“I know.” My heart gave an achy thump as I thought of my friend George and the fact that he was just gone.

  Rowan looked at me. “Talk to Tiffany first,” he said quietly.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Tiffany

  “Okay,” I said as I eyed the computer screen. “Looks like Moose has his rabies shot due in two months.” I looked up at the woman waiting at the counter.

  “Can we go ahead and schedule his appointment for that?”

  “You got it.” I tapped into the schedule.

  A few minutes later, we had him scheduled, and they departed. Just after a woman with a very irate cat went into the back for her appointment, I glanced up to see my brother walking in with his dog Jasper.

  “Oh, hey,” I said as I stood. “I didn’t know you had an appointment today for Jasper.”

  Chase looked down at his fluffy white dog and back up at me. “We didn’t.” He gestured to Jasper, and I glanced down to see the dog’s nose full of porcupine quills. Jasper looked very uncomfortable.

  “Oh, sweetie,” I said as I knelt beside him. Sad eyes blinked up at me.

  “Does Alice have time to see him?” he asked.

  “She’ll fit him in,” I said as I straightened. “She’s with a cat in the back right now. As soon as they’re done, she has an hour break because a family was supposed to bring in two dogs for their annual exams, but they canceled because of a work conflict. I guess your timing is good. I’ll be right back.” I held a finger up. “I’ll check and see how long she’ll be.”

  I walked into the back. Conveniently, Alice was walking out of the exam room to get something out of the supply room. “Chase is here with Jasper. Porcupine quills.”

  “Oh no!” Alice’s palm flew to her chest. “I’ll fit him in. We’re going to need to sedate him.”

  “How long will you be?”

  “I should be done in about five minutes.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Farrah will be in soon, right?”

  “She gets here in a half hour.” We had hired a vet tech to come in for the afternoons.

  I returned to the front to update Chase. A short while later, Farrah arrived and came out to get Jasper. “He’ll be fine.” I heard her assuring Chase.

  “What kind of name is Farrah?” Chase asked after he returned to the front.

  I snorted. “Apparently, her parents were fans of Farrah Fawcett.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

  “Nope.” I giggled. “She can roll with it. Feel free to tease her.”

  Chase shook his head slightly before pushing away from the counter and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he paced back and forth in front. “Jasper will be fine. It didn’t look like there were too many quills.”

  He turned, facing me. “I know. I just hope he’s not in too much pain.” He abruptly changed the subject. “I talked to Wes.”

  “What?” I yelped.

  “Yeah,” he replied as if it was perfectly okay for him to nose into my personal life.

  “Chase!” I sputtered. “My personal life is my business.”

  My brother rolled his eyes. “Says the woman who noses into my life all the freaking time. Look, maybe it isn’t any of my business, but we both have our own baggage around Mom, and I don’t want to see my friend make things worse for you.”

  Chase stating the obvious so plainly felt like someone dragging a rusty nail over the scars on my heart. He didn’t even know about what happened with Scott.

  I took a slow breath. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Can you? Because it seems to me your way of doing that is to never get serious with anyone.”

  Defensiveness sharpened its claws inside. “You’re one to talk,” I retorted. “You didn’t get serious with anyone until Hallie got pregnant.”

  Unperturbed, he shrugged. “You’re right. That’s exactly what happened, and I feel lucky. I love Hallie.”

  My chest and throat hurt. Despite the old, achy pain his words elicited, I was determined not to cry in front of him. “Sure. Easy for you to say. It was way worse for me, and you know it. With you, she just ignored you. With me, she spent years dragging me all over the place and then lashed out at me when I wasn’t exactly how she wanted me to be, or when I got old enough for her to think I was some kind of competition.”

  Chase looked horrified. “Tiffany, I didn’t mean—”

  I shook my head sharply. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” If I said that enough, it would somehow be true. “I didn’t mean to say all that. It’s just it was a little different for us. And you know what? I’m so happy for you and Hallie. I’m just trying to figure this out with Wes. Maybe it was stupid because of Ross.”

  My brother studied me quietly, the understanding held in his gaze making me want to look away. But I lifted my chin and held his gaze, stupidly proud that my tears didn’t spill over.

  “You’ve always had such a big heart. Mom didn’t ruin that for you. I’m just realizing now that you don’t give yourself much. You deserve love too, you know? When everything happened around Dad and the family I didn’t know I had, you were the first to try to make those connections and smooth everything over. Frankly, if it wasn’t for you, I don’t know that I ever would’ve made the connection. I’m so grateful I did. Just give yourself a chance. Maybe I overstepped by saying something to Wes. I just don’t want to see you hurt more.”

  I lost the fight against my tears. They rolled down my cheeks as I stared at my brother across the counter. He came around the counter and pulled me into his arms, giving me a big comforting hug. He stepped back, his hands on my shoulders as he stared into my eyes.

  “I won’t butt in again. I mean, I will kick his ass if he hurts you. But for what it’s worth, Wes is a good guy.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Wes

  “Nice to meet you,” McKenna Cannon said.

  I moved to shake her hand, but her smile widened, and she stepped closer, throwing her arms around me in an enthusiastic hug. “Nice to meet you too.” I chuckled as she stepped back.

