“Luke looks rightfully confused.” Genevieve gestured to her sister. “Tell him what Dickens has to do with anything, Natasha.”
“A few years back, I kicked off a year of living Austenly. During that time, I tested out a lot of Jane Austen’s habits. Last year, I completed a year of living C.S. Lewisly. And this year I’m doing a year of living Charles Dickensly.”
Luke had no idea what she was talking about. Everything she’d just said sounded like a foreign language.
Sebastian returned with a glass of pink punch. Natasha lifted it. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Genevieve echoed.
Luke found Ben and Natasha the easiest to take. Sebastian and Genevieve were harder.
He and Sebastian had butted heads when they were trapped in El Salvador and every time since, whenever they crossed paths.
His reason for disliking Genevieve had nothing to do with her personality and everything to do with the fact that she was the one who should have died—would have died—if Luke hadn’t sent his brother to the back of the line. Because of Luke’s actions, Genevieve had been second to last walking through the basement hallway when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit. Luke had pulled her to safety. If she’d been last in line, Ethan was the one he’d have saved.
Genevieve had become a successful Bible study author and speaker. She’d taught hundreds of thousands of women. Her fame made things worse, not better, because Luke knew that some people would look at what she’d achieved and say that she’d survived for a reason ... that she was destined to make an impact. The implication?
That Ethan had been more disposable than Genevieve.
Which was the opposite of true for Luke and his family.
Ethan had never had a chance to show the impact he could have made as an adult.
When they’d gone on that mission trip to South America, Ethan and Genevieve had been the same age. Twelve. Ethan was a goofy, talkative sixth-grader. The opportunity to become anything other than that had been crushed along with his body by the weight of an entire building.
“I know I speak for all of us,” Genevieve said, “when I say that we’d really like for you to hang out with us while you’re living here in Misty River, Luke.”
He sincerely doubted that she was speaking for Sebastian.
“We get together at least once a month,” Natasha added, “and it would mean a lot if you could come now and then.”
“Seeing one another has been good for us.” Genevieve set a half-eaten cookie on her plate. “It’s my hope that seeing us might turn into something that’s good for you, too.”
“I’ll think about it.” Luke didn’t plan to think about it.
“No gathering that the four of us have ever had,” Natasha said, “has felt complete without you in it.”
Luke never mentioned his affiliation with the group. Even so, the people in his life had occasionally found out. When they did, they immediately asked him about the other four. He could guess what it had been like for the rest of them, who didn’t hide their past and were out in society much more than he was. They’d probably had to field countless questions about him.
Two more people, who were introduced to him as Leah and Sam, walked up. Sam was engaged to Genevieve.
Sebastian’s girlfriend, Leah, was the sister of the kid who’d been feeding Luke information on Blair. “Thanks for setting things up between me and Dylan,” Luke told her.
“You’re welcome. When it comes to the teenagers in our lives, we adults need to have each other’s back.”
Sebastian’s face softened with tenderness as he looked at Leah. Luke had never imagined that the tough, miserable foster kid he’d known would fall for someone. But he had.
As they talked, Natasha’s redheaded husband also joined them.Apparently they’d been married for several years and had two kids together.
Three of the Miracle Five seemed content in their relationships. More than content. Happy. They’d accomplished what he never had. They’d moved on.
As soon as possible, Luke made an excuse and separated from them.
Dakota intercepted him. Great.
She steered him to the heated tent.
Once there, he spotted Finley immediately. She and Derek were slow dancing to Elvis’s “Love Me Tender.”
