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“The car was totaled, yeah. But nothing major. Got checked out and everything is fine. It’s just some cuts and bruises.”
Dad sighs. “Who was at fault?”
“Someone ran a red light, Dad. It wasn’t my fault.”
“Okay,” he says. He narrows his eyes. “Where are you? A hotel?”
I roll my eyes. “I called to say hey to the kids, not be grilled. Max, how was week one at Camp Grandparents?”
“It’s been so much fun, Mom!” Max yanks the phone from Dad and hurries up the steps. He shuts the door to my old bedroom and plops down on the bed. “I don’t want to leave. Can we move to a farm? I want chickens and goats like Gram and Pop have.”
I laugh. “I don’t know, bud. Won’t you miss your friends?”
He sighs, then nods. “Yeah, I will.”
“And you can visit the chickens and goats whenever.”
“Are you sure? Because it’s been forever since we’ve been here. I don’t even remember ever coming before.”
I suck in a shaky breath. “Yeah, bud. I know it’s been a while, I’m sorry. But I promise we can start coming more often.”
“Okay, cool.”
“Where’s your sister?”
“She went to the Benson farm. They have horses and their granddaughter invited her out on a trail ride.”
My heart lightens at the thought of Em getting along with a kid her age. She’s been worse off than Max in the lost parent department. I know it’s because she was older when we lost him, and she has more memories. There is naturally just more pain that comes with those memories. She shut out her friends almost immediately, and I don’t think she ever tried to make new ones when the old ones didn’t try as hard to stick around through the loss. I don’t blame them. They were twelve-year-olds who couldn’t fathom losing a parent, and Em was the Rubix cube they couldn’t solve.
“Don’t worry. There’s no boys or alcohol,” Dad cuts in. “I went out and installed a camera at Beckett’s Ridge.” His face cuts into the clip, one brow scrunched, the other raised as he eyes me. “No boys and no alcohol. If I find either there, I will ring everyone’s necks.”
“What? Like you rang your dear daughter’s?” Mom deadpans.
I snort. Dad caught me at Beckett’s Ridge plenty of times growing up. It was the center of the woods where a few farms all backed up. Technically, it was on our property, but all the kids went there to do their kissing and underage drinking. Every time he caught me, he’d start with a harsh punishment, like being grounded for six months. By the time we made it home, I’d work him with tears until it turned into muck duty for a week. I was the queen at making him feel bad and giving in to whatever I wanted. I still am.
“I was in a special circumstance. Dad, you better go hard on her. She needs tough love. No more pushover, okay?”
“I know, Sammy. I know what she needs. Are you going to tell me what you’re doing at a hotel?”
There’s a beep of the door being unlocked with a room card, and the handle moves.
“I gotta go, Dad. I love you guys.”
“Bye,” Max starts. “Love you. See you next weekend.”
I shut off the screen as Declan closes the door. “Hey,” he greets, kicking off his shoes and tossing his wallet and keys into the bowl at the entrance. “Did I just hear you talking to someone?” He glances around the room as if he’s looking for a threat.
“I was on the phone with my parents.” I head over to him, abandoning the cakes that are lined up at the dining table. My arms swing around his neck, and I plant a kiss on his lips. I moan into his mouth, just savoring how good it feels to be held again.
He rests a hand on the small of my back. A finger trails up the hem of my shirt, and when it presses against my bare skin, a tingle spreads throughout my entire body.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“I’m fine. How about you?”
He forces a smile through a scowl. “I don’t know. I think . . .” His head shakes. “I think that something’s wrong with my aunt.”
“Oh?” I ask. “Tea didn’t go well?”
