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“I hope the good place downtown hasn’t closed. We’ll grab some groceries afterward.” Might as well stock Mom’s kitchen for our whole stay, since she apparently had no intention of doing so.

We made our way back out to the car. The engine protested a little when I turned the key but eventually kicked on, and we drove away from Mom’s house and into Lakeview proper.

I’d forgotten how cute the Lakeview downtown really was. It was a sleepy little strip of buildings, all no more than two stories, so the mountains surrounding the town looked even larger as they soared into the sky. It was a perfect little tourist strip, with little shops selling local pottery and clothes, a mix of restaurants and cafés, and even an old-fashioned soda fountain.

And lucky for us, the old pizzeria on the cornerwasstill open.

Downtown was a little busy, the narrow sidewalks dotted with people coming in and out of the shops. I slung my arm around Dylan’s shoulders. It was a casual gesture, but one rooted in my protectiveness. I didn’t know ifhenoticed the looks, but I sure as hell did. As we walked, more than a few people glanced at Dylan, then me, with confused and even shocked expressions. I was grateful none of them said anything. It had been a serious understatement when Mom said there was a resemblance between Dylan and Stephan. Dylan looked exactly like his father. He got my snark, my stubbornness, and my independence—but all of his looks came from Stephan. Funny that these random citizens out for the evening seemed to notice that when my own mother hadn’t. Funny and sad. My mother was never great at paying attention.

“What kind of pizza should we get?” Dylan asked as we walked into the shop. “Whoa, look at that big oven!”

“Anything you want, but pick at least one vegetable for the topping,” I said. “It’ll make me feel better.”

We sat in the back corner and split a large pie—and by split, I mean Dylan had six huge slices while I had two. It was nice, but almost surreal. I used to come here with my mom way back inthe day. It made my heart hurt a little, an old pang of nostalgia. At least the pizza was still delicious.

After we ate, Dylan was in a much better mood. We made our way back to the car, after I veered him away from the very busy ice cream shop—“We’ll get some in the grocery store, I promise”—because I didn’t want to subject ourselves tomorecurious stares.

One big grocery run later, and I’d be in a bed. Asleep. Exactly what I needed.

I climbed into the car and turned the key.

The engine sputtered.

“Oh, Jesus,” I muttered as I turned the key again.

More sputtering.

Sputtering.

Sputtering.

“Mom?” Dylan asked. “Is it broken?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I said, “but maybe we should’ve splurged for the sports car.”

After three more tries, the engine stopped sputtering. It was dead. Dylan waited in the passenger seat while I called the rental agency. It was getting late, and I caught them right before they closed. The exhausted-sounding man on the other end said they’d contact their local repair partner and send a tow truck.

Great. Now I had to gettowed. This day was just getting better and better.

I opened the passenger door and stuck my head inside. “Forget the grocery shopping, kiddo. Tow truck is on the way.”

“Nowcan we go to the ice cream place? It’s right there!”

Sighing, I handed him a ten-dollar bill. “All right. Get a cone and come straight back here, okay?”

After a million years—okay, fifteen minutes—of waiting, a gleaming black tow truck, unmarked, finally pulled up to the street. Dylan and I both climbed out of the SUV to talk to thedriver. The tow truck’s driver’s side door opened, and a tall man in a faded denim jumpsuit stepped out.

“Harley Founty,” he said.

I nearly dropped my phone on the sidewalk. “Hawk?”

“So, it reallyisyou,” the man said. “The agent gave me your name, but I didn’t really think… Wow. It’s been a while, huh?”

Hawk looked like Stephan, except Stephan was bigger, taller, and had hazel eyes where Hawk’s were green. He looked just as shocked to see me as I felt. I had been preparing myself so intensely to see Stephan, I hadn’t allocated any energy to remembering that I’d also be seeing his entire clan.

Hawk approached me slowly, arms outstretched for a hug, and I accepted it before I even realized what was happening. He squeezed me tight, once, then stepped back. “It’s good to see you, Harley. Really. You look good.”

“You too,” I said, still shell-shocked.