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He should have known better than to argue with a woman who had three older brothers. Violet’s face flushed, a sure sign she was about to let loose.

“A buddy system is always a good idea in the parks,” Clay jumped in, his voice affable and calm. “There’s all sorts of wildlife to be wary of, not just the human variety.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “I doubt one of our red foxes herded Jordan over a cliff.”

“I’ve seen some weird shit in the parks service.”

“Like what?” I asked, desperate to move beyond talk of killers and falls.

“A man stumbled out of the forest at my last post in half a Bigfoot costume.”

“Was he looking to make a love connection?” Zach joked.

Clay arched a dark brow. “Forty minutes later, I kid you not, a woman trekked out in the other half.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Zach said.

“And don’t even get me started on the parks service Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews.” Clay shook his head, expression rueful. “We read them all, and it’s impossible to keep a straight face over some. Can you imagine saying you thought the park employees should train the wildlife to hang out near the parking lot for visitors? And for our favorite local national park:OK, Americans, Brits did better. Not that interesting.” He chuckled. “I guess we can’t make everyone happy. We’re not tacos.”

Clay’s stories took some of the sting out of Lee and Violet’s sparring, but I was aware of Drew’s gaze on me. Sure, he’d called me beautiful. But would he still find me so attractive if he knew the truth? Keeping my distance was the best way to stay safe. And to keep him safe too.

Chapter 9 – Drew

“I’ll walk you home.” I said it to Violet, but I meant it for Anya.

She’d looked disturbed by our earlier talk about safety on the cliffs. Granted, the most dangerous thing they might face on their three-block walk was an out-of-control moped driver, and that was unlikely since the rental place had closed for the day, but I wanted to see them safely home.

Zach opened his mouth, no doubt to offer to walk them too, and I glowered. Maybe I wasn’t fooling him, but if he interfered again, I’d make him regret it. Gran only thought she cornered the market on family pranks. Just because I didn’t engage often didn’t mean I didn’t follow through. I just never got caught.

Violet gestured to Lee. “Unless Lee drove, his path takes him right by the house too.”

Lee was smarter than Zach. “I’ll catch up with you later. I’m going to walk along the water for a few minutes before I head home. I have a plot point I’m wrestling with, and that usually helps me think.”

Was it my imagination that Vi looked disappointed? I peered more closely at my sister. I didn’t think she and Lee were close. Did she want to change that? They bickered just as much as we did. We didn’t hang out as much as we did when we were younger, but I still considered him like another brother. Frowning, I watched my friend take off toward the harbor.

Clay offered Lucy, Rae, and Zach a ride, which they gladly accepted. A weak drizzle had started. Not enough to soak us, but enough to make us uncomfortably damp.

“Here,” I said, shrugging out of my hoodie and offering it to Anya.

“This is becoming a bad habit,” she said, but she accepted my fleece, shrugging into it and popping the hood up over her hair.

“If you offer me your shirt, I’m telling Mom on you,” Vi warned, laughing when I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not planning to walk through town half-naked.”

“And yet, if I were Anya, I still think you’d offer,” she mumbled.

I pretended not to hear her, charging up the hill toward their house. Vi and Anya scrambled to keep up with me, and I cut my pace.

Vi unlocked the back door.

“Lock it behind you.”

Vi rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“Thanks for the jacket,” Anya said, handing it back. The misty drizzle had coated her lashes in tiny droplets, making me want to touch them. Wipe the moisture away. She swayed closer, and every sense went on alert.

“You’re welcome.” It came out more gruffly than I’d intended. “I meant what I said earlier.”