Page 77 of Feel It in the Air

“Let me see your left hand,” Gus demands.

Willa holds it up, solely displaying one very specific finger. Although not the one that generally gets a solo. The one to its left.

Gus breathes a sigh of relief, and I can’t help but chuckle, even as he reluctantly lets go of me so we can join the group. Cool air swirls around us, making me miss him instantly. Sliding his hand into mine, he quickly rectifies our lack of contact though, sending a zing through me.

Willa shakes her head. “She gave Bronwyn the deviled egg recipe last year for Friendsgiving, so she thought it was only fair that I got a recipe for my first as a Keller as well.”

“You’re not a Keller yet,” Anton pokes.

Okay, I take it back. I see it now. Family instigator…

“I will take this pound cake with me,” Willa declares, her voice as icy as Jack Frost’s touch.

Hux shoves Anton, a single hand to his shoulder, sending him stumbling. Everyone laughs—except Anton who grumbles something about how he’s right. The move is enough for them to break formation, Milo running up and hugging her in celebration, while Hux rescues the plate so she doesn’t drop it.

“I missed something…” I whisper to Gus.

“Mama K…that’s what we call Lucy Keller, one of Miss Belle’s best friends and mom to Nash and Noel…well, she’s this amazing cook, and she has this whole box of old family recipes.”

“Keller family tradition states that they get passed from Keller woman to Keller woman, on her wedding day and not a day before,” Willa continues. “Except, well, Mama K jumped the gun and broke tradition⁠—”

The heavy slam of the front door slices through the air, cutting Willa off, bringing the entire group to a halt. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hux tense up, his jaw ticking. It’s subtle, almost imperceptible, but the same tell as Gus when he’s holding back. His hazel eyes rage—with fire or ice, I can’t tell—and I immediately know who just walked outside. I don’t even have to hear the tearful voice.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Dolly says, a long pause following her words. “If you have to work, you have to work.”

Gus’s jaw twitches, almost in time with Hux’s, and I look over to Milo, whose scowl of disapproval is rooted firmly in place. Loyalty runs deep in this family, and through that loyalty, there is no love lost for Dolly’s fiancé.

“But you did know about it…it’s always the Tuesday before…no, I know you have an important job⁠—”

“Important…” Hux scoffs. “He sells used cars.”

I hold back my comment, not wanting to insert myself. I have so many questions about these two, and why they aren’t together. Gus gave me a brief history—that they’ve been best friends since they were cast as Peter Pan and Wendy in the school play back in the third grade. The same old ladies who are still running the rumor mill—and trying to set me up with the town grocer over bell peppers—were all atwitter about how cute they were and them growing up and getting married, and neither one took to that idea, vowing to only ever be friends.

“I said it was fine. Just call me when you’re done. I’ll save you a plate.”

Tapping her phone hard, Dolly sucks in a hard breath, trying to pull herself together. My heart hurts for her, knowing that pain. That unique searing burn that comes from being let down by someone you care about. I want to run to her, throw my arms around her, and let her know that she’s not alone. But I also want to give her the chance to wallow. Because I know—also firsthand—that wallowing is needed too.

Another long, stuttered breath is followed by what I think is a silent curse, her attempt at collecting herself going a bit sideways. That is, until she looks up and discovers she has an audience.

“Hi!” Swiping under her eyes, she forces her smile as broad as the meadow behind the cottage, and finishes plastering on her brave face. Oh girl… “Jeff’s stuck at work, so looks like it’ll only be fourteen for dinner. Good thing you didn’t get that extra bird.”

“Doll,” Hux says, starting toward her.

She waves him off. “Huxley, it’s fine. I shoulda known better; this is always a busy week for him. Same thing happened last year and the year before. Next year, once we’re married and we’re not savin’ for this wedding and honeymoon, then everything will be different.”

She forces another smile, then turns to head back inside, letting the door slam behind her again. Hux takes off, and I turn to look at Gus, trying to silently voice the hundred and one things running through my head.

“You can say it. It’s okay,” Willa says to me, trying to pull me in.

I shake my head, not taking the bait. “Nope, staying out of it.”

“Psssh, I’ve told you, it’s a whole thing in this family,” she says, then turns toward Hux, raising her voice. “Because since Hux didn’t get on that…"

“We’re just friends,” he fires back, almost as if on instinct.

“Suuuure you are,” Milo mutters.

“Could be more you know,” Willa pokes.