“Bu—”
“Grreegg,” he says, raising a finger and the words die on my tongue.
Giving in, I grab his well-worn Collier’s Creek Bisons sweatshirt from the floor and toss it his way. “Well, you’d better put this on or we’ll never get it done.”
He huffs a laugh and pulls the fabric over his head. “It’ll be worth it.”
Yes, it will.
Chapter Five
Cam
Greg and I stepinto Fox’s restaurant. Felix spots us from where he waits at the hostess desk, his face lighting up with a broad smile.
“Cam! Greg! So glad you could make it,” he says, pulling us both into an awkward three-person hug. You’d think we hadn’t seen him for months. But his enthusiasm is contagious, and I chuckle as I return the embrace.
Kit steps up and offers a more subdued greeting, clasping my hand firmly. “It’s good to see you both.”
“Likewise,” I say. “I can’t wait to hear how things are coming with the new book. Felix won’t tell me anything and I’m desperate to find out if—”
Felix yanks my arm. “Don’t bother asking.”
“Huh?”
“He won’t even tell me,” he says as he leads me toward a booth where Fiona stands with menus in her arms.
Behind us, Kit chuckles.
We greet Fiona and settle into the booth. I take a moment to appreciate the familiar surroundings—the wooden beam ceilings, the white walls adorned with local artwork, and the large windows, although it’s now dark outside. It’s nice to be out enjoying one of the nicer restaurants in town with Greg and our closest friends.
After placing drink orders, Felix turns to Kit and flutters his eyelashes. “So, about that book…”
Kit rolls his eyes. “How about we drop the subject and if you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a few hints about the ending before anyone else?”
Felix pouts and folds his arms as he leans back, but his eyes are sparkling. Kit’s last novel “Peril in the Mountains” was a best seller, and his new series looks like it’s going to do just as well.
“I read something about movie options for the Mountain Mystery Files series,” Greg says.
Kit shrugs. “It’s early days yet, but yeah, we’ve started discussions.”
“That’s awesome, man.”
“Thanks, but I’m more excited about the new things Felix has planned for Sweetwater Retreat,” Kit says, the pride evident in his voice. “Not only do the cabins look amazing—rustic but with all mod cons, but Felix has a whole raft of activities planned. He’s introducing writing and art retreats, as well as themed weeks for hiking and winter sports.”
Felix nods and grins, sitting forward in his seat. “We want to attract more tourists to Collier’s Creek, giving them new experiences. To showcase everything our little town has to offer, including our resident best-selling author.” He throws his arm around Kit’s shoulders. “I may as well make the most of him, right?”
Greg chuckles. “That’s a brilliant idea, Felix. I’m sure it’ll be a huge success for the retreat, not to mention bringing more customers to other businesses.”
“I have to thank you both, you know,” Felix says. “Managing the coffee shop while you were away… it brought me back to Collier’s Creek where I found a sense of purpose.” He reaches for Kit’s hand, their fingers intertwining. “And of course, it brought me to Kit. I never would have found this happiness if it weren’t for the opportunity you gave me.”
Just a year ago, I had entrusted Felix with managing the coffee shop while Greg and I embarked on our world trip. Now, here we are, gathered together once more, celebrating just how far we’ve all come in that short time. “It was a win-win situation,” I say. “We were lucky you could step in when you did.”
“It’s just such a shame the way things ended up,” Kit says, and the conversation turns to our trip, the memories bittersweet.
“God, seeing New Zealand and Australia was amazing. We were having the time of our lives,” I say. “But when we got the call about my mom’s illness, everything changed. I felt terrible cutting things short. It was meant to be a celebration trip after Greg’s recovery.”
Greg rubs his thumb over my knuckles, a comforting gesture. “There was never any question about ending the trip early. We knew we had to be here for her. Family always comes first.”
