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10
ZAC
Ipulled my truck up to the large white B&B, taking in the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. This place looked like something out of a magazine; like the perfect tourist-trap for the South, promising lazy days on a porch swing with sweet tea in hand.
“Well, the grounds look great,” I said dryly as I put the truck in park.
Jo smiled. “Why, yes. Trevor is clearly very good at his job.”
We got out, and I offered Grayson a hand. He high-fived it on the way down as he soared to the ground, landing on the balls of his feet and shooting his hands out like Spider-Man.
“Nice one, dude,” I said, shutting his door.
“Thanks. My PE teacher told me I’m agile.”
“You sure are.”
I looked around, noting the level of activity around the place. Catering and flower vans were parked in the circular drive, and people in various uniforms carried things through the tall double doors or around to the back.
When we were dating, I’d attended a couple of events here with Layla, and all of us had come out to fish in the pond out back. It was a cool space with all the little touches that made it feel old but also new.
“They must be having a wedding today,” I said, nodding at vendors.
Jo pursed her lips, but the corners twitched upward slightly. “Oh, yeah? Cool.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked her over, my head cocked to one side. My sister—like most people—had a tell. Something they always did when they were up to no good. In Jo’s case, she smiled. Even when we were kids, my parents always knew when she was lying because she couldn’t keep the little smile off her face that gave her away.
“Whose wedding is it, Jo?” I asked, but I had a feeling I already knew the answer. After all, Layla had been shopping for a bridesmaid’s dress for Aria and Will’s wedding, and it made sense that they’d hold it here.
“The wedding isn’t until later,” Jo said, avoiding the question. “Now, let’s go, Trevor’s waiting for us.”
She grabbed Grayson’s hand, and they skipped around the side of the house, but I couldn’t get my feet to move. They were suddenly encased in concrete. Was this Jo’s big plan to help me out with Layla? Orchestrating moments for us to run into each other? It was like she had taken pages out of Ms. Hattie’s playbook or something.
Between the two of them, I didn’t know who was more insane. I mean, come on, what good would it do to bump into Layla all around town? Was this supposed to be some twisted version of exposure therapy? Did they think if she ran into me enough times she’d eventually forget the past and fall into my arms?
My chest ached at the thought, and I looked down, jamming my hands into the pockets of my jeans. If only.
“Are you coming?” Jo called over her shoulder, snapping me out of it.
I followed after them as they turned a corner, keeping my eyes peeled. I needed to be careful not toliterallybump into Layla again. I’d already hit her with my shopping cart. If she was here getting ready for the wedding, I didn’t want to come around any corners too fast and risk a collision. With my luck these days, she’d have the wedding cake in her hands or something. Highly unlikely, but still.
I made it to the back of the house, looking up to see a man who really was a dead ringer for Jason Momoa looming over my sister and son. He wore a wide grin on his face, and when he saw me, he stuck his hand out for me to shake.
“Hey, man, you must be Zac. I’m Trevor.”
I returned his handshake, attempting the standard brotherly-warning grip, but I admit, it fell a little flat with this guy. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. I just met your kid. He seems awesome. From what I’ve heard, anyway. Jo talks about him all the time.”
I softened a bit at that, smiling down at Grayson. “Yeah, he’s a keeper, for sure.”
Grayson grinned up at us. “When can we ride the lawn mower?”
“How about right now?” Trevor replied.
“Yes!” Gray cheered, jumping into the air with a raised fist.
I looked around the grounds, spying a gleaming John Deer next to a shed with vines hanging over the front to camouflage it with the surrounding trees. Jo said this guy was the head groundskeeper at the B&B, a job he wouldn’t have gotten if he didn’t know his way around a lawn mower. So, while I didn’t think he was going to run my kid into the pond, I still wanted to keep a close eye out. I didn’t know Trevor from Adam, and Jo had only known him a couple weeks.
