“I texted you as soon as I got the funeral home’s voicemail. I was in meetings all day.”
Ava rolled her eyes and continued, “Anyway, I thought we could all process this trauma together. You’re welcome,” Ava said.
“Like some kind of fucked up family exposure therapy. Charming, Dodo,” Lucas muttered, looking down at his phone.
“Don’t call me that, Lucy,” she retorted as she pulled the car away from the curb. She felt a squeeze on her shoulder, and the subtle woodsy scent of Noah’s cologne filtered to the front seat. She looked at him in the mirror. His face was split into a wide smile, a lock of hair flopping in front of his glasses.
“Thanks for bringing it. It feels kind of fitting to return to the cabin with a piece of Dad with us,” he said. His blue eyes sparkled in the natural light, reminding her so much of their mom. Noah was the peacekeeper sibling. His gentle personality the sensitive counterpart to their brother’s abrasive exterior.
“And ignore Lucas. He’s been pissy since our layover in Boston.”
Lucas scoffed instead of responding. He continued staring at his phone, his fingers flying across the screen.
Ava turned the volume up on the classic rock radio station, filling the lapsed silence of the siblings lost in their thoughts on their way to the cabin in Cedar Falls.
The blaze of the fire warmed Ava’s face in the cooling evening temperature. While her brothers added dried twigs and debris to the fire pit, Ava was content to sit back and sip her old-fashioned. The bitter orange taste blended deliciously with the smoky air. Lucas may be an asshole most of the time, but he made a good cocktail.
When the Hanson siblings arrived at the cabin hours earlier, Lucas promptly raided their dad’s stash of liquor and deemed the half-empty bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon ‘acceptable’. After a healthy slug of straight bourbon, he offered to make a round of drinks and Noah declared it was the perfect night to have a bonfire once they’d settled in.
Her phone lit up on her lap with a notification. She swiped to read the message from Summer.
Summer: You at the cabin?
Ava: Yup, just hanging tonight. Want to stop by and see the guys?
Summer: So glad you asked because we’re already on the way there.
Ava: We?
Moments later, headlights cut through the dark path of the driveway. Her brothers turned to track the car crunching on the gravel.
“Expecting company?” Lucas asked.
The car rolled to a stop, and Summer jumped out of the passenger door.
Noah smiled at the sight of her best friend. “I don’t think anyone can expect Summer. She just appears,” he laughed.
“She messaged as she was pulling up,” Ava explained.
“Typical Summer,” Lucas scoffed, taking a drink out of his glass like he needed the extra fortitude to deal with their guest.
“What’s typical of me? How I’m so wonderful and charismatic? Unlike some people,” Summer responded as she neared the fire and raised her eyebrows at Lucas.
“It’s nice to see you, Summer,” Lucas replied.
“Likewise.”
Noah rounded the fire and opened his arms wide, gathering Summer into a big hug. Summer laughed in response, returning the hug with a squeeze around his middle.
“Lucas may not mean it, but I do. It’s so good to see you. Thanks for taking care of Ava until we could get here,” Noah told her sincerely, releasing her from the hug.
“Aw, see, this is why you’ve always been my favorite.” Summer took a step back to look up at him.
Noah rubbed absently at the back of his neck with a shy smile.
“Hey, girl, whatcha drinking?” Summer greeted Ava.
“Old fashioned, want a sip?”
