“You may be twenty-eight,” Zack says to his son, “but I can still take you.”
“In your dreams, old man.” Seth turns to me with a grin. “Hey, Sam.”
“Hey, yourself. Stay away from the creek today, okay? No more broken ankles.”
“I’m never gonna live that down,” Seth says and shakes his head. “Trust me, Aunt Cara would kill me if I tried a stunt like that again. So, I just learned not to tell her.”
“How are things in the park?” I ask him. Seth’s been a ranger up in Glacier National Park for several years. He has a degree in wildlife biology and loves the park and the animals.
“Busy. Busiest summer to date for tourist traffic. Had an idiot put a bear cub in his car to warm it up.” He snarls in disgust. “Asshole. We aren’t a petting zoo. Anyway, it’s good. Oh, wait a sec.”
He looks over the crowd and then whistles and gestures for someone to join us.
“Tash, Gage is here,” Seth says to a surprised Natasha. “He just got to town.”
Natasha’s eyes go wide as her brother joins us. Gage offers his sister a small smile.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” She stands, and they embrace in the most awkward hug of all time before she steps back and tucks her hair behind her ear. “Back in town, huh?”
“Yeah, just got here last week. I meant to call, but I got busy. You know how it is.”
“Right.” She nods once. “I know how it is. Glad you’re here safely.”
“You know, if you ever want to have dinner with the parents—”
“I don’t,” she cuts him off. “But tell them hi for me.”
She sits down once more and sips her drink. Gage shrugs.
“Sure. I’ll tell them.”
“Welcome home,” I say. Gage is in the Army and has been God knows where for the past few years. He’s also Seth’s best friend.
I should have known he’d be here today.
I don’t know the story behind the tension between Tash and the rest of her family, but I’ll be asking about it later.
Now isn’t the time or place.
“I think I’ll go harass Layla’s new boyfriend,” Seth says with a grin. “He looks way too comfortable over there.”
“Good boy,” Zack says as Seth and Gage saunter over to the pool, pull off their shirts, and sit right next to Layla.
“Here’s hoping they scare the little asshole off,” Ty mutters. “I’m gonna go find my wife.”
He stalks off.
“Speaking of wives,” Zack says. “Mine will kill me if I don’t check the list she gave me this morning.”
Zack hurries off, and then Josh’s parents call him away.
When it’s just the four of us, Fallon turns to Natasha.
“If you ever want to talk about it, I’m a good listener.”
Tash glances at Fallon and taps her can to the other woman’s water. “I’m good. But thanks.”
“Mom! Mom!” Isha comes running and flings herself into Fallon’s lap, having no regard whatsoever for the belly between them. “Can Kevin and Kelsey come to our house tonight? We could have a sleepover and everything.”
Isha grips Fallon’s face in her little hands and presses her nose to her mother’s.
“Pweeeeeease?”
“It’s a long weekend,” Noah says and glances at me. “Fine with us, if it is with you.”
“If you’re sure,” Tash says. “They’re a handful, and—”
“It’ll be great,” Fallon assures Tash easily. “Don’t even worry about it. We’ll bring them home Monday afternoon.”
“Wait, you’re going to take them for the rest of the weekend?” Tash asks.
“Sure. It’ll be fun.”
“Yay!” Isha exclaims and hurries off her mother’s lap so she can go tell the others.
“If you need or want to bring them home early, it’s no problem,” Tash assures Fallon.
“Stop worrying.” Fallon pats Tash’s shoulder. “We’ve got this.”
“I guess this means we can have a date night.” I waggle my eyebrows at Natasha. “You in?”
“Sure. I’m in.”
* * *
“Oh my God, I ate too much bread.” Tash sits back in her seat and pats her flat stomach. “I have a food baby.”
“Worth it, though,” I say as I polish off my tiramisu. I brought her to Ciao for dinner, one of her favorite places. We walked here from her house, anticipating eating all the carbs in the world and needing a walk afterward.
“No one approached us today. Not even at the BBQ.”
I set my green napkin on the table and nod. “You’re right. Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good, I think.” She eyes the last piece of garlic bread in the basket. “I mean, I was sick of it, and it drove me nuts, so it’s a good thing.”
“But?”
“But does it mean that people are forgetting them?”
“You’re an overthinker, Natasha Mills.”
“Yeah.” She shrugs and reaches for the bread, then bites into it. “I always have been. This dinner was a nice surprise. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I sit back and watch her, feeling something stir inside me when she licks her bottom lip. “That dress is nice on you.”