“Well, I…”
“And answer their questions about how you are.”
“…I… “
“And how the writing’s going?”
“That isn’t necessarily what they’ll?—”
“Because they’re all your friends too. And they’ll undoubtedly want to see you. Especially with Luca getting married. Especiallysince I happen to know you’ve been avoiding them all as much as possible. They’ll want to make sure you’re okay. And I know for a fact that some of them are coming in early to spend the holidays in the city.”
She’s right, of course. Several people have already sent texts or emails or left voicemail messages letting me know they’ll be in town and asking if I’d like to get together while they’re here. I’ve been hoping if I block it out, it will all magically go away on its own. “Yes, okay, but?—”
“And you’re ready for Luca to call, right? Because even a year and a half later, he still feels guilty about ending things, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to try and convince you to come to the wedding again. Because just the other day he told me he thought he ought to try and convince you to come to the wedding again.”
“All right!”
She blinks at me, all doe eyes. “All right?”
“All right. You make some good points. And I maybe could use a change of setting to help with the writing.” Lord knows nothing else is helping. “If your cousin agrees to this arrangement, then okay.”
Zoe flings her arms around me and kisses me. “You won’t regret this. Now, do you have any wool socks?”
CHAPTER 4
OWEN
“I have a surprise for you.You’re coming to see me!” Zoe’s voice is half drowned out by what I assume are New York subway sounds.
“What?”
“You’re coming to see me. For the holidays!”
I sigh and pour some orange juice into a glass. So this must be her “genius” idea. Because even Zoe, who understandsme better than most, can’t grasp that I like living this way. In the quiet of the woods, by myself.
Allby myself.
Okay, so maybe it isn’talwaysperfect. But it is pretty damn close, and I definitely don’t need anyone trying to rescue me from my own choices.
“I appreciate the offer, Zoe, but I’m fine. If I wanted to go somewhere for the holidays, I would have gone on the family cruise. I’m just going to hunker down. Get some work done.” I walk through the door to the four-season porch, looking out over the frozen lake as I sip my drink. The fire crackles in the wood stove beside me.
“Oh, please. A week on a boat with the law firm of Wilde, Wilde, and Wilde? You’d rather stick a fork in your eye. No. Youare going to take some time away, clear your head, and see your fabulous cousin. It’s all decided.”
I sigh. “Zo, it’s not that I don’t want to see you, but I’d really just rather be alone right now.”
“Right. Because you’re a loner.”
“I am.”
“Owen, there is a difference between being a loner and hiding.”
“I’m not hiding!”
“Mmm,” she hums in a very judgy way.
“What?”
“Agree to disagree.” I’m about to object to this whole line of conversation when she continues, “Anyway, it’s a moot point because I already promised my friend George you’d swap places with him until after New Year’s. So unless youdowant to meet him after all—and get real cozy in that one-bed cabin of yours, you’re going to have to come to the city.”
