Hallie stopped directly in front of Audrey, looking up at her. “And bugs aren’t? Are a lot of insects out here pounding milk by the glass?”
Audrey shook her head, pressing her lips together to prevent herself from laughing. Hallie was funny. Maybe that was part of how she and River worked. River was, consistently, the funniest, least insulting member of their family after all. “Dairy is not a huge part of most insects’ lives, you’re correct. They don’t produce milk, so there is no need for lactase.”
“There you go, then. Bugs are the same as cats and there’s no need to worry about them around my cheese.”
“Right.” Audrey wasn’t going to smash the illusion for her. She was more than used to people being unable to get past the whole… insect thing. Most especially when it came to their food.Which was valid. Audrey loved bugs, but she had no interest in having them all over her food.
Hallie huffed. “I don’t think I want cheese.”
“That’s fair.”
She shot Audrey a wry look. “Any for you?”
“I’m good. Besides, I heard my parents were already here. In case River didn’t give you the rundown, there will probably be the equivalent of five wheels of cheese bought here tonight and brought back to the house.”
“Huh. Big cheese fans?”
Audrey froze in her tracks as they headed into the vegetable section. “Uh. I’m not sure, honestly. I’m only just realizing I don’t think anyone is particularly attached to cheese for the rest of the year. It’s just a… holiday tradition, I suppose.”
“Well, they wouldn’t be the first. People do all kinds of things for the holidays. Plus, it’s a lot better than the other…traditionthey all seem hell-bent on engaging with.”
“Ah.” Audrey didn’t need to ask which tradition that was. Whether it was the need to couple up or the need to comment on her unwillingness to do so, it all came down to the same thing in the end. And, of course, one day was more than enough time for Hallie to have picked up on that. All of River’s other partners had noticed it just as quickly.
Her family’s willingness to put it all out there was part of what made telling them off complicated. If people thought they were doing something wrong, they hid it, they kept it hushed. They did not bring it up the second new people were around. Thus, Audrey was the odd one. Odd for being upset, odd for refusing to engage in the whole practice. Just odd. But she’d long since gotten used to being considered that way.
“Does it bother you?” Hallie asked quietly, pretending to be more focused on the cauliflowers than on Audrey’s answer.
“Not really,” she replied, perhaps a touch too quickly, but that was okay. Hallie surely didn’t know her well enough to pick up on it.
She hummed. “It would be okay if it did, you know? I’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours and it’s bugging me.”
Audrey smirked at her. “Oh,buggingyou, is it?”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny, entomologist.”
From over Hallie’s shoulder, Audrey spotted River and her parents making their way over. Of course. River and Hallie were supposed to be glued together. Audrey was not supposed to be interrupting someone else’s couple time. And she had no interest in doing so.
Her eyes snapped back to Hallie’s. “I’m used to it, but not so used to it that I’m going to invite it more than I need to. Have fun with River.”
She saw the way Hallie looked disappointed as Audrey backed away, ready to slip down one of the aisles and away from Jill and Rob. It wasn’t anything about Hallie. Or even River. Audrey liked both of them. But she couldn’t stand Jill and Rob.
“Maybe you should make like an insect andstickaround,” Hallie called after her, not loud enough that the other three would hear it.
Audrey laughed, her chin dropping into the scarf she still had wrapped around her neck. It wasn’t the best bug pun she’d ever heard, but it wasn’t the worst either. Well, maybe it was up there. But maybe she liked Hallie enough to forgive her.
Chapter Five
Hallie grabbed River’s hand the second they made it back to the… lodge? Chalet? They both felt like grand words, but they didn’tnotfit. Cabin, maybe.
“Oof,” River spluttered, allowing herself to be towed towards their shared room. “Is everything okay?”
Hallie smiled as serenely as she could manage. There was nothing unusual about someone wanting private time with their partner. There was nothing unusual about holding their hand. And she was not going to think about the grin Cal sent in their direction as the group from the car Audrey was in arrived right after them. “Yep. All good. Just need your help with something.”
“I’m sure she does,” he muttered to Delaney.
Delaney laughed. “Maybe I need your help with something too.”
Hallie shook her head, leading River up the stairs and away from the crowd.
