomp up the porch steps together.
“No, he isn’t.”
Archer is the last person on the planet I would describe as a dick. He’s kind and considerate and cares more about Finley than anything else in the world, including himself. I couldn’t have asked for a better match for my sister.
“I haven’t had a drink in eight months and he still acts like I’m a toddler about to tumble into a vat of whiskey with every step.”
I chuckle. “He loves you.”
“That’s even worse.” He groans in faux pain and opens the front door, motioning for me to enter the house before him.
“Wow. The office is... it’s so different.” I glance around. A year and a half ago, the space was cluttered with old furniture, a desk from the dark ages that was scuffed and damaged, and an ancient PC with a barely functioning keyboard. Now, there are two desks both with brand-new, state-of-the-art flat screens, the furniture has all been updated, the old shag carpet has been replaced with warm woods, and the walls have been painted a chorus of beige and pale blues.
“After Archer and Finley finished this space, they went to town in there.” He jerks his head in the direction of the interior door that leads to the rest of the house.
“They didn’t get rid of the wood paneling, did they?”
It’s old and outdated, most people would remove it, but without it our house wouldn’t be like home.
“Nope. Come look.”
We go through the door from the office that leads into the open-concept dining and living room. The new flooring extends in here.
I toss my bag on the dining table and amble into the living room, eyes trailing over the varying shades of gray bricks set around the fireplace, the white-washed wall where they’ve painted over the wood siding, and the new teal-colored furniture. “Wow. It looks good. We’ve never had furniture that actually matches. I can’t believe how much has changed in a few months.” Okay, so maybe it’s been over six months, but still. I sit on the couch, bouncing a little. “Did they just reupholster this? It’s still really lumpy.”
Jake throws himself down next to me. “I found out something about the letters.”
“What?” Letters? What is he talking about? My mind takes a moment to catch up. “Oh, those letters. The ones we found—”
“Yeah. Dad’s letters.”
I slump back, rubbing my head.
After Thanksgiving last year—the last time I was home—we went through Dad’s room together as a family to clean it out. It was past time. Dad’s been gone for seven years, and yet his bedroom had remained untouched.
We haven’t even discussed Aria’s room yet, and it’s been over a decade since she passed. That’s a wound that might never heal.
The letters were written by someone named Ryan, and the topic in most of the letters revolved around a “Mia.” No one has any idea who Ryan or Mia are. Frankly, I don’t want to know. The thought of Dad having some kind of clandestine second life leaves a sour taste in my mouth and an uncomfortable twist in my belly.
Even though I have secrets of my own.
The picture of Mom I keep in my bag? I found it when we were cleaning Dad’s room. It was in the bottom drawer of his dresser. I hid it from them, but I couldn’t stop looking at her photo and wondering about her. That’s when I hired Georgia.
Jake angles in my direction. “So anyway, I think I found something that might help us find who the letters are from.”
