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KENNEDY
Destiny Peak SkiResort hosted an annual New Year’s Eve party. Most of the locals stayed away because it was targeted at tourists, but Blair and Tyler wanted to go and refused to leave me alone at the cottage. So here I was, decked out in the type of cocktail dress I hadn’t worn for weeks and silently cursing the fact I’d let my natural hair color grow out rather than speeding up the process with a trip to the salon. I was getting a lot of sideways glances from wealthy women who’d never be seen dead with hair in the state mine was. Things changed as soon as they recognized me though. I’d never get over the hypocrisy of some people.
I wandered to the window and looked out. The restaurant floor had been cleared of tables with the exception of a few bar leaners, and waitstaff circulated with platters of canapes. I was glad I’d eaten before we came because while the food was delicious—as should be expected with Tabitha in charge—it would never be considered a meal on its own.
“Everything okay?” Blair asked, appearing at my side. He’d barely let me out of his sight since we’d arrived except to refill our drinks.
“Yeah. You don’t need to worry.” I turned away from the darkness outside. Midnight was still an hour away, but people had already settled into their positions for the night. Some lingered by the bar, others were on the makeshift dance floor, while others stood around the fringes and made conversation. Blair was hovering on the edge of the action with me, but I’d seen him cast longing glances at the dance floor. He wanted to be out there. He just didn’t want to abandon me. “You should go dance with that cute blonde girl who was flirting with you earlier,” I suggested. “Or that guy over there with the glasses. He’s been checking you out.”
Blair blushed and sneaked a look at the bespectacled twenty-something who was adorable in a nerdy sort of way. A pair of men approached us, their apprehensive expressions suggesting they’d been working up the courage for quite some time. I opened my mouth to greet them, but Blair wrapped an arm around my waist and swept me away.
“What was that about?” I asked when he released me.
“How do we know one of them wasn’t your stalker?” he said, narrowing his eyes as he looked back over his shoulder.
“We don’t.” Even the thought sent a shiver up my spine. “But you were the one who insisted I come here. You can’t stand guard over me all night. Go have fun.”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly earlier,” he grumbled, his face lighting as Tyler appeared in front of us and handed me a glass of white wine and Blair a shot of something brown. They clinked their glasses and tossed the drinks back. I cringed. I could only imagine the burn. Since I’d inherited four children at age nineteen, I hadn’t gone through a wild phase, but I honestly didn’t see the appeal. Give me a glass of wine and a good book over a boozy party any day.
“I’ve been trying to get Blair to dance,” I said to Tyler.
“Go on, man,” Tyler encouraged, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’ll keep Kennedy company.”
Great.
I rolled my eyes. They meant well, but I didn’t need a pair of man-children trying to manage my life.
“You sure?” Blair asked, obviously tempted.
“Go.” I gave him a little push. “Let loose, but not too much because I don’t want to be trying to get your drunk ass home.”
He grinned and saluted, then strode in the direction of the girl he’d been flirting with earlier.
One down.
“Want to dance?” Tyler asked, offering me a hand. He sounded reluctant, so I shook my head. The last thing I needed was to make him feel uncomfortable.
“No, thanks. I don’t feel like it.”
“Cool.” His tone was relieved. “We can talk instead.” He laid a hand on my arm and gestured to the balcony. “Or we could go out and look at the stars, if you’d prefer.”
“Actually, I need to go to the bathroom.” I shuffled away a few steps, and his hand dropped from me. “I’ll be back soon.”
Or not, if I could help it.
I made a beeline for the ladies’ room. I didn’t really need to use the facilities, but it would give me a chance to clear my head. I ducked inside and looked in the mirror, shock hitting me all over again at the sight of my reflection. The carefully made-up face staring back at me had become a stranger. I’d grown used to seeing all the slight imperfections that were currently hidden beneath a layer of foundation, blush, highlighter, and a dozen other things. With my makeup done and my hair pinned back, I looked like I used to—except for the darker regrowth and the fact my cheeks weren’t quite as hollow.
I grabbed one of the cloths kept for drying hands—no paper towels here—and wet it, then dabbed the base of my throat, needing to cool down.
“You can do this,” I said to my reflection. “Makeup doesn’t change who you are. You’re not playing a role. Just be you.”
The bathroom door opened, and I spared a smile for the woman who stumbled in, then tossed aside my cloth and left. I headed directly for the kitchen, hoping to catch Tabitha, but a man stepped into my path.
I stopped an instant before running into him. “Whoa.”
He grabbed my arms to steady me. “Hey, Kennedy.”
I resisted the urge to groan.
