“Ryder…” Her voice is low, a warning sound.
“Fine, fine. I bought it.”
Gwen sighs. “Please tell me you didn’t use the last of your money on this.”
“It’s fine.”
“But you’re broke.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
She tries to hand me the book, but I step away. “I can’t return it. It’s fine. I have a job in a few weeks and everything will be back to normal. Please, enjoy it.”
Reluctantly, she pulls the book to her chest and nods.
I don’t tell her the truth—it was actually Peter’s gift. But mentioning Peter’s name is like fanning the flames of a fire that should be extinguished. Not that Peter has any sense to be kind to her heart.
Gwen flops on the bed, browsing the pages of her new treasure, and I sit next to her. She’s almost my height, both of us inheriting our tall genes from the same side of the family. Our moms are sisters, but they couldn’t be more different. Where her mother was caring and nurturing, mine couldn’t quite figure out how to put her son’s needs in line with her own. Ihaven’t spoken to my mom since I was eighteen, and there’s no plan to change that.
An alarm on Gwen’s phone starts buzzing, and she groans. “Time for work. I’ll have to look through this later.” She shuts the book and gives me a side hug. “Thank you. This is really special.”
“You’re welcome. I guess I’ll just start unpacking while you’re gone. What are you doing with the boys today?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Probably just hanging around the town center with the other kids.”
“Do they still get in their bathing suits and splash in the fountain?”
“Yep, even in February.” She chuckles. “Remember when we brought water guns with Peter? And played cops and robbers?”
“You mean Peter and I played cops and robbers, and you were the damsel in distress.”
“Same thing.” She sighs wistfully.
I survey the boxes around us. “Well, if I finish unpacking maybe I’ll head over to the fountain and play with you guys.”
“Oh, the boys would love that! Sounds good.” She gives me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. She’s the closest thing to a sister I’ve ever had. “I’ll see you later.”
She heads out, and I start placing my clothes in the dresser. Despite Gwen’s complaints about my heavy suitcases, it only takes me half an hour to get unpacked. After I’m done, I head out onto the street and walk to the fountain.
It’s February in Southern California, so it’s still a pretty beautiful day. Crisp and cool, slightly overcast, just the right weather for my leather jacket and jeans. I glance at the homes as I walk past, noting how little the town has changed since I’ve been gone. Once I get to the town center, there aren’t any cars allowed, and kids roam free.
Within a few minutes, I spot Gwen and the two little boysshe nannies, John and Michael, along with a few other local kids.
“Hey, guys,” I say, giving Gwen a side hug. “How’s it going?”
The older boy, who looks like he’s eight or nine, is sitting on the side of the fountain, his big round glasses taking over his face. He looks suspicious of getting wet, and I don’t blame him. It’s pretty cold for splashing in the fountain. Meanwhile his little brother, who’s probably four or five, is running in the water in his swim trunks, getting his teddy bear completely soaked.
“You know, the usual,” she says with a grin. “John doesn’t want to get wet. Michael is making enough mess for the two of them. But they’re both happy.” She calls to the boys. “John, Michael, this is my cousin Ryder.”
John, the older brother, holds out a hand to shake mine, and I put my hand in his, giving it a firm shake. Michael, on the other hand, launches himself at me and gives me a giant wet hug.
“What’s going on?” I ask the boys. “Any fun games?”
“Wewereplaying tag,” Michael says, giving John a side-eye, “but John doesn’t want to get in the fountain.”
“I’ll play tag with you,” I offer.
“Really?” Michael beams up at me. “You’ll get in the fountain?”
