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She laughs, skirting her gaze away from Tate. “Those were the good old days.”
We reminisce a little longer before Tate motions to the tables. “We should probably find our seats, Liv.”
“We’ll catch up soon,” Liv says to me, allowing Tate to lead her away.
I agree, then watch as Tate rests a hand at the small of Liv’s back. Have they started dating? I’ll have to do some recon soon.
Ben joins his parents at the memory wall, though Jaxon lingers, talking to me about his engagement to Landrie Langford, one of my friends from high school.
“I was so excited when I got the announcement,” I say. “Your engagements were beautiful.”
He grins. “All thanks to Landrie.”
“Is she gonna be here tonight?”
“No, she’s busy with wedding prep.” He pretends to wipe sweat off his brow. “Luckily I’m not needed for this round.”
Our conversation carries on a minute more before he’s called away by a group of his friends.
Finally, it’s just me and Luke. He drapes an arm around my shoulders like he did when we were teenagers. “It’s so good to have you here,” he says with a tight squeeze. “It brings me back to the good ole days, you know? Look how much we’ve both changed in three years. You don’t look like you’re twelve anymore.”
I jab him in his side, and he pulls away with a laugh. “And you don’t look like Ichabod Crane.”
He laughs again. He’s always been tall, but the muscles are a new development I won’t complain about. If only I could be attracted to him like Dad wants me to be. My life and future would be a lot less complicated.
“Speaking of high school,” I say, “you still in contact with Tess?”
His features fall just a degree, but he’s quick to pick them back up again. “Nah. She’s at Vermont State now.”
“So? You don’t reach out to her at all?”
“I haven’t recently.”
“But do you want to?”
He shakes his arms out. “All right, enough with the third degree, Detective Monroe. You’re starting to sound like my dad. And yours. Anyway, what about you? Any new boyfriends at BU?”
“Not anyone serious.”
“That’s right. I bet you’re just breaking hearts left and right instead.”
“More like breaking noses.”
He lifts his brow in approval.
“So why don’t you go to Vermont State?” I ask.
He laughs at my abrupt return to the previous conversation, then raises his hands in retreat. “All right, all right. I’ll talk. I don’t have any interest in going to school. Not even to join Tess. I think I’d just rather stay at the farm and help Dad out.”
“My dad’s been talking about farming when he finally retires. Maybe he’ll come work for you.”
“Oh, that’d be great. You’d join him, right? Aren’t you a package deal?”
“What the heck would I do on a farm? I’m not handy, and my upper body strength is less than ideal.”
Luke shrugs. “You can be the poster child for the Walker Farm. We’ll put your face on our hay and sell millions.”
I blush. Leave it to a Walker boy to give your confidence the boost it needs. “Well, farming does sound nicer than college right about now.”
