Prologue
Stephanie
18 Years Ago, Austin, Texas
"Uno!" Sophia shouted, bouncing in her seat with her single card held high.
"No way!" I stared at my hand of twelve cards, mostly blues and greens that were useless against the red seven on the pile. "You little sneak, you've been holding that Draw Four this whole time!"
"Strategy," Sophia said primly, grinning like the evil mastermind she was, even though she was only twelve.
"That's my girl," Harrison ruffled his daughter's hair as he passed, carrying plates to the kitchen. "Ruthless. Just like her old man."
"Ruthless nothing," Clemmie called from the sink. "She gets that from me. Haz, you fold every time someone looks at you sideways in poker."
"I do not fold. I make strategic retreats."
Liam snorted, drawing four cards from the pile since he couldn't play either. "Is that what we're calling it? Becauselast week you 'strategically retreated' twenty bucks to Mr. Henderson in Texas Hold 'Em."
"Whose side are you on, boy?” Mr. Harrison demanded, but he was smiling that easy smile that made their whole house feel warm.
This was Thursday night at the Walker house. Family dinner—which included me more often than not—followed by whatever game Sophia picked. Tonight's torture was Uno, and she was destroying all of us.
"Your turn, Steph," Liam said, bumping my shoulder. "Unless you're giving up?"
"Never." I played a Wild card with flourish. "Green!"
"Noooo!" Sophia wailed as I changed the color away from her final red card.
"Strategy," I mimicked, making Liam laugh.
God, I loved that sound. Fifteen years old and already I was completely gone for the boy next door with the crooked smile and steady hands. Not that I'd ever tell him that. We were best friends, and I wasn’t about to risk that. I’d rather have him some than not at all.
"Alright, dishes, then Steph needs to head home," Clemmie announced. "School night."
"It's only nine-thirty," Sophia protested.
"And you still have math homework," Harrison reminded her.
"Math is evil."
"Math is necessary," Liam said, already collecting the Uno cards. "Come on, Soph. I'll help you after Steph goes home."
I helped clear the table, comfortable in their kitchen as my own. The Walkers had lived next door for three years now, ever since Harrison got transferred to Austin for his job at Dell. Three years of dinners and game nights and Liam teaching me to throw a football in the backyard while Sophia provided commentary.
"Thanks for dinner, Mrs. W," I said, putting plates in the dishwasher.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Clemmie?" She squeezed my shoulder. "And you know you're always welcome here, honey."
"Walk me home?" I asked Liam, even though home was literally forty feet away.
His eyes sparkled across the kitchen. ”Like you need to ask."
We stepped out into the humid Austin night, cicadas screaming in the trees. Summer was holding on despite it being late September, the air thick enough to swim through.
"Your dad was in a good mood tonight," I said.
"He got that promotion. The one he's been gunning for all year."
