“I’m glad to be back,” Jace says, his voice quieter than my brothers as they continue to argue about Wendell Jenkins’ relationship status in high school. The dimples fade and his eyes shimmer beneath the moonlight as the smoke from the fire swirls up over his head.
“I think they’re glad to have you back.” I say, nodding to my brothers.
He tilts his head to the side. “And what about you? Are you glad to be back too?”
Pulling my gaze from his, I turn to look at my brothers. Noah stands to the side of Finn, his hands lifted in front of him as he talks animatedly. Finn keeps shaking his head, rolling his eyes as he lets out a laugh between their rebuttals. The two of them have always been like this and honestly, it’s a comforting thing.
A warm sensation washes over me as contentment wraps itself around my body. Sugar Hill Hollow has always been my home and I know it always will be. I’ve missed being here, missed the campfires and stars, the smell of the sugar maples, the familiarity, and most of all, I missed being with my brothers, even when they argue.
Giving my attention back to Jace, I lean forward and hand his beer over to him. His eyes never leave mine as he lifts the bottle and tips some beer into his mouth. He huffs out a laugh and I realize I was staring at his throat as he swallowed. I clear my throat and shake my head, turning back to the fire and remembering his question. “I am.”
I’ve missed being aroundhim.
Without warning, Jace rises to his feet and strides past me. The faint smell of his cologne invades my senses as he passes and I can’t help myself as my eyes follow after him. He twists off the tops of three other beers, handing one to each of my brothers, before coming to stand by me.
He extends his arm, holding the other bottle out to me. Sitting up in my seat, I take it from him. His mouth twitches and the apples of his cheeks lift, but his dimples don’t appear. Switching hands, he holds his drink out to me. “To all of us being back in the Hollow again.”
A slow smile pulls on my lips as I clink the rim of my bottle to his. “To all of us.”
Noah walks over, throwing his arm around the tops of Jace’s shoulders. “Well, some of us never left,” he reminds Jace and me as he taps his beer against mine and then Jace’s.
“Whatever, we’re all together now,” Finn chimes in, coming over to sit on the arm rest of my chair. He follows suit, clinking his bottle to Jace’s, Noah’s, and mine. “Well, at least until Willow leaves us again.”
My stomach rolls as the reminder plucks my nerves. How do I tell them that I’m not sure I want to leave again? How do I tell them that I’m not sure I can deal with rejection again after not making it into vet school the first time?
How the hell do I tell them when they don’t even know the truth?
“None of that matters right now,” Jace says, his eyes slowly searching mine. “Cheers, to all of us. To the present and whatever comes in the future.”
Finn and Noah both nod. “Cheers,” they say in unison, lifting their beers to take a sip.
Jace’s eyes are still on mine. Relief washes over me that he saved me from an uncomfortable moment he didn’t even realize was happening. My shoulders relax and I dip my chin, my gaze still locked with his.
“Cheers.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
WILLOW
The saccharine scent of maple syrup invades my senses as I push the door shut behind me and step deeper into the store. It’s cold inside, but I don’t bother looking at the thermostat. A frown tugs my lips downward as I scan the entire space. My brother’s wasted no time on packing up.
The shelving units that were once on the walls cease to exist, along with all the ones that were throughout the store. The only thing left is the counter at the opposite end of the store and boxes stacked in the center of the room.
Before I realize it, I’m across the room and at the counter. The tips of my fingers leave streaks as I run them over the dust settled there. I can’t help but wonder if they lied about when they actually closed the doors to this place.
There’s no way they just closed the store.
As I walk around the back of the checkout counter, I find an old stool with a plush leather top. It too is coated in a layer of dust that I brush off with my hand before setting my bag down on it. There’s a pack of wipes inside the front pocket and I dig them out, pulling one from the packet to clean off my hands before I wipe down the counter.
Next, I pull out a notebook and a pen. I press my thumb against the end of the pen, the click echoing in the empty space as I meander around the perimeter of the store. All the while, jotting down the supplies I know I’ll be needing to get the store back up and running.
I’m not sure what vibes I really want to go for in this space, but I do know that some of the holes will need to be patched on the walls. I’m going to need paint, but I suppose I need to figure out what I want the inside to look like before I can buy that.
I huff a great big sigh as I click the top of the pen and stare down at the list. After doing a full walk around the store, the only thing I have written on it is a container of putty for the wall, a putty knife, and a hand sander. I’m going to need more than this, but at least it’s a start.
Clicking the pen once more, I add the cleaning supplies I should get and then tuck it back into my bag before digging out my wallet. If I can get the holes in the walls patched and the place cleaned up, that at least gives me a clean slate to work with. I can pinpoint the specifics later.
The hardware store is only a short walk across the street and through the intersection. Sugar Hill Hollow isn’t a big town, but it has all the essentials we need here in the center of town. The closest major city is about a half an hour east, just before you reach the coast.
