Page 80 of Seale the Deal

You two had plans, and I wanted some time in the woods, I say. You know me. Even Alpine Harbor feels too big sometimes.

She nods. Okay. But you’d tell me if something changed, like if this got to be too much for you, right?

No.

The immediate thought takes me by surprise.

It was just last night that Brandt said communication matters, and here I am, ready to lie because I’d rather hurt myself than hurt Wrenley. I feel so confused at this point, I don’t even know what would hurt more: marrying her or ending this and sending her back to Canada to refigure everything out.

Yeah, I say, a little breathy, and I have to hope Remi doesn’t pick up on my deceit.

Remi’s expression doesn’t change, and the pause makes my stomach churn. We may not be identical twins, but growing up in a close-knit family has always made it easy for us to read each other, and I know that she’s asking because she feels something has changed. She just doesn’t know what, and I’m only starting to figure it out.

Okay, she says, but it doesn’t sound okay. It sounds like she’s a little disappointed and a lot suspicious.

I’ll talk to Wrenley tonight and text you, I say.

Sounds good.

I head back to my truck, grateful to have secured some time with Wrenley, but my sister’s underlying suspicion is a warning bell I can’t ignore.

Whatever is happening inside me is starting to spill out, and Remi has put in a lot of work and money into Wrenley’s future. I don’t want Wrenley to feel like she has to give up a piece of herself. At the same time, I can’t help but keep moving closer to her.

I feel pulled in two directions, and maybe this is what I need. To see Wrenley thrive in a city setting and remind myself that it’s where she belongs. Because the longer I’m near her, and the more I see her fitting in here, the harder it is not to imagine her becoming a permanent fixture.

I pull away from Remi’s house, knowing I have to figure this out. This trip will either clear things up or do the exact opposite.

I finish plating dinner. Barbecued steak, broccoli I grabbed at the store because Wrenley seems to like a vegetable with her dinner, and rice cooked in homemade bison broth I made the way Beryl showed me.

Every part of the animal is sacred. We need to honour that by not wasting it. Her words are so true and meaningful to me.

A cabernet sauvignon is breathing on the counter. I bought and prepared it as per Walter’s instructions when I panic texted him from the liquor store. I’m more of a beer guy, but I want to have a nice dinner with Wrenley tonight. While I like that Wrenley will happily drink beer straight from the bottle with me, wine feels more appropriate.

I hear the front door open and turn just in time to see her wild curls at the end of the hallway, bouncing as she kicks her shoes off.

You’re back, she says with a smile that sends a sharp ache to my chest.

I am.

I want to meet her in the hallway and pull her into my arms and tell her how damn much I missed her.

She’s not yours, I remind myself.

Did you have a nice camping trip? she asks, walking closer.

It was good, I say. I invited Brandt.

Wrenley’s face twitches a little, not anything big, but enough for me to catch. She hasn’t met Brandt yet, and so the reaction feels a little odd. And paired with his strange reaction when I mentioned that he’s not getting laid, at least to my knowledge, I’m feeling more curious about what Brandt’s hiding.

Sounds fun, she says.

I decide to let it go for now. Whatever is going on with Brandt can wait. I have more important things to worry about.

It was nice, I reply with a smile. I heard you spent the night at Remi’s.

I did. Did you see her today?

Swung by her place earlier, I say.