No one graces that with a response. There are some aunts and uncles—honestly, I can’t remember their names—sitting around, hugging coffee cups and Diet Cokes and not looking impressed that their nephew is making such a ruckus before noon.
“No wonder you can’t stand the guy,” I whisper to Miles.
He leans down and kisses the top of my head. “You’re the best wife I’ve ever had.”
I’ve lost Miles. And it’s making me a little panicky. Some of the cousins have gone on a hike that requires driving to a mountain. I’m trying to avoid Preston and his girlfriend, and I’m also doing my best to hide from Miles’s mom.
Not to mention Goldie.
The woman is a bloodhound. I’m afraid she’ll ask me for our five-year plan—again.
I can’t find Miles anywhere, so I take a walk down a narrow path that hopefully leads toward the lake. It was the closest available escape route when I saw Preston start heading for me across the grassy area.
A branch snaps behind me, and I start running.
I turn a sharp corner and run right into Felix.
I yelp and grab his elbows, scared that I’m going to knock him over, but he does more to keep us upright than I do. It’s a good thing he’s so fit.
“Sorry about that. I should stop staring at my feet when I walk.” He chuckles.
“I was the one running where I couldn’t see.” I place a hand against my chest as I glance over my shoulder.
“You running from someone?” Felix asks quietly.
I glance back at him and see exactly where Miles got those kind, sparkling eyes. “Yes.”
I hear a branch snapping and a man’s voice calling my name.
Felix crooks a finger and motions for me to follow him. We step off the trail and go far enough into the brush that we’re not visible from the trail.
Sure enough, Preston walks by, calling, “Lucy?”
Anything that guy has to say to me, I don’t want to hear it.
I glance down and realize I’m still clutching Felix’s arm. I mouth,Sorry, and he just shrugs with a grin.
We wait for Preston to walk around the corner before we walk back out onto the trail.
We stand there, staring down the path that Preston took.
“Not one for talk?” Felix finally asks.
“Depends on who wants to talk,” I say cautiously.
Preston is his grandson, after all.
“If you want a good view of the lake, you can come down this trail.” Felix takes a side trail and walks away.
I don’t know if that was an invitation or just general information, but I follow him anyway.
The trail opens up right at the lake’s edge. There’s a log bench that Felix is sitting on, holding a fishing pole. He must have stashed his stuff here earlier.
He glances back at me after casting and tilts his head toward the other end of the log. “Plenty of room if you want to hide a while longer.”
I sit down carefully, trying not to jar the log into rolling beneath us. I don’t say anything because I’ve never been fishing before, and it makes sense that talking could scare the fish away.
“You come from a small family?” Felix starts reeling in his line.
