Page 47
“What? Why would it be there?” I straighten up and turn to him, shocked. He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
“I may have gone out stargazing with a girl and used Dad’s car.”
“You what? You can’t even drive!”
“Please don’t tell Mum and Dad!” Jake looks so concerned, eyebrows furrowed.
“Why shouldn’t I?” I cross my arms and frown.
“Because I know you like Oliver!”
“No I don’t!”
“Yes you do! And if you tell Mum and Dad they won’t let me see this girl again.”
“And why is that?”
“Because she’s kind of maybe the granddaughter of Albert Mariano.”
“Who?”
“Albert Mariano!”
“The council guy who made Grandpa sell all the land?” I laugh, relieving some of the tension. “You won’t tell our parents you’re seeing a girl for something her grandfather did?”
“It’s more complicated than that.” Jake gestures with his hands. “Dad still has a grudge, I swear. You’re not around enough to hear him complain.” The smile must falter on my face because Jake pauses. “Oh, come on. You know I didn’t mean it like that. No one is upset at you because you went to university.”
“Yeah, I know. But it still feels that way sometimes.”
He sighs. “I’ll go get the picnic blanket. What are you even planning on doing, anyway? What’s with the fairy lights and candles?”
“I think you know.” A look crosses his face, and I see a ghost of a smile.
“I think I do.”
* * *
By the time dinner is done and dusted, Oliver looks just about ready to fall over. There’s exhaustion in his face that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. It’s almost like the light behind his eyes has been extinguished. That’s what he gets from going from one sibling to four. But I’m not letting him get away that easily. He may have dealt with the twins, but he still has to deal with me.
We’re on dish duty tonight, so when Oliver dries the final glass and puts it away, I can feel my heart in my mouth.
“So, any plans for tonight?” I manage to choke out. Oliver raises an eyebrow at me, flicking the tea towel over his shoulder.
“Oh, you know, the usual. I hear there’s a new club in town that’s all the rage,” he laughs, crossing his arms as he leans against the bench. My eyes linger on the way his body moves before I can respond.
“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I can forget about your surprise.”
“What surprise?” I make my way out of the kitchen to the back porch, Oliver trailing after me. “Eden? Eden! What surprise?”
I grin at him over my shoulder, grabbing our jackets from the chair where we left them. “I guess you’re going to have to come and see.”
“I swear to God if it involves more chickens, I’ll— “
“There’s not going to be any more chickens, I promise!”
He continues to trudge behind me, taking a wide berth of the coop. A chill has settled in the air and I’m grateful when I shrug on my jacket. We keep walking in silence until we reach the gazebo. It’s a small, rustic thing, nestled in the corner of the property. It’s surrounded by trees on all sides, so when we break through the branches, I hear Oliver gasp.
“Eden…this is…”
