“Those ties are a hazard to everyone, and they should come with a warning label,” I grumble behind my cup of coffee.
“You are one of those people that big corporations put insane warning labels on their boxes for, aren’t you?” Willow questions, speaking up for the first time in a while.
“She really is,” Arlo agrees.
All around us, the banter picks up as I sip my coffee and just enjoy the moment.
“Hey.” Arlo nudges me under the table with his foot.
“Hey yourself,” I whisper back, feeling as though we are doing something naughty by speaking in a whisper.
“I have a surprise for you.”
I almost blurt out,“My car?”butI somehow refrain from doing just that. “Is it hot cocoa and whiskey?” Not like I need any more sugar, but it’s an addiction and I’m a slave to its deliciousness.
“Nope. Not hot cocoa.” For a moment, his eyes flicker to his mom, and a flash of vulnerability gleams in his eyes until she nods with a knowing grin.
Oh, he planned something. Dread and anxiety swims in my stomach like synchronized Olympic swimmers, and it is rather disconcerting.
The table becomes quiet, and yet Lark beams at me. Her red curls spill over her face, the edges dipping onto her pie plate.
“What is it?” I set my coffee cup down and look at everyone.
“When was the last time you took time for yourself?” Saffron begins, the others not meeting my gaze. They are letting the matriarch of the family speak, which means that whatever is about to go down, I won’t have much say in the matter.
“Depends. I did drive here from Georgia, and that was rather cathartic.” I drum my fingers on the table, waiting for one of the Larson siblings to fold, but they continue to avoid my gaze.
Except Arlo. Oh no, he looks smug.
“I’ll be right back.” Autumn stands, then darts down the hall. Her heavy steps thud on the stairs as she races up to the second floor.
“Bathroom.” Sera smiles with false saccharine sweetness.
She’s a viper with an angel’s smile, of that I’m sure.
Besides, there is a bathroom across the hall.
“What did you do?” I growl at Arlo, who has the audacity to look sheepish.
“Who, me?” He gasps in mock innocence. I’m not fooled.
I look at Robin, the blasphemous brother who pets Cooper like an evil villain. “Don’t look at me like that, Wren,” he says while his eyes flicker over to me. “It’ll be good for you.”
Autumn comes thudding down the steps and trudges into the dining room with my suitcase.
For a solid second, my veins flood with adrenaline and it takes everything in me not to freak out. Surely they wouldn’t be kicking me out. I mean, I know we spoke about Maine and us leaving once Arlo fixes up my bug…but…I didn’t think they’d kick me out so quickly.
I thought they wanted me here. A shiver racks my body as Autumn slumps back in her chair, but my eyes stay glued to the suitcase. They even packed it for me.
But Lark? I glance at Lark, who smiles back at me. I try to express my worry through my gaze because…
Because…I don’t want to leave. I want to stay. This place became my home, and I’m not ready to give it up.
“Relax, Mom, they aren’t kicking you out.” She winces. “Okay, they are kicking you out for the weekend.”
“Just two nights.” Arlo leans forward and grabs my hands. “What do you say, Birdie? Want to go on an adventure with me?”
I open and close my mouth. I can’t believe he did this in front of his family. For a moment, I’m offended, but then I realize he wasn’t just asking me, but Lark. I glance at her, seeing the smile on her face as she beams at me.
