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“Oh boy.” Katie rubbed her hands together. “Pressure’s on.”
“And they hardly lost last year,” Jeff said. “They’re the team to beat.”
“We’re going to take ’em down, Katie,” Gavin said. “Let’s go!”
Jeff got a call and slipped away from the family.
Katie couldn’t miss the humor in Cooper’s eyes. Gavin clearly took the game more seriously than his brother. Their eyes clung for a long moment. Why did it always seem like an invisible thread connected them?
The moment was lost when Gavin handed Cooper the red bags. Cooper lined up his body, a frown of concentration slicing his brows. He sank his first shot. The second came close. Avery cheered him on.
Gavin’s family was so fun. So welcoming. They rooted for each other and bickered lightheartedly, much like she and Spencer had done. But they were a whole family, complete with mom and dad, something she’d always craved. Even though they were actually two families patched together, it didn’t feel that way. And every time she was with them, they made her feel as if she was one of them.
Katie’s gaze caught on Cooper, thinking back to the conversation over dinner. To the way his mom had butted in on his love life. He obviously objected to her interference, but Katie thought it would be wonderful to have a mother who cared so much about the details of her life.
She couldn’t help but wonder who Amber was and if Cooper was interested in her. He must be if he’d kissed her on their picnic date. At the thought of his lips on another woman, jealousy pricked hard. She had no right to feel that way—she was dating his brother.
What would’ve happened if Avery had set her up with Cooper instead of Gavin?
She was a terrible person. Gavin was a great guy, and he treated her so well. He’d been through such a hard time—she couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a child. And then a divorce on top of it.
She needed to put these ridiculous thoughts of Cooper from her mind.
Cooper’s last bag thunked on the board, and she gave Gavin a bright smile. “We only need six points. You’ve got this.”
Gavin winked at her, sure in his ability to pull it off. His first three bags plunked onto the board. The fourth hit the ground. And the last one sailed through the air and flopped through the hole. “Yes! We did it.”
“Great job,” Katie said as Lisa applauded from the table.
“Lucky shot,” Cooper teased.
“Lucky shot, my—”
“Be nice, Brother,” Avery said.
Katie and Gavin met in the middle for a high five, then he pulled her into his arms for a hug.
“We should play girls against guys,” Avery said. “I’ll bet Katie and I could wipe the floor with you two.”
“What about Mom and Jeff?” Cooper said.
They turned toward the table.
Jeff had just gotten off the phone, and Lisa was watching him with a frown. “What’s wrong, hon?”
Sensing that something was afoot, the family converged at the table.
“That was Louis Parker from the Trail Conservancy,” Jeff said in a sober voice. “They called a special meeting and—they’re shutting down the Main Street Bridge for repairs. The trail won’t be coming through town again until it’s repaired.”
***
“What’s wrong with the bridge?” Cooper’s mind spun with the ramifications. If the bridge was down, hikers couldn’t come through. Most of the town’s businesses were set up to accommodate them: the outfitters, the market, the hostels, the campground, and the motel. No hikers, no business. Even the coffee shop and restaurants would struggle.
“That last storm we had,” Jeff said, “the logjam did some damage. They’re leaving it open for the next month—long enough to reroute the trail, then they’re shutting it down till the repairs are done.”
“Reroute the trail where?” Mom asked.
“Through Silverton.”
