She wondered if she should try the side door. She could sneak in and see if she spotted the rest, but Kate called earlier and said everyone was running late. Dani came a bit later than she had planned. Kate instructed her to look around the beer gardens first. The group was going to congregate there before going through the animal barns. She hoped to avoid walking into the beer gardens alone, but looking around—“Hey.”
Jake was behind her, dressed in a blue polo and jeans. His hair was wet, and he ran a hand through the wet locks. He was dressed for the evening, but that wasn’t whom she saw. He held a confused look in his eyes, like he was still wondering if she was staying or going and Dani didn’t think it was about being at the beer gardens. His shoulders slumped forward, he put his hands in his pockets. In that moment, she saw the little boy who’d been her best friend. The boy who always shuffled behind her, kicking rocks ahead with his hands stuffed in his front pockets.
She felt an ache at the memory, but he jerked his head toward the corner. “You going in there?”
“Thinking about it.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” He itched behind his ear. “Look, You and Jonah—you two are so opposite. I just…it kinda spun me. The thought of you with someone else. I know lots of years have passed, and realistically you’ve probably been with other guys, but it feels like we just broke up last week. I don’t know if that makes sense. We broke up and you were gone the next day. I didn’t have time to…”
“Adjust.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not here to take you away from my sister.”
“I know.”
Did he? Because she didn’t want to deal with him thinking that, or saying something to her sister so she thought that, too. Good gracious. She had enough on her plate. She studied him a moment, but didn’t push it. She supposed that was an issue she’d have to wait and see how it played out, and hearing an outburst of laughter, she gestured behind her. “I think…”
“Okay. Yeah.” Jake nodded as he stayed put.
“You’re not coming?”
“I’m going to sit tight for a little while.”
Dani took a second look. He was exhausted. He either didn’t want to be seen going in with her or he wanted a moment to collect himself. The Jake she knew always liked those brief seconds before. He liked to ready himself.
“Okay.” Dani nodded and turned the corner.
Maybe she should’ve taken a page from Jake’s book and gotten prepared, because once she stood in that doorway, she was so not prepared. It was like in the movies. People saw her and the room grew quiet. It sounded like a collective hush, and Dani knew the cause. She began to turn away. It was instinct, to run, but she stopped herself. That wouldn’t help either.
Someone laughed in the corner and stood up, starting a slow clap. “The rumors are true, and our mysterious friend has returned home!”
The lighting inside was dim, but Dani thought she recognized Aiden Bannon.
The clapping took off, slow and tentative at first, but then thunderous and fast by the end. Dani was fighting against rolling her eyes. She didn’t want to piss people off further. Dani’s ears were ringing from the clapping.
She waved both hands in the air. “Okay. Stop. Please.”
It took a little bit, but when it was quiet enough, someone yelled out, “Where you been, Dani?”
“Looking good!”
“Damn good!”
A few wolf whistles and laughter broke out, but Dani ducked her shoulders and moved to the back corner where she thought Aiden was located.
She was right.
Around a table in the back, she spotted Aiden, Jonah’s sister, with her husband. (His massive bulk hadn’t changed or gotten softer over the years.) Kate sat alongside who Dani figured was Robbie Gray (Kate was right—tall, dark, and gorgeous now). And another guy with a medium build and dark hair pulled into a ponytail.
“Hey, Dani!” Kate called out, coming toward her. She hooked her elbow, pulling her closer to the table. “Let me introduce and re-introduce.”
She turned toward Aiden and Bubba first. As they were introduced, Dani couldn’t help but think how these people had never been her friends, yet they seemed to want to be her friends now. Growing up how she did, with whom she did, she instantly wondered what their agenda was, but no. Jonah didn’t operate like that, and this was his sister. Kate might’ve had her own goal, but Dani told herself to relax. Aiden was always known to be kind. Dani searched for any malice intent in her wide and soft eyes, but she couldn’t find any. Jonah’s sister shared his genes. While he was dark and lean, she was blonde and petite, but both had the same striking eyes. They shared the same cheekbones as well.
“Dani.” Kate pointed to ponytail guy. “This is Stilts. I told you that he migrated from Northway—”
“I’m not a goose or a bear, Katey. I didn’t migrate. It’s not like I go north during the summers and south for the winters.”
“You’re my big teddy bear, Stilts.” Aiden laughed as she leaned closer to him, resting against his shoulder. It was obvious they were close. He gazed down at her with genuine affection, his eyes warming.
He said, “Then you can say I migrated, but not you, Kate. I’m not a damn goose.”
“Everyone from Northway should migrate to Craigstown. You’re just the only goose in the town with a brain.” Kate laughed, unhooking her elbow from Dani’s.