Wren stands in my doorway Friday afternoon, just before two.
“He’s renting a truck.” I pull the zipper tight around my oversized suitcase. It’s meant for a seven or eight day trip, and I know I’m only going to be gone for two days, but I like to be prepared . . . especially when I don’t know what to expect.
“Where is this Rixton Falls place again?”
“A couple hours north. Upstate.”
I sit on top of my luggage, smooshing down the contents so I can pull the zipper the rest of the way around. No part of me believes this is actually happening, and I don’t think it’ll feel real until we’re cruising down the interstate wondering what the ratio of fun to awkwardness will be this weekend.
I’ve never traveled anywhere with someone I hardly know. For all intents and purposes, we’re still halfway between friends and strangers. At least he’s a public figure, which means I’m ninety-nine point nine percent sure he’s not some secret serial killer planning to hack me up and feed me to the catfish.
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to cover my appointments this weekend? I have six,” I say. “Four of them are regulars. Two are brand new.”
Wren’s eyes glint and she leans against my doorway, arms folded. “I’ve got this. Just go to Ricksville Falls with your super sexy baseball player boyfriend and have a great time.”
“Rixton Falls,” I correct her. “And he’s not my boyfriend. As far as I know, we’re sleeping in separate bedrooms and I’m accompanying him as a friend.”
“Ha.” Wren slaps her leg. “Right. You’re accompanying him as a ‘friend’ because he’d much rather go fishing with some random girl he met a week ago than one of his old baseball buddies.”
She has a point, so I zip my lip.
Still, my expectations are zeroed out.
I’m simply going because he invited me and because it sounds like a good time.
Growing up, we used to have a lake house in the Ozarks. Every summer, about this time, I get nostalgic for that place.
“Remember the house on Prairie Rose Drive?” I ask Wren.
She stands straight, eyes wistful. “How could I forget?”
“Mom, someone’s knocking at the door.” Enzo squeezes from behind my sister.
Shit.
I didn’t know he was coming up here.
And he’s early.
Wren studies me, looking slightly amused at the fact that I’m panicking over probably nothing, and then she slips her arm around Enzo’s shoulder.
“Are you all packed for your dad’s, buddy?” she asks.
“Not yet. Sorry, Mom,” Enzo says. “I’ll do it now.”
He hates packing, but he loves to see his dad. Lorenzo may have his issues and he may have been a shitty partner to my sister, but Enzo lives and breathes for his weekends with his father.
They head down the hall, each splitting off in separate directions, and I take a minute for myself, breathing deep and replacing all my worries with pure excitement.
This is going to be a good weekend.
I have a feeling.
Wheeling my suitcase down the hall, my heart races, reverberating in my ears, and I feel a hot flush sprint through my body when I round the corner and see Ace standing at my door, his hands buried in the pockets of his low-lung jeans and his tanned, muscled arms playing off his white V-neck t-shirt.
“Hi,” I say, wondering why the hell I’m acting shy all of a sudden.
“Hey.” There’s something lighter in his eyes today. I noticed it Wednesday, too, at the café. “You ready?”
His gaze falls to my suitcase and he reaches for it, stopping halfway through.
“What are you bringing? You know it’s only two days, right?” He takes the handle and pulls it toward him, curling it like a dumbbell. “Jesus. This has got to weigh at least . . . seventy, eighty pounds?”
“Stop.” I wave him off.
“I told her she over-packed.” Wren shoots me a look, making her way toward Ace with her right hand extended, and I realize I haven’t properly introduced them yet. God, she acts like our mother sometimes. And right now, she looks like her too. “Hi, I’m Wren. Aidy’s sister.”
Ace shakes her hand. “Good to meet you, Wren.”
I check the time on my phone. “Should we get going? I’m sure there’s some kind rush hour we’re trying to avoid. I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually driven anywhere.”
Enzo appears from behind Wren, stepping out of the shadows of the hallway. His round eyes are wide and locked on Ace, and he uses his mother as