She waved her knife. “Hi, Mac. Long time no see.”
Her deep-brown eyes darted over me, away, then back again. She seemed nervous, which didn’t sit right on her. Zara had always found a way to fit in wherever she went. Hanging with the ranch hands, charming Gray at the diner, making frat boys tripover themselves on our college campus. Now, she looked like she wasn’t sure she was in the right place.
“Yeah. A real long time.”Three years since I watched you marry a man nowhere near worthy of you. Did you see me? Did you care I was there?I cleared the thickness from my throat. “I guess you’re here.”
“Seems like it.” She looked down at the chopped carrot on the cutting board. “It’s still kind of surreal.”
Surreal was a good word for it. I never thought I’d be standing in this kitchen, talking to Zara like no time had passed. Yet, here she was, golden in a tank top and cutoff shorts. Purple shadows streaked beneath her eyes, and new lines around her mouth made me think she hadn’t gotten enough sleep and had done too much frowning recently.
My dad opened the fridge and peered back at me. “Want a beer, kid?”
Hell yes. Drinking beer in my parents’ kitchen was normal. Getting lost staring at the girl I’d been crazy about as a teenager wasn’t.
“Sure,” I replied.
He glanced at Zara. “You too, sweetheart?”
It took her a beat, but a sweet smile spread across her lips. “Yes, please. I’d love a beer.”
I forced myself to move forward, crossing the wood floor to my mother. Her eyes, which matched my own, slid over me. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line as she studied me.
“Hey, Mom.”
With a sigh, she opened her arms. “Come here, kid.”
She squeezed me a shade too tight, my bones creaking in her embrace, and whispered, “Try, Maccie. Please try.”
I froze, my breath getting stuck in my lungs until she hugged me a little harder, forcing it out. I’d never spoken to her about any of this, but she knew. Maybe it was her mom witchcraft, ormaybe I had a habit of wearing my heart on my sleeve. Either way, she had always seen right through me.
Sighing, I nodded.
“Okay.”
The beer helped. Sitting at the table, getting some distance, even if it was just a few feet, helped even more.
Dad sat down across from me, cradling a beer. “Good day?”
“Busy, like always.” I rolled my bottle between my palms. “The Keller party arrived. They kept me on my toes all day.”
He grimaced. “Is Mrs. Keller hounding you already?”
“You could say that. She’s trying to rope me into going on a trail ride with her.” I sighed. “I’ll probably relent. I always do.”
Some of our guests thought the staff came as part of the exorbitant rates. The Kellers had been coming every summer for the last decade, and Mrs. Keller was…attached to me. She spent more time hanging around the front desk, trying to chat with me, than enjoying the resort’s amenities. Fortunately, not all guests were as needy as she was. Otherwise, I’d never get my job done.
“You should take her on one Zara’s leading,” my mother said. “Check the schedule.”
My gaze landed on Zara. She was already looking at me, her brow pinched, and I cocked my head, curious about her expression. I was still wondering why she’d bolted out of Gray’s at the sight of me too, but had decided to add that to the stack of things I’d never ask.
The corner of her mouth quirked, and my gut plummeted, reminded too much of the old days, back when summers went way too fast and the time in between crawled.
“Do you remember how to ride?” I asked.
“I do. Riding in Oregon isn’t quite the same, but I’m pretty sure I can manage.” She grabbed the end of her long ponytail,wrapping the silky black strands around her fingers. “You might want to come along, just to make sure I’m up for the job.”
“I’m sure you’re up for the job in general. Handling Mrs. Keller is another story. You’ll need me there for that.”
“Is she terrible?”
