Page 33

“Son, you and your sister watch that reality show religiously, and have a group chat with Sutton that’s so active, Slade left it and complained to Mom that the three of you are insufferable. I’m sure Sisi would like you to hang out with them tonight, even if that silly show isn’t on.” His lips curl into a smug grin, and he’s got that knowing glint back in his eye.

“You know, maybe I have my own plans. Who says I don’t have a date or something?”

He barks a laugh. “Now that’s a good one.” His eyes soften when his nearly ever-present silly grin fades. It’s a serious look for him—or about as serious as he gets—and it catches me off guard. “Just get out of here and stop working so much. At worst, you should try to patch things up with her while you have a chance, at least for your sister, if not yourself.”

I don’t have to ask who he’s talking about. I shake my head and roll my eyes at him. “I should have known this is what you were up to.” I set the ice pack down and fold my arms over my chest, giving him a stern look that almost makes me feel like the parent in this exchange. “I know convincing Sisi to stop sticking her nose in where I don’t want it is a lost cause, but if me hanging out with them means you’ll finally stop meddling too, then fine—I’ll make an effort.”

It sounds simple coming out of my mouth, but it’s far from it.

I ripped out my own heart to set her free to live the life she wanted. Even if I truly wanted to mend that wound, I don’t know if she’d ever accept that olive branch.

“Perfect, because I already told the girls you’d see them at The Hatch.” He straightens up and pats me on the shoulder, his smug grin returning. “Now go on, get out of here. Oh, and clean yourself up and put some clothes on that aren’t sweats or coveralls.”

CHAPTER 14

JOSIE

Who Is This Bitch?

“I still can’t get over that you all just like…” Grace waggles a finger back and forth between Sisi, Sly, and me at our table at The Hatch, “know each other then?”

“Mm-hmm.” Sisi hums, nodding while she licks the salted rim of her margarita. “Since we were kids. Josie was basically an honorary Sterling.”

Looking around the table, I must admit this is a surreal interaction that was not on my bingo card. In fact, if someone told me this would be happening at all, I’d have laughed in their face. Having drinks in my hometown’s dive bar with my childhood best friend, my high school sweetheart, and my best friend of the last ten years was never a remote possibility in my mind. I actively went out of my way to avoid anything that could’ve ever led to this event because I never wanted my worlds to collide like this. Fate had other plans because here we are, I guess.

Grace sits back on her barstool, and I can see the hamster wheels turning in her chaotic head. “And none of you have seen each other in the last ten years, because why again?”

I hear the disbelief in Grace’s voice, the one that prompts Sisi and Sly to share a cautious glance. I can’t blame them for treading lightly because neither of them really know what’s happened during the last ten years of my life and my dynamic with Grace. Frankly, the entire dynamic between the four of us is in completely uncharted territory. So I appreciate them being deferential to me. That’s why I take one big drink of my margarita and decide to just get this over with—mostly.

“Because my parents weren’t the people I thought they were. They ripped off a big chunk of the people in town, and oh yeah, killed a beloved regional gem by running the ski resort into the ground,” I say, looking down into my glass while I swirl the ice around.

Sisi grimaces and Grace looks at me in disbelief. Sly on the other hand, he just, I don’t know the look he’s giving me. There’s contempt, regret, maybe even sadness all wrapped into those piercing blue eyes that still make me feel completely exposed, but I don’t think a single one of those emotions is directed at me. I wish he’d trim that damn beard so I could get a better read on him.

“Got it,” Grace says, nodding. “So now that we’ve had some tequila, want to tell me more about this asshole ex? What happened to him?”

I smirk at her. “Still not enough tequila for that, but yes, he was very much a factor.”

Sisi shrinks into herself—smartly dodging that topic—and instead slurps her drink through her straw. Meanwhile, Sly looks at me over his beer, and this time, I do feel the remorse in his stare when he lowers his gaze. His shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath, and it looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t get the chance.

“Well, two weeks in a row. Who are you and what have you done with Sly Sterling?” Meredith asks, surveying our table with a drink tray in hand. She grabs Sly’s shoulder and squeezes him. I can literally see all six-foot-four of him stiffen under her touch. While I know our collective history from high school, I don’t know what their recent history is. I don’t need to know to see that he’s not comfortable around her.

Unlike the dismissive look she gave me last time, this time it’s nearly hostile. She’s acting like I’m intruding on her failed attempt at picking up Sly. If she’s still harboring that grudge from high school, that’s on her. She’s had ten years without me around to get Sly’s attention. I’m glad to see that he still has standards because he’s clearly not into her. I’m not proud of the satisfaction I get from that, but it almost makes up for the way she had her posse of mean girls pick on me after the news came out about my parents back then.

Sly and Sisi knew that I was having a hard time, but I never told either of them about the one time I went to the community center pool that summer. Meredith and her little gang waited until I was in the shower and then took my bag with my change of clothes, leaving me at the pool with just a towel. While that wasn’t the worst part of that summer, it was definitely up there. After that, the only pool time I had that summer was at the Sterlings’ house and their motel.

“Yeah.” Sisi laughs. “He’s becoming a downright socialite these days. Who knows, if he keeps this up, he might even show up for karaoke.”

“Ha. Ha,” Sly deadpans.

“Oh, I would love to see that,” Meredith says, still rubbing Sly’s shoulder. “I bet you’re great at it. I’d be your first groupie, no questions asked.”

Even with her standing between me and him, I have a clear view of the exaggerated eye roll he makes, and I almost feel bad for him—almost. I’ve dealt with plenty of guys at bars that just won’t take a hint, but I’m fortunate that I’m never in the same place long enough to have to see them again. Sly though? If he wants to go out, it’s going to be The Hatch, so this has probably been a regular occurrence.

Sisi laughs. “Are we talking about the same person? My brother?”

This time, he directs his glare at Sisi instead of our interloper. His sister doesn’t seem to care because she rocks her head side to side and smirks back.

“I agree with her, actually. I’m something of a karaoke connoisseur, and I bet he has quite the stage presence,” Grace says, in her true peacekeeper, bridge-building fashion. I can’t recall a time when Grace hasn’t managed to win someone over, which is probably why she is so good at recruiting donors for the non-profit foundation her and her husband started. “He just needs the right song. Maybe some dark and brooding country song about a second chance with his high school sweetheart?”