* * *
Dinner was ready right after the sun went down; with so many people, we served ourselves buffet-style in the kitchen before finding a place to sit out on the deck. I wanted to stick with Luke, Sage, and the Carmichael twins—at twenty-six, they were the closest to my age, not to mentionreally cool—but Erica’s sister waved me over to the round table where her mother probably hosted multimillion-dollar-view bridge games. “Miss Lupo!” Beth called. “We haven’t gotten to chat yet…”
I forced myself to smile. Erica’s older sister was nice, but I understood why my stepmother kept her at a distance. Beth was intense. She’d pressed me on where I’d wanted to go to college when I was only a sophomore in high school and told me to find an SAT tutor stat.
“It’s so nice you were able to make the trip up here,” she said once we started eating, everything making my mouth water. “Erica mentioned it’s been a busy summer.”
For who?I wondered, savoring my steak. Luke had grilled it to perfection, medium rare, and the marinade was delicious, both sweet and savory.For my family? Orme?
“Oh, of course!” I told her sister, keeping my uncertainty to myself. “I wouldn’t have missed it. I’m so flattered to be included.”
Beth took a sip of water. “And your grandmother’s doing okay? All things considered?”
Her eyebrows pinched together in concern, but her forehead didn’t move. Erica had a Botox appointment now and again, but were her sister’s monthly?
“She’s fine,” I said, and was relieved when Erica’s brother Jay—newly arrived from Atlanta—sat down with a plate and wasted no time before sharing each and every detail of his roller-coaster trek here. It was more or less a smear campaign against Delta Airlines. “I’m going to take this up with your father, Olivia,” he concluded as I swallowed my last spoonful of corn salad. “It was an absolutenightmare.”
“It sounds like it,” I said. “But my dad flies for American, so I’m not sure how much he’ll apologize on Delta’s behalf…”
“Wait.” Jay cocked his head. “When did he switch to American?”
“A while ago,” I said. “From United.”
“He’s never flown for Delta?”
I internally sighed. Erica’s family liked my dad, but I felt like they made no effort to get toknowmy dad. I might’ve been young at their wedding, but I’d never forget how Erica’s brother sarcastically referred to my dad as “Maverick” in his rehearsal dinner speech, and how irritated my grandparents had been when Jay had warned Erica about marrying a pilot. The ego! The drinking! The flirty flight attendants! “How original,” Annie had deadpanned during the applause while Pops had rolled his eyes.
“Nope!” I told Jay with a bright smile. “He’s never flown for Delta.”
* * *
Everyone gathered around the deck’s gas firepit for dessert later. I wasn’t really a pie person, but the mixed berry pie made me think that whatever I’d eaten in the past could not have possibly been pie.Thiswas pie: raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries all so light, sweet, and bursting with flavor wrapped in a warm, flaky crust. I also followed Nick’s lead and plopped a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top…
“Alright,whomade this?” I asked nobody in particular.
“Morning Glory Farm,” Sage answered with a knowing look. “Best pie you’ve ever had, right?”
I nodded emphatically, my interest also piqued. Morning GloryFarm? Had Annie been there? Might the tractor photo even have beentakenthere?
My thought bubble popped when Sage held up her phone to show me Morning Glory’s Instagram. It was a flash of colorful flowers, fruits, veggies, and baked goods.
Its bio also read:Local Family-Owned Farm Since 1975.
Okay, never mind.
“I worked there one summer,” Sage said wistfully.
“Only one?”
“I wanted to spend more time outdoors.” She settled back against the striped couch cushions. “I loved the farming part, but most of my shifts ended up being behind the register.” She smiled. “I spent the next summer as a bike tour guide and also interned at the hospital a few days a week.”
“You’re a nurse, right?” I asked, even though the words I’dsnagged on weretour guide. Would she be interested in checking out Annie’s Polaroids? Maybe hitting a few landmarks with me? Retracing Annie’s steps sounded more fun if I had a copilot, and Sage seemed like someone who was up for anything. Plus, how was I going to get around? I had neither my bike nor my car here. Maybe I could borrow someone’s?
She nodded and told me she worked in the NICU, but she was taking some time off before starting her new job at another New York hospital. “Otherwise Ineverwould’ve been able to take off three weeks for this trip!”
We laughed, but before I could circle back to her tour guide days, someone whistled. “Attention, Camp Carmichael!” Nick called. “I’d like to say a few words…”
“Updating us on Lord Stanley’s status, I hope!” Jay called back. “Are you having the Cup brought here?”
