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"I'm well. I see you're finally meeting more of the Finn Fam." Her eyebrows rose with a thousand unasked questions.

And if I didn't feed the gossip beast, someone else would. "We ran into each other at the store and Anastasia decided to make a scene."

Willow rolled her eyes, her shoulders falling. "So that's why you dragged Eve through here. I swear Ana is determined to self-destruct or at the very least, goad someone into doing it for her."

She nearly got Eve to do it in the store. "Why is she so unhappy?"

Willow sighed. "She was raised by her grandmother, and she wasn't very involved. I think Ana saw Huk as a way to an instant family. When that didn't work out, she kept trying to make that playbook work for her. She's always chasing one guy or another. The relationships always implode because Ana isn't actually in love with any of them."

"Got it." At least I understood her now, even if I couldn't do anything about it. "Is she still close with Jackson's mother?"

"Oh yeah. Clara, Nora, and Ana are tight. Have you met Clara yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Makes sense. Don't be surprised if she hates you and tries to make you miserable. In her mind the only woman right for Huk is Anastasia."

Great. Just great. I hadn't even met the woman and I was already not good enough. "Thanks for the insight."

"Keep a wide berth around Nora. She's somehow worse than Ana. I think she considers it a personal slight that Huk wouldn't marry Ana and left town."

I felt a new, uncomfortable weight begin to press down on my shoulders. I didn't mind not being liked. I had thousands of emails telling me how much people didn't like me. But it sat wrong with me that two people so close to Huk might have decided to dislike me before they even met me. "Anything else I should know about the Finn Fam?"

She shrugged. "They're mostly pretty great...when they're not all together. I'm not sure what happens, but it's like a tornado or a hurricane, and if you get too close you risk death and destruction."

Twenty-Nine

Jackson

Who the fuck are the LBNs?

"Let'splay a few rounds of five-card to get warmed up," Travis said as he started dealing the cards. "Huk probably needs a cheat sheet to help him remember how to play."

I gave him my middle finger.

We were in the barn apartment for poker night. Marley was at some potluck dinner thing with a dangerous combination of Eve, Joanne, and most of the other women of Lost Creek who were in their twenties and thirties. I knew we both needed some time with other people, socializing was good and all, but I still wished she was here. Or I was there.

Whatever. She was at Aviana's and there was food. I was here with Digger, Scottie, and Travis finally getting some of that quality time we needed.

I still wanted to be with Marley though.

"Ugh, are you going to mope all night?" Digger whined.

Scottie snickered. "Don't worry. It'll wear off soon."

Digger shot him a look. "You're not much better."

Scottie gave him his middle finger. "Leave Huk alone. He's still riding high on hormones. The newness of it all mellows out after a while."

Digger was horrified. "You mean it doesn't go away? Like...ever?"

"Not when you find the right one," Travis sighed. "Look at Red and Melinda. Look at my parents. It's gross but they're all still in love and like spending all their time together." He tossed a chip into the center of the table.

We all matched him.

Scottie won the first hand. I won the second. We ate Travis's brisket and drank Scottie's beer. They teased me mercilessly and I took it all because maybe I deserved it. Maybe it was just their dumb way of showing me they cared.

We took a break to get more food and I slipped outside to get some fresh air. I wasn't surprised when Travis followed me out a minute later.