From the way Zoe was grinning from ear-to-ear as Becca shoved a marshmallow in her mouth, her sister felt exactly the same way.
Maybe things were going to be okay after all.
The sun was slipping down past the treeline, casting long shadows across the burnished grass. Aunt Gina was carrying the last of the dishes inside, batting away everybody’s offers of help. “You young folk stay out here. I’m going to sit in my chair inside and read my book for a while.” Her eyes crinkled as she moved her gaze from Gray and Maddie around to Zoe and Van. “It warms my heart to have you all here again.”
Van checked her watch. “I guess we should go,” she said, pressing her lips together in a regretful smile. “It’s past Zoe’s bedtime.”
“No! Don’t go yet.” Becca’s eyes were imploring. “I promised Zoe I’d show her how to play chubby bunnies.”
“She’ll be here all night,” Tanner teased. “You have the biggest mouth of all of us.”
Becca slapped his arm. “Shut up. And don’t think I’ve forgotten the time you shoved a boiled egg in my mouth when I was trying to beat my record. I still haven’t gotten the taste completely out of my mouth.”
“That was Van’s idea,” Tanner said, sliding his gaze to hers.
Van lifted an eyebrow. “It wasn’t my idea to do it to Becca,” she pointed out. “I did it to you, then you just had to share the fun.”
“Still makes you a bad influence.” He winked at her. She looked so damn beautiful tonight it made his heart hurt. Her golden hair tumbled past her shoulders in soft, easy waves, catching the light of the setting sun when it peeped between the trees. She was wearing a white, embroidered sun dress, the bodice tight against her chest, drawing his eye every time he looked over.
“Come on, let’s go eat the marshmallows over there,” Becca said, grabbing Zoe’s hand and leading her to the garden chairs set up next to the pond. “We’ll be at a safe distance from your sister and my brother. It’s the only way to avoid their dastardly plans.”
On the other side of the table, Maddie and her mom were playing cards with Laura and her family, while Gray strummed his guitar and hummed, occasionally writing something down on the pad in front of him.
Tanner grabbed a half-full bottle of white wine, and walked back to where Van was sitting. He topped up her glass then took the seat next to her, stretching out his long legs.
“Thank you.” She took a sip. There was a light in her eyes that made him want to get lost inside of them.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She tipped her head toward him, her skin glowing in the dim light of the sun. “I was just thinking how lovely this all is. I’ve missed your family. I can’t remember the last time I sat in this yard and laughed so much.”
“They’ve missed you, too.” He ran his tongue across his dry lips. “You being gone for so long is my fault. I took this from you.” His chest tightened. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Her eyes were soft. “It’s old news.”
No it wasn’t. It still felt new and painful. It was the reason he’d lost his best friend. But she didn’t want to talk about it, that much was obvious. He poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip. “I heard you talking about your job to Aunt Gina. I didn’t know you went freelance.”
“Yeah. A couple of years ago.” She smiled at him.
“Do you like being your own boss?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I like being able to pick and choose my clients. Especially being able to say no to those ones who are difficult.” Van leaned back in her chair, her body angled toward his. His hand was close to hers, enough that if he straightened his arm he could touch her. He had to curl his fingers away to stop himself from doing just that. “And then there’s the flexibility,” she continued, as if she was oblivious to the chemistry building between them. “It meant I could come here when I was needed without being afraid of getting fired.”
“There are some perks to being in charge,” he agreed.
“Sure are.”
It was crazy how often their gazes were meeting. He’d never get tired of the way she’d make his body feel electric with a simple glance. It was a special kind of torment. Like a kid being tickled until he could barely breathe. He loved it and he hated it.
“How about you?” she asked. “Do you miss your work?”
He lifted his glass to his lips, thinking through her question. The truth was, in the past few days he’d barely thought about New York. His mind was too full of her.
“I miss being busy,” he admitted. “I’m not built to sit around doing nothing.”
She glanced at his body. “I don’t believe you do nothing. You run, you shop for Aunt Gina.” She smirked. “And you buy drive-ins on a whim.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I guess that’s kept me busy.” He licked his lips, still studying her. “Will you go back to Richmond at some point?”