"I heard you're planning Emma's wedding. How exciting! I've been telling her she should consider a winter ceremony at the resort. The ballroom is just magical this time of year," Jessica suggests.
"We're keeping it local," Savannah says diplomatically. "Emma wants something that feels like Pine Hollow."
"Oh, of course. Small-town charm has its appeal." Jessica's tone suggests she finds small-town charm about as appealing as a root canal. "Well, if you need any recommendations for vendors or venues, I know simply everyone worth knowing."
"I'm sure you do," Savannah replies.
There's something in Savannah's tone that makes me bite back a grin. Polite on the surface, but with enough steel underneath to cut glass.
"Logan, you simply must bring Savannah to the New Year's Eve party at the resort. It's going to be absolutely divine. Everyone who's anyone will be there," Jessica insists.
"We'll see," I say noncommittally, because the last thing I want to do is spend New Year's Eve making small talk with transplants who think authenticity is something you can buy at Whole Foods.
"Wonderful! Well, I should dash. Hot yoga class in twenty minutes." Jessica's gaze flicks between us with obvious speculation. "You two make such a lovely couple. There's something so... primal about the way you look at each other."
Heat floods my face, and Savannah's vanilla bourbon scent spikes with embarrassment.
"We're not..." Savannah starts.
"Old friends," I finish quickly.
"Of course you are." Jessica's smile suggests she doesn't believe a word of it. "Well, I'll see you around town, I'm sure. Pine Hollow is wonderfully small that way."
She clicks away on designer boots that probably cost more than my monthly salary, leaving us standing on the sidewalk with the weight of her observation hanging between us.
"Primal?" Savannah asks, her voice carefully neutral.
"She watches too much reality TV," I reply.
"Is that what it is?" Savannah presses.
I turn to look at her, noting the way the cold air has brought more color to her cheeks and made her eyes water slightly. "What do you think it is?"
"I think Jessica Hamilton has very good instincts," Savannah admits. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she confirms.
And just like that no more do I want to do the tour, but press my lips against her and beg her for forgiveness.
Why is this so fucking hard?
16
LOGAN
We continue walking down Main Street, but the dynamic between us has shifted completely. Jessica's observation hangs in the air like a challenge neither of us is ready to address directly, and I'm hyperaware of every step, every breath, every sideways glance Savannah sends my way.
Her vanilla bourbon scent has gotten richer, more complex, carrying undercurrents of something I don't dare name. When I place my hand on the small of her back to guide her around a patch of ice, she doesn't pull away, and the brief contact burns through the layers of clothing between us like a brand.
"Miller's Market?" I suggest, nodding toward the familiar storefront ahead. "We could grab some groceries for dinner."
"Sure," Savannah agrees, but her voice is slightly breathless, and she's looking at me with an expression I can't quite read. Her cheeks are flushed from more than just the cold, and she keeps tucking strands of auburn hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture I remember from when we were younger.
Miller's Market looks the same from the outside, but when we push through the automatic doors, it's clear that it has undergone subtle changes. The produce section has beenexpanded and reorganized, with more organic options and locally sourced items. The aisles are wider, the lighting is better, and everything looks cleaner and more modern.
We haven't even cleared the entrance before Mrs. Henderson materializes from behind a display of organic vegetables, her omega scent sharp with curiosity and the kind of barely contained excitement that comes from spotting fresh gossip material.
"Savannah, dear! And Logan!" Her eyes practically sparkle with speculation as she takes in our proximity, the way I'm standing slightly behind Savannah with my hand still hovering near her back. "How wonderful to see you two together again!"
