Zen waves a dismissive hand. “You were in lust with Felicia, and I didn’t want to interfere with your happiness.” They look back at Theo. “I won’t mention that again either. But since people get judgmental about porn stars, I just wanted you to know you were doing good in the world.”
“Naked inspirational knitter,” he says.
“If you ever do it again, knit with your feet. Just trust me.”
Emma cracks up.
Actually cracks up with real laughter.
My eyes get hot, and it takes everything in me not to launch myself around Emma to hug Zen.
It’s so good to hear Em laugh.
“If he does that, it wasn’t my suggestion,” Zen tells Emma. “Sorry. Forgot you two were related. Speaking of related, Sabrina, I saw your cousins. They asked if I had any magical sway to convince you to take a DNA test. What’s that all about?”
On the surface, I know it’s about the triplets using peer pressure to convince Laney to take a DNA test too.
But below the surface—if Grey told Zen what I told him this morning about my grandfather, I deserve this.
That’s why I told him.
So that when his grandmother gets here tomorrow, he can choose to respond by telling the entire town my own biggest secret. My mom’s biggest secret. My grandma’s biggest secret.
I’m playing with fire.
It’s only fair to give him a weapon too.
“What’s going on here?” I gesture to them, making a vague circling motion around their body. “You took a week to warm up to me enough to say hi, and you’re out here spilling deep dark secrets and being all you the first time you meet Theo, Laney, and Emma. What’s this about?”
They jerk their head toward Theo. “I trust his taste. I didn’t know you were friends before. You’re officially cleared now because you have the friend endorsement of a man I’ve seen naked. Ah, sorry, Laney.”
Emma snort-giggles.
Laney shrugs. “You’ve seen it, but only I get to touch it.”
Emma snort-giggles harder.
“So. Sabrina.” Zen looks at me again. “I sniff a story. Why do your cousins want you to take a DNA test?”
“They fell down the social media rabbit hole about DNA surprises and they’re looking for drama in our little town,” Laney says.
Zen squints at her. “You need DNA tests for that when you have Sabrina?”
“Hey,” I say.
Zen grins at me. “That was all love. I want your superpowers.”
“Did you give them caffeine?” I ask Grey. “This is truly more words than I’ve ever heard out of them.”
“They’re a big fan,” he mutters back.
“I’m merely in a good mood because good things are coming,” Zen announces.
And that one lands.
They know I’m toast tomorrow. And I think they’re genuinely excited to see their great-grandma, who should be landing in Denver in the next few hours.
Our blizzard isn’t affecting the city. It’s isolated up here in the mountains.
“All right,” Grey says. “Now I’m concerned.”
As he should be.
Alina brings us another charcuterie board and refills all of our drinks. Laney engages Grey with questions about bees. Zen peppers Emma and Theo with questions about taxidermy animals and which of the stories they’ve heard about Theo’s antics when he was younger are true.
They all are, naturally.
And honestly?
It’s fun watching my friends adopt new friends.
Especially new friends that I like entirely more than I should.
I know this is an optical illusion. That Grey petting my dog, Zen laughing with Theo and Emma, things feeling normal, all of it is temporary.
A just for tonight thing.
Just like Hawaii was temporary.
I’m thinking I should take Jitter and go home when Emma slides a look at Grey during a lull in everyone’s conversations.
“Chandler hurt you too,” she says. “I’m sorry. I wish I could do more, but I’m sorry is all I have right now.”
Grey’s blue eyes flicker toward me, his shoulders hunching slightly. The change is enough for Jitter to quit panting happily and look at him with a soft whine.
I didn’t tell her.
I want to tell him I didn’t tell her anything he told me about why he has a beef with Chandler.
But would he believe me?
He shifts his attention back to Emma. “Not your fault.”
“He told me about you shortly after Thanksgiving. He said you were looking for investors in a business opportunity, though, not that he was selling the café to you.”