It was supposed to be brief. Just a quick kiss to sell the illusion that they were together. But the moment his lips touched hers, something shifted. The kiss deepened, and for a few seconds, Mitch forgot about the plan, forgot about Marcus and Sally, forgot about everything except the feel of Lori’s lips against his and the way her hand came up to rest against his chest.
Sally’s voice, coming through the earpiece, pulled him back to reality. “Oh, no. I couldn’t intrude. If Mitch wanted me there, he would have invited me himself.”
Mitch pulled back from the kiss, his heart pounding. Lori’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide.
“I’m inviting you,” Marcus was saying through the earpiece. They needed to move. Now.
Mitch offered his arm again, and this time Lori took it, tucking her hand through the crook of his elbow. They walked out of the cafe and walked across the road to where Marcus was standing, facing them.
“Oh, speaking of Mitch and Lori,” Marcus said, his timing perfect as always. Sally had her back to them, her blonde hair catching the sunlight. “Here they are now,” Marcus finished.
Sally turned, and Mitch saw her eyes immediately fall on Lori’s hand tucked through his arm. Her expression flickered—surprise, hurt, anger—before settling into something carefully neutral.
Lori, playing her part perfectly and making Mitch’s heart swell with pride, dropped her hand from his arm and moved slightly away. As if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
“Sally,” Lori said, glancing at Mitch with what looked like genuine guilt before turning back to Sally with a bright smile. “How nice to see you.” She gestured toward Marcus. “I see you’ve met Mitch’s house guest, Marcus.”
“Yes,” Marcus said, his smile warm. “Sally and I literally bumped into each other. I ruined her coffee.”
“Hello, Sally,” Mitch said, stepping forward to stand beside Lori. He made sure to position himself between the two women, as if trying to create distance. “I hope my friend has been behaving himself.”
“Oh, Marcus has been a delight,” Sally said, and Mitch noticed how she stepped up next to Marcus, angling her body towardhim rather than toward Mitch. “I hope you don’t mind, but he’s invited me to join you tonight. For your barbecue.”
“Of course not,” Mitch said, forcing warmth into his voice. “You are always welcome, Sally. You know that.”
Sally’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes as she looked between Mitch and Lori. “Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude on anything.”
“You wouldn’t be,” Lori assured her, and Mitch had to admire how genuine she sounded. “It would be lovely to have you there.”
“Then I’d love to,” Sally said. She looked back at Marcus. “What time should I be there?”
“Six o’clock,” Marcus said. “I’ll look forward to seeing you.”
Sally smiled at him—a real smile this time, warm and interested. “So will I.”
She said her goodbyes and walked away, her stride confident. Mitch watched her go, noting the way she glanced back once, her eyes on Marcus rather than on him.
Bait taken. Hook, line, and sinker.
But as Mitch watched Sally disappear around the corner, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were playing a very dangerous game. And he wasn’t entirely sure who was the hunter and who was the prey.
7
TESSA
The summer camp parking lot was already half full when Ryan pulled his pickup truck into a spot near the large cedar main building. Sunlight glinted off the rows of minivans and SUVs as parents dropped off their children for the day. Piper had been bouncing in her seat for the last five minutes, her ponytail swinging with each movement, her freckled cheeks flushed with excitement about seeing her friends.
The moment Ryan put the truck in park, Piper had her seatbelt off with a decisive click and was eagerly waiting for Tessa to undo hers and climb out, her small fingers drumming impatiently against the leather seat.
“I told you I should’ve sat in the back,” Piper exclaimed impatiently. “Sorry, Tessa. I don’t mean to be rude, but…”
“I know, I know,” Tessa laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt. “You’re in a hurry to leave us, the older generation.”
“I do like being with you,” Piper assured Tessa. “But…”
“You like being with your friends more,” Tessa teased with a wink and reached for the door handle.
“Whoa, hold on,” Ryan said, laughing. “Let me at least turn off the engine.”
