Zander shrugged. “He was dealing with the whole Winston thing.”
She tipped her head. The whole Winston thing encompassed the overdose of their youngest brother. It seems they all did things that didn’t make sense after that.
“Are Camila and James on their way?” Mom asked as she wandered into the kitchen. She headed straight to the chilled wine cabinet and surveyed the selection.
“Yeah,” Zander answered. “They’ll be here soon.”
“Well, I have to say,” Grandma Lo said as she made her way toward the kitchen as well, a gorgeous-looking Sawyer in tow. “It sure is nice having Sawyer here at the cabin with us again. You haven’t come since you were a kid,” she added.
Sawyer nodded. “Yeah, it’s been a while.” He locked eyes with Betzy across the room, a heated look that made her toes tingle. It was a good thing he hadn’t pulled out the smolder card in years past. She might have asked him to propose to her sooner.
Suddenly, a short movement caught her eye. Grandma was looking between the two of them, back and forth, seeming to survey the exchange. She grinned then, and stepped over to the wine cabinet with Mom. “What have we got here?” she asked.
Betzy moved toward Sawyer, meeting him halfway, and noticed him blow out a breath through pursed lips. “You nervous?” she asked in a whisper.
He rolled his shoulders back a few times and grinned. “Not at all.” The wink he shot her said that wasn’t exactly true. Something about the exchange felt very natural. Even if the two reallyweredating, he’d likely be nervous to spend the week with her entire family.
“Duke said you guys have a few snowmobiles in the garage. Should we go test one out before the rest of the crew gets here?”
It felt as if he’d just asked her out on a date. All the whirls and twirls stirring in her tummy. “Sure. That’d be fun.”
“Hey, Betzy, mind helping me with this cork, dear?” Grandma asked. “I’m such a klutz with these things.” She motioned for Betzy to follow her onto the back patio, the bottle in one hand, the opener in the other.
Great. She could already feel the scrutiny coming on. Just days ago in Grandma’s boutique, Betzy had said she had no idea who she’d marry if she had to choose. On that same day, Sawyer had come up as table conversation while they ogled his bachelor feature. All the while, Betzy had never said she and Sawyer were even interested in each other. And now she’d shown up at the family trip with him by her side.
Sure, Betzy had told Mom to give Grandma a head’s up, but she knew that would only raise more questions. Questions she’d have to answer sooner rather than later.
Zander stepped in and put a hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. “I’ll help him get one of the Ski-doos out of the garage,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Betzy blew out a breath. Thank heavens for Zander. He was good at stuff like this.
A rush of brisk air swept over Betzy’s face as she stepped through the patio door behind Grandma Lo.
Bright, glistening snow clung to the tall, naked redwoods and needle covered pines, creating a spectacular winter view.
This part of the deck was covered, but that hadn’t stopped a dusting of windswept snow from settling over the wood slats.
The wood-burning pit, complete with an array of log chairs, lay on the lower level of the deck. Grandma opted for the gas-burning fireplace on the upper level, flicked the switch, and motioned Betzy over to the sidebar.
Betzy joined her at the stone-slated bar before taking hold of the bottle and the opener. “How was your ride over?” She centered the corkscrew and began to twist.
“Fine, fine. Matthew drives much too slow for my taste,” she griped. “I like it better when you drive.”
Betzy grinned. She’d made it through the center of the cork, so she gripped hold of the steel wings and pressed them down nice and slow.
Up, up, andpop.Vapor wafted from the bottle top.
Grandma leaned over and gave it a whiff. “Ah, thank you.”
Betzy was hoping to slink back into the house for her snow clothes, but she knew she wouldn’t get off so easily.
“I thought we could talk a little bit, before we go back in there, about Sawyer.” She never was one to beat around the bush.
“Okay,” Betzy said, shivering against the cold anew. A tiny bird fluttered in and poked its delicate beak into the thick of a pine tree.
Grandma scooted the bottle aside and rested her elbows on the bar. “You like Sawyer, do you?”
Betzy nodded. “I’ve always liked him.”