  “You’re family now,” she added.

  “I am?”

  “Well, yes. You and Tiffany have Ross. And Tiffany is Chase’s sister, and Chase is our brother. They’re family, so you’re family.”

  Chase approached, handing me a bottle of beer. “McKenna’s definition of family is very broad,” he offered with a dry laugh.

  Tiffany had filled me in on the family situation with them discovering a few years prior that the father who raised her and Chase wasn’t Chase’s biological father. The Cannon family, who owned Fireweed Industries and also happened to be one of the most well-known families in Alaska along with running an international billion-dollar company, were the other half of Chase’s family.

  I imagined that had been a lot for Chase to take in, but they all seemed to have settled into accepting it. McKenna was one of his seven—count that, seven—half-siblings from his biological father’s side of the family.

  McKenna and Chase shared the same dark blond hair and silver-gray eyes. She was quiet for a beat before her lips curled into a soft smile. “Family is what you make it. I know that’s kind of a cliché and popular to say these days, but it’s true. What matters is accepting each other and being there for each other.” She looked from Tiffany to me and then over at Ross, who was currently occupied with playing video games. “If you need anything, all you have to do is give a shout.”

  A little while later, we were eating casually from a buffet-style dinner Chase and Hallie had set up. McKenna was explaining, “So Archer has been insanely busy with the transition from the old mining operation to turn it into a renewable energy operation. He’s been coordinating with Off The Grid in Diamond Creek.”

  “It’s basically a new business,” I commented. “I know the town is glad Fireweed Industries is keeping part of the business here.”

  McKenna glanced over, nodding in agreement. “Absolutely. We already had the property and the offices. Archer’s doing a massive retrofit. Otherwise, we would’ve been scouting for a new site. In the long run, this is more cost effective for Fireweed Industries. It also helps repair some frayed ties in the community. There was a lot of opposition to the mine.” She let out a sigh.

  “Why were they going to reopen the mine anyway?” Hallie asked. She’d put their baby son to bed only a few minutes earlier.

  McKenna glanced over, rolling her eyes. “Our asshole uncle ran this branch before Archer took over. That’s why he and Phoebe got married.” She noticed the confused look on my face and grinned. “They’re totally in love. They were best friends forever when they were little.”

  “I recall,” I said. “So what’s the deal?”

  “My grandparents set up this weird thing that for Archer to take over completely, he had to be married. Although it sounds weird and old-fashioned, it’s not that wildly unusual in larger companies because, statistically speaking, marriages indicate stability. But he had a timeframe. Fortunately, he and Phoebe fell in love in the nick of time and got married so our asshole uncle was pushed out. The situation opened up a can of worms around the fact that he had been embezzling money. He’s currently facing charges for that. He wanted to reopen the mine and kicked up a political storm over it. Fireweed Industries has been beloved in Alaska for a long time, and that was one of the worst public relations nightmares we had to deal with. I run the public relations department.” She threw her hands up, letting them fall.

  Tiffany chimed in, “That must’ve been fun.”

  McKenna shrugged. “Mostly annoying. That’s why I’m here. I’m coordinating with Archer’s team to get press releases organized about the new renewable energy offices. Off The Grid has a stellar reputation here and internationally. They’re way ahead of the curve with developing new renewable energy products, so it’s a mutually beneficial partnership.”

  As the night carried on, it became increasingly difficult for me to keep my focus off Tiffany. Tiffany drew my attention. She was the flame, I was the moth, and I didn’t even care if I got burned.

  She was seated beside me, with her dark hair pulled up in a twist and tendrils dangling along the sides of her neck and around her cheeks. I wanted to dust kisses along the sensitive skin of her neck because I knew it made her shiver. I wanted to undo that tidy twist and bury my fingers in her silky hair. I wanted the feel of her gasping and whimpering as she arched against me.

  Someone clearing their throat snapped me out of my need-filled reverie. I whipped my gaze up to find Chase giving me a hard stare. I gave him a bland smile and took a swallow of my beer, draining it before lowering it and idly spinning the bottle between my fingers.

  Ross was staying with me for the weekend. Tiffany and I had settled into a schedule that seemed to be working. We were still talking with the therapist about whether one of us should be the primary, although with my work schedule, it seemed best to keep it somewhat flexible.

  Ross still hadn’t cried about his parents, at least not in front of me or Tiffany. We had both talked about it and checked with the therapist about it. She’d given us information about grief for children his age and emphasized how grief was an individual process. She had also pointed out more than once that this was all very overwhelming for him, and the shock and numbness of it might still be protecting him from the intensity of his feelings about the loss of his parents.

  Later that night, back at my house, Ross was sitting on the floor petting Nilla. I finished tidying up the kitchen and closed the dishwasher before tapping it to start. When I walked into the living room, Ross looked up, his eyes curious. “Do you like Tiffany?” he asked, catching me off guard.

  I felt my eyes widen and quickly tried to school my expression to neutral. I scrambled inside for how to respond, settling on, “Of course I like Tiffany. She’s my friend. We both grew up in Willow Brook, so we’ve known each other for years.”

