* * *
Thirty minutes later, I was unpacking. Most of the Carmichaels were at the beach while others ran errands, so the house had been quiet until “the boys” got back from their sail. It turned out they weren’t technically boys. “Family!” Nick Carmichael exclaimed once he and Charlie joined us on the back porch, which overlooked the water. Maisie and Bryce were racing across the rollinglawn with Swede and two other dogs, but my dad, Erica, and I’d been admiring the view of the gleaming blue-green Oyster Pond. Grinning, Nick stretched out his arms as if expecting a group hug, accidentally whacking his twin in the chest.
Charlie played it up with a cough. “Spatial awareness much appreciated, Knickknack.”
Erica laughed and hugged them both. Nick and Charlie weren’t identical twins, but they were both tall and unbelievably good-looking with red hair and matching Ray-Bans. I was pretty sure they were in their mid-twenties. “They’re Jay’s sons, and unequivocally my mother’s favorite grandchildren,” Erica had said with a sigh. “But I don’t blame her; they’re lovely. Charlie is in medical school at Harvard, and you know Nick is…”
A professional athlete, one of the rising stars in the NHL—and, as of last month, a Stanley Cup champion. With the exception of professional tennis and the Olympics, I was only a casual sports fan, but I was no less impressed. Nick had been drafted his sophomore year at Yale and now played for the New York Rangers.
“Olivia!” Nick didn’t hesitate before wrapping me in a hug. “It’s great to see you, step-cousin.”
“For the record,Icoined that term.” Charlie winked at me after his twin and I broke apart, then stuck out his hand for me to shake. “And through trial and error, I know you’re not a hugger.”
“Oh, crap.” Nick’s smile dropped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“No, no!” I felt myself flush. Charlie had hugged me hello acouple years ago at his aunt’s New Year’s Eve party, and I hadn’t been expecting it, so I’d flinched and the vibe had been really awkward. “You give amazing hugs,” I reassured Nick.
“Yes, doesn’t he?” Peggy joined us on the deck, and offered everyone a glass of lemonade from the wicker tray she held. “Would you mind unpacking their car?” she asked her grandsons. “I want them to relax and enjoy this beautiful late afternoon.”
In response, Charlie dutifully saluted his grandmother; Nick snorted and wrangled his twin into a headlock as they headed off for the garage.
Okay, maybe theywereboys.
But boys who took their chores seriously! They had the Expedition unloaded in ten minutes, and I told myself it wasn’t embarrassing how much stuff I’d brought—it was obvious which suitcase(s) were mine. For my high school graduation last year, Erica and my dad had given me an entire luggage set. It was white with camel-colored leather and my monogrammed initials: OBL, for Olivia Brooke Lupo.
Brooke was my mom.
“I know how much you loved Annie James’s luggage inThe Parent Trapwhen you were young!” Erica had said. “Isn’t it perfect?”
Yeah, I thought.Perfect to send me on my way…
Although I couldn’t deny that the luggage was stunning. My grandmother had agreed when I’d shown her photos. “Perfect for an adventure!” Annie smiled. “Bon voyage, my darling…”
Peggy showed me to my room, on the first floor of the east wing.SUMMERCAMP, a hand-painted sign on the door read, which made my spine straighten. Summer Camp, as inAnnie’ssummer camp? Had the tractor photo been takenhere?
I flushed a little, feeling silly for imagining a tractor in the garage outside. The building wasn’tthatbig.
To my surprise, the door opened not to a bedroom, but a small square-shaped landing with wood-paneled walls. “Topper and I renovated after our first two grandchildren were born,” Peggy explained. “Instead of singular bedrooms, we wanted to create nooks to allow each family some privacy.” She shook her head. “And it’s a good thing we did; Beth and Ashleylovedto bicker…”
I laughed politely. Erica and my dad were getting the twins settled in the opposite side of the house, so it looked like I’d be escaping Maisie’s snoring and Bryce talking in his sleep.
But there hadn’t been a room closer to them?
“Who’s staying in here?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be weird.
“Connor,” Peggy answered. “I’m sure Erica mentioned him.”
Connor?I tried to connect the dots.HadErica told me about him? Was he one of Ashley’s kids? Or someone else’s son? I didn’t ask for any clarification, lest Peggy be offended I’d forgotten one of her grandchildren.
There were three doors off the hallway; Peggy gestured to the one on the right, then left me to it. The bedroom was cozy, with white shiplap walls and a green-and-cream striped rug overtopthe knotty wood floor. A bunkbed had been built into the wall, against the slanted ceiling, and I was happy to see a copper wall sconce for late-night reading. Across the room, a vintage boat-in-a-bottle sat on an antique teak dresser, and I had no idea how I was going to fit everything into the narrow-looking closet.
The room was neat, but it also looked lived-in; a windbreaker hung from one of the multiple hooks on the wall, along with a baseball cap. Had someone forgotten them?
Before unzipping my suitcase, I closed my door to call Annie. She hadn’t known me when I visited yesterday, not understanding that the tears in my teary goodbye were because I was going to miss her so much. Unfortunately, my call to Elkins almost immediately dropped; I checked my service to see that I only had one bar.
Crap.My palms started to sweat. Erica had mentioned something about spotty service on the drive here. But the Wi-Fi was reliable…
Multiple networks appeared when I investigated.XfinityWIFI, Sage’s iPhone,DIRECT-9B-HP OfficeJet 4650,Let’s Get Routy, and what was most likely the general router:Camp Carmichael.
