my back?
I finally found my voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Everly. Hudson told me you’re living in Greenland?”
She laughed. “I did—now I’m home for a little while.”
“What? That’s amazing!” Hudson exclaimed, dragging her in for another hug before releasing her.
It was kind of cute the way Everly kept sneaking glances at Kyle. Both of them were waiting ever so patiently to be introduced.
“Everly, this is my brother, Kyle Larson.”
Kyle extended his hand to Everly and shook hers gently. “Welcome back to Boggy Creek, Ms. Higgins.”
I didn’t think it was possible for her smile to grow any bigger, but it did, and she blushed the most darling shade of pink. “Please, call me Everly. I haven’t been to Boggy Creek in so long.”
“How long are you staying?” Kyle asked.
“Just the weekend. I’m going back to Boston with my parents on Monday, and then I need to head to DC.”
Kyle’s shoulders sagged slightly, but he quickly rebounded. “DC?”
She nodded. “I work for NOAA. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.”
“How interesting is that!” I said. “What do you do there?”
“I’m a climatologist, and I investigate the underwater melting of glaciers and the effect of glacial meltwater on our oceans’ circulation.”
Kyle and I both stared at her.
“That sounds…cold,” Kyle finally said.
Everly laughed and nodded. “It is.”
“Since you’re only here for the weekend, you’ll have to save me a dance tonight at Brew’s Place,” Kyle said.
Everly’s face flamed as she answered, “I will.”
“Are you hungry? Do you want some food?” Hudson asked her.
“I ate, but thank you.”
“Why don’t we head on over to The Coffee Pot and grab some coffee and catch up before we go to Brew’s?” I suggested.
“That sounds like a lovely idea,” Melinda said as she took my arm and then Everly’s. “I can’t wait to hear all about Greenland, Everly!”
Hudson
There was no doubt about it: my sister and mother loved Greer. The minute they sat down at The Coffee Pot, the three of them were lost in conversation. Laughter, gasps, whispers…they did it all.
“I think your mother and sister like Greer,” Kyle said as if reading my mind, a bit of amusement in his voice.
“I would have to agree with you,” I replied.
“If you think you’re going to get a moment alone with Greer this weekend, you can forget it,” my father added. “Those two have clearly called dibs.”
Kyle chuckled. “Has your sister been in Greenland for very long?”
“She has, yes,” I said. “She was there as part of a research team for two years. She hasn’t been home since she left.”
“Wow. What got her interested in that career?”
I smiled. “She’s always been interested in the weather, how it works, why it changes. When the winters up here in New Hampshire started to shift warmer, she really took an interest in it and the impact climate change was having on the area. I honestly thought she was going to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a photographer. She’s got an eye for it and has taken some amazing pictures. Sold a few to National Geographic, as a matter of fact. She loves to travel, but her love for science won out. She’s also done research in Alaska.”
I watched as Kyle studied her. It wasn’t hard to notice how the two of them had looked at each other when they’d first met. My sister was beautiful; a mini version of my mother. She had always turned heads—and it was obvious to me that Kyle’s head was spinning.
“She’s married to her job,” I went on. “Lives, eats, breathes it.”
“Kyle’s like that too,” Greer said. We both turned to look at her. I hadn’t even realized she’d tuned into our conversation, but then I noticed my mother and Everly walking to the restroom.
“I’m not married to my job,” Kyle insisted.
Greer laughed. “You are, and just wait until you get your K9. You’ll be married to him—or her—as well.”
“You’re getting a K9 partner?” I asked.
Kyle smiled from ear to ear. “I am. Went and picked her out yesterday. She’s a Belgian Malinois.”
Greer let out a gasp. “What? It’s a girl? Why didn’t you tell me?”
With a slight chuckle, Kyle replied, “I haven’t had a chance. Yes, she’s a girl. She’s going to be great for when we need to find missing hikers and such. Plus, she’ll be trained to detect drugs.”
“Wow, that’s awesome. How does the training work?” I asked.
“Well, the department already has one K9: Jack, Hunter’s partner. He’s been such a great addition to the force, but the State Police would