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She coughed a laugh and covered her mouth. Then her head dipped down as she let out a soft moan.

He looked down at his lap, realizing he was still massaging her feet, even after the aloe was thoroughly worked into her skin. He dropped his hands.

She looked up at him, then tilted her head. “You’re not wearing a shirt.”

Archer looked down at his bare chest. “Sorry, I was in the process of changing it.”

He didn’t move at first, watching the way she scanned the tattoos on his chest. He hesitated, enjoying the way her eyes roamed over him. Then he caught himself, moving her feet off his lap and returning to his room. “Any updates?” he called after her, sliding open the top dresser drawer.

“Nothing important. The loon committee is meeting in a few weeks over Zoom, and the association said our fee payments went through.”

He slipped the shirt on. “Remind me how we were able to manage the payment without asking the owners for it?”

“We’re not paying for help, which means we have a little bit of savings we can work with from last summer. We can remind owners after the Fourth of July, and offer small payment plans if we think people can’t afford it in full this year.”

He swiped on deodorant. “And the party?”

“We’re going to get hammered, that’s for sure.”

Archer stood up straight. That voice wasn’t soft or bright. It was burly and rich…and recognizable.

He lunged from his room, finding Austin standing on his porch, nose pressed into the screen door. Riley was tucked underneath his arm beside him, a lollipop dangling from her mouth.

“Holy mother fucking shit,” Archer breathed.

“Holy mother fucking shit right back at ya,” Austin replied, grinning ear to ear. He swung the door open of the cabin and the two of them stumbled in. Austin released his hold on his wife, then wrapped his arms around Archer and slapped his back.

Archer gripped tight. “Why the hell are you here and not in Fargo?”

“Fuck Fargo.” Austin squeezed tighter. “I haven’t missed a Wild Pines Fourth of July party ever, and I’m not letting some fucking pandemic ruin my streak.”

Archer stepped back, realizing he wasn’t wearing a mask. “Oh crap, I—”

Riley reached out and squeezed his arm, pulling him down so she could kiss him on the cheek. “Don’t worry, BILF, we quarantined and drove here. And got tested. Larissa was persistent.”

“BILF?”

Austin and Riley looked at each other with confusion, then both turned their gaze to the couch.

Tea held tightly to her knees, watching the entire interaction unfold with a look that seemed to be a mixture of fear…and longing.

Riley placed a hand over her mouth.

“Holy mother fucking shit indeed,” Austin said.

“Were you really not going to tell me that Tea was here and that you guys made up?”

Archer scratched his neck, watching Tea and Riley set up chairs on the beach. Two bottles of wine and four glasses sat on the table close by. “I never said I wasn’t going to tell you.”

“Yet she’s been here, what, a month?” Austin pulled on the beer in his hand. “I love how Riley grabbed me a glass like she thinks I’ll magically turn into a wine person at this exact moment.”

“What do you have against wine?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“You’re the one who changed it.”

Austin turned around to face Archer, his back to the women. “Seriously, Arch, what the hell? I had to pull you out of your bed every goddamn day after everything went down, and you’re letting her waltz right back into your life like she didn’t rip your heart out and feed it to the bears?”