This was how false narratives started in this town, and those stories spread like wildfire. He didn’t want to spend the next few weeks explaining that he had no intention of making Hope Falls his permanent place of residence. Or, on the flip side, that Hope Falls was going to be getting one more resident. Either one was false because he didn’t know what he was doing. Not to mention, it was no one’s business what he was doing with his life. Although in this town, that fact was entirely insignificant. No one cared about things like privacy or boundaries.
“You said you’re selling your house.” Niko immediately went into cross-examination, he was building a case, and this was exhibit A.
“I am.”
“And you’rehere.” He splayed his arms.
“Through the holidays.”
“So where are you moving after that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Youdon’t know?” His tone was incredulous.
“No.”
Niko stared at AJ like he’d grown another head. He saw that this conversation was going nowhere, so he decided to extract himself from it. He just needed to wave something shiny in front of his brother to distract him.
“Emmanuelle said her friend wants your number.” AJ wasn’t lying. At the rehearsal dinner before Niko was in town, the model had asked AJ if he thought his brother would mind if she gave it out.
“What friend?”
AJ shrugged.
Just like he knew he would, Niko took the bait, heading off to find answers.
When AJ turned his attention back to Poppy, his middle finger began tapping the inside of his palm when he noticed her rise from her seat and make her way out of the tent. All night, he’d been giving her space, since she’d obviously been avoiding him, but if she was leaving, he was going to make sure she was okay and had a ride home.
That proved more difficult than it should have been thanks to his brother’s big mouth. AJ only had himself to blame for trusting Niko with the information about his life plans before the wedding. He should have told his brother after. He couldn’t walk two steps without a concerned relative stopping him to ask about his new “life plan”—as if he’d enrolled in some sort of small-town witness protection. He was selling his house and going into the private sector, not giving evidence against a mafia don. People did it all the time. It wasn’t as if he was joining a cult. His responses were minimal, sometimes only a grunt, and he didn’t break his stride.
He slipped out of the tent, crossing the makeshift floorboards and ducking through a gap between two swaying, tipsy aunts. Overhead, the string lights had been woven in an impressive grid, blanketing the area in magic. The air was damp and cold, fragrant with the perfume of wet pine needles and crushed grass, and every time AJ inhaled, he caught the peppery undertone of the evergreens. He stopped when he saw Poppy standing aloneat the edge of the deck, looking out past the yard to where the woods pressed up like a velvet wall.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, not wanting to startle her, but she still jumped, turning sharply and shushing him with a finger to her lips.
“Shh.”
He glanced over his shoulder, confused as to why him asking if she was okay was a bad thing.
“Are you leaving?”
“No, I was just looking for?—”
As she was speaking, Frankie appeared from inside the house, beaming in her wedding dress.
“Liam is looking for you,” Poppy relayed.
Frankie’s eyes lit up, her whole body pivoting towards the tent at the mention of her new husband. For a second, AJ saw a version of his sister from childhood, how she used to leap out of bed on Christmas morning, propelled by anticipation. Or do a somersault when she was the one who got the prize at the bottom of the cereal box.
“Myhusband.” Frankie rolled the word around in her mouth like it was expensive chocolate.
He’d never seen his baby sister as happy as she’d been the past couple months, even in her youth. He watched as she scampered off, her train trailing behind her. She deserved this and so much more, she deserved all the happiness in the world.
“What are you thinking?” Poppy tilted her head, looking at him like he was an alien from another planet.
His attention turned back to her. “Why?”
She shrugged, her lips pressing into a line.
