Bailey grins at me. “You weren’t.”
“Yeah, butAnders,” I reply with a shrug.
“I wasn’t either.”
“Yeah, butCasey,” I say with another shrug, because the more I see them together, the more convinced I am that they’re perfect for each other.
Bailey smiles. “He’s growing back his mustache, you know,” she tells me casually.
“Is he?”
“Yep. So all is right with the world now.”
I giggle, even as my heart continues to thud as we walk across the dusty farmyard toward the others.
I think she’s happy, but I know Bailey, at least I donow, after this summer. She’s not the sort of person to let life happen to her. She’ll grab life by the horns and make it work forher, and if it doesn’t go well here, if she and Jonas don’t carry on running events that she enjoys organizing, if she continues to be bored by life at the golf club, then she’ll do something else.I know she will. Whether it’s here in town, over in Bloomington, or farther afield, and Casey will move mountains to be with her. He won’t be happy unless she is, that’s a fact. So they will be okay. Of that, I’m certain.
“Tyler, this is my sister!” Bailey calls as we approach.
“Oh, hey!” Tyler exclaims, meeting me halfway to give me a hug. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
She’s stunning, with sparkling blue eyes, a face full of freckles, and a smile that could light up a room.
“You too. It’s so good to finally meet you. Thanks so much for letting us stay at your place last month.”
“You’ll have to come back so we can have a night out together,” she replies.
“I’d love that.”
Jonas comes over and sweeps me up in a hug, growling a greeting in my ear and putting me down right next to his brother.
Subtle, Jonas, subtle.
I look at Anders, my heart flipping and flipping and flipping.
“Hey,” he says quietly, a small smile on his lips, two creases between his perfect brows, his startlingly flawed eyes resting on mine.
“Hi,” I reply, wanting more than anything to reach out and smooth those creases away, once and for all.
Stay strong, the voice inside my head reminds me.You have to be strong for him.
But then Anders steps forward and takes me in his arms. I breathe in sharply, barely even registering the clean citrus scent of him or his hard chest pressing against mine before he lets me go.
My stomach dips, my smile wavering at the realization that he just hugged me and I was so tense, I didn’t even hug him back.
“Right, come on, Wren,” Bailey chirps, and I know she’s attempting to rescue me because I don’t think it could be any more awkward. “Can you get the Airstream out of the shed, Jonas? We need to set up.”
“I’ll do it,” Anders offers.
“Bailey, can you tell me where you want the mobile bar?” Tyler asks her.
“Crap,” Bailey mutters, stopping and turning around. “You all right?” she asks me.
“Fine.”
Anders and I walk alone, toward the shed. So much for escaping the awkwardness of the situation.
“How have you been?” he asks.