  All of those things were true, so I hoped my answer was good enough.

  Ross looked down at Nilla, watching the path of his hand as he dragged it through the fur along her back. “I saw you kissing her.” He looked up again.

  Fuck my life. Now I had to come up with some kind of answer about this. Ross was smart. He would pick up on it if I tried to skirt the issue.

  I took a breath, considering my answer and wishing I had time to call Tiffany.

  Ross saved me. He studied me for a moment before adding, “You don’t have to explain. It’s okay. I know kissing is a grown-up thing. That’s what my mom and dad said.”

  I started to reply, but he suddenly started crying. He buried his face in Nilla’s neck. Nilla sat up, leaning against him. She knew he was hurting and just let him lean on her and cry.

  While I felt uncertain about how to respond, I waited. When his sobs finally quieted, I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He shook his head into Nilla’s neck. She was curled protectively around him.

  “Okay. Let me know if you want to talk about it, and I’ll listen. I want you to know I miss your dad too,” I said quietly.

  Ross nodded into Nilla’s neck, turning his head to the side as he replied, “He talked about you because he played video games with you. He said you were his best friend from college.”

  “We were best friends. I’ll always miss him even though I didn’t see him that much. We talked every week when we played.”

  Unsure what else to say, I crossed over and sat on the couch nearby. After a few more minutes, Ross lifted his head from Nilla, dragging his sleeve across his face. I watched as he took a deep breath before he looked over at me, blinking and offering, “I’m okay.”

  After Ross went to bed, I lay in bed, propped against some pillows as I pondered whether to text Tiffany about his question about us kissing.

  Lifting my phone, I figured I might as well because at least I could warn her. I also wanted to let her know he had finally said something about his parents. As much as that made my heart ache, that was easier to approach with her than him asking about us kissing. That topic felt fraught.

  Me: Ross said he missed his parents tonight and cried. He said he didn’t want to talk more about it. Nilla was a big help.

  Tiffany: Oh, wow. I’m glad he was with Nilla. He’s really bonded with her. Dogs are better than humans for listening. I’m glad you were there too.

  Me: Also, he told me he saw us kissing and asked me if I liked you.

  Staring at my phone screen, there was a pause before I saw the dots appear, indicating she was typing.

  Tiffany: Fuck. What did you say?

  Me: First, he asked me if I liked you. I said yes and that we’ve known each other for years because we grew up together. Then he told me he saw us kissing, basically calling me out for trying to avoid the topic.

  Tiffany: 😂 What did you say when he said he saw us kissing?

  Me: He saved me by telling me I didn’t have to explain, that he knew kissing was a grown-up thing.

  Tiffany: We need a better answer than that.

  Me: I’d love any suggestions.

  Tiffany: I don’t have any. We need to talk.

  Me: Now?

  Tiffany: I’m exhausted. Not now. I’ll call you. Sleep well.

  Me: Good night, then.

  I tried to ignore the sense of disappointment that slipped through me. I wanted to talk to her tonight. Just because of scheduling and Ross and life, we hadn’t had a night together in more nights than I wanted to contemplate. I missed her.

  Tiffany: Good night.

  My fingers itched to say more, to tell her I missed her and I was falling for her. I didn’t know if she was ready to hear any of that yet.

  I recalled Chase’s warning to me that Tiffany had issues with trust and I’d better not hurt her.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Tiffany

  “So Wes?” McKenna prompted.

  I lifted my eyes from the menu, colliding with her knowing gaze. “What about Wes?” I sidestepped.

  “He’s totally got the hots for you. He’s not my type, but he is hot.” She gave me an exaggerated brow waggle.

  Heat flashed into my cheeks. I wanted to ignore her and pretend it was nothing, but McKenna and I were pretty close. We had connected easily, and there was a benefit that she didn’t live in Willow Brook, so confiding in her was a little safer. Not that I didn’t trust most of my friends, but because it was hard to keep anything quiet here.

  I ignored the fiery burn on my cheeks and held McKenna’s gaze. “Like I mentioned, I’m worried it’s complicated.” The teasing look in her eyes faded. “I like Wes. A lot. Probably too much, and we made the mistake of—” I paused, stumbling as I tried to come up with a word to define the lightning strike of chemistry between us.

  “Falling for his hotness,” McKenna interjected helpfully.

  I snorted a laugh, gathering myself. Anxiety spun in my chest. I felt tangled in a net of my own making. “It’s complicated. We have Ross to consider, and he doesn’t need complicated.”

  The moment got somber instantly. McKenna considered me quietly before nodding. “I understand that concern. I’m confident you’re not alone in your feelings. I saw the way he looked at you the other night. Have you talked about it with Wes?”

  Emotion roared forward, throwing me off balance mentally. “A little. He thinks it’s worth the risk.”

  “And you don’t?” McKenna pressed.

  I blinked at the sudden rush of tears in my eyes. I had never planned to fall for anyone and sworn up, down, sideways, and upside down that it was never worth it. I wasn’t sure I had what it took to trust. In romance, for me, the mental trust fall exercises never worked. I believed I would fall, and no one would ever be there to catch me. The one time I’d let down my guard, that was precisely what happened.