Page 12

Five

Jackson

Wait until the town decides it's your turn to settle down

"You're staying in thebarndominium?"Digger put on an exaggerated aristocratic accent for that one word. Digger, Travis, and Scottie had been my best friends since preschool.

"Yep." I took a sip of my beer hoping this wasn't the beginning of Twenty Questions.

"Is it fancy?"

"Yep." The previous owners of the property envisioned it as their forever retirement home. They installed the barndominium—which was just a fancy term for a giant barn with an apartment—as a workshop and guest house. They also built a minimalist but very nice cabin with a perfect view of the National Forest. They splashed their money around on nice building materials and top-of-the-line appliances before they realized they hated living on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. They sold the property to Mack's dad and moved to a condo in Atlanta.

At least that's what my brother Ollie told me. Again, against my will.

I still needed to stop by Mack's office and get the details of my stay. Did I have a deadline I needed to be out by? Were mysterious handyman tasks going to start showing up in my inbox?

"We should have poker at your place next month. I heard they have a kegerator in the shop," Travis teased.

I would not be buying a fucking keg of beer. Not for them or for me. "I don't even know if I'll be here next month."

That earned me three frowns.

"I already walked out of family dinner, and I've only been in town a few hours!" At least the night didn't end with Mom screaming at Dad and Dad threatening to leave. I had no idea why they were still married. I had no idea why they hadninechildren when they were always mad at each other. I had no idea if they evenlikedeach other.

Travis grunted. "I wish you could find a way to stayandkeep your sanity."

"I hoped when everyone grew up it would get easier for you," Scottie said from the other side of the bar. He ran Still Standing Saloon. His family had always owned and operated the only bar in Lost Creek, all the way back to when it was an illegal moonshine still.

"I think it's actually worse. We're multiplying and everyone is even louder than they used to be."

"Even Ollie?" Digger asked.

"He's not too bad." Ollie was three years younger than me. His husband, Ethan, came to Lost Creek on behalf of an investor who wanted to buy up land in the area. Ethan fell in love with the town and my brother. They got married and now had nine-month-old twins, Alice and Luke. "Ethan's stoic more than he is quiet."

"And now they have babies," Travis grimaced.

"Exactly." Babies I had only just met. I was a terrible uncle.

"You can come work with me any time you need to get away." Travis offered.

I almost always pitched in at ODX when I was in town. But things were different this time. "Depends on what Karis needs. But I'll keep it in mind."

"I can always use a hand," Digger offered. He had a construction company that built and remodeled homes in the area. His old man owned what used to be the only bulldozer in town. Digger earned his nickname as soon as he was allowed to work it.

Our town loved nicknames almost as much as acronyms. Which got me thinking about those book clubs Karis mentioned. "So, I hear you have a book club, Scottie?"

He scowled. "I do not. I let those murderous little book nerds meet here so I can try new recipes on them. They're lab rats and nothing more. I am not part of the club."

"Mack is!" Travis laughed. "In fact, that's how you two got together, isn't it?"

Scottie appeared to be considering murder himself. "Laugh it up. Wait until the town decides it's your turn to settle down."

"It's not the town," Digger piped in. "It's Sharon and Maeve."

"And Aviana and the rest of the club. They're all in on it." Scottie jabbed the air with a pencil. "Even freaking Harrison."

"And you love it," Mack said as she slid behind the bar and into his side. "Why are you talking about book club?"