Page 23

OSCAR

T his is a dirty move, and Melanie knows it.

She’s a lousy sister, too; Callie has no clue what happened between us. That might have to change if Melanie plans on disrupting the rest of our holiday—settlement be damned.

I nod, smile, and keep the conversation humming, all while pointedly ignoring Melanie. Makayla keeps stealing glances at me. She’s no fool; she already senses something’s off.

“How’s your truffle sauce?” I ask her with a warm smile.

She twirls a few pieces of penne in the dark gray sauce; the earthy, cheesy aroma drifts straight to my nose. “I don’t regret ordering this dish,” Makayla says. “I know I should’ve gone for something specifically Swedish again, but when the waitress mentioned truffles, I just had to.”

“They pair well with the wine, too,” Melanie chimes in. “Thanks for the tip, Kay.”

“You’re most welcome,” she replies with a warm smile.

Kay. Listen to her. Calling her Kay. Sniffing her out like the predator that she is.

Legally, I can’t talk about what happened.

I don’t want to talk about it, either. Should the truth come out, it will devastate Callie.

Hell, with Makayla back in our lives, I don’t want to ruin our chances with her, either.

“You’ve got plenty of time to try out the rest of the local dishes,” Kellan tells Makayla as he cuts into his seared salmon. “Didn’t the waitress mention something about a separate dessert menu?”

“Oh, she totally did,” Callie exclaims, her eyes round with anticipation. “I hear the Swedes make some of the best sweets in the world!”

“As long as the spirits keep flowing, I’ll eat whatever is placed in front of me,” Alex grumbles.

Alex takes Melanie’s sudden appearance the hardest, and I can’t blame him.

He never wanted to go through with the settlement.

For a moment, I was tempted to side with him.

Maybe I should’ve. Maybe, if we had everything out in the open, I wouldn’t be choking down every bite while mapping out evasive maneuvers—Makayla will have questions as soon as we’re alone again.

I loathe the idea of lying to her.

“I think the Danes are the ones famous for pastries,” Melanie says.

“They’re all related cultures, at least to some degree,” Callie replies.

“The Swedes have their share of pastries, too, but after some googling and spraining my eyes while trying to read the desserts’ original names, I think I’m most excited about the Klappgrot. God, I hope I’m pronouncing it right…”

Makayla laughs. “That name does not sound delicious.”

“But it is, once I tell you what it’s made of,” Callie insists.

Bryan gives his girl a loving look. “Aw, you googled Swedish stuff before we came here…”

“Of course. I have to—we have to—make this experience count!”

I feel my phone ping in my pocket, and take it out as if it's the most natural move in the world. I’ve got a text from Alex, across the table.

What the fuck? he writes.

I give him the side eye. Now isn’t the time or place to pass notes. Makayla’s suspicious enough as it is; the last thing I want is to give her more reason to doubt us.

“Melanie just made junior partner at her firm, by the way,” Callie announces.

Ignorance really is bliss at this point. And it’s making this dinner even harder to get through without hurling a plate at her sister’s head.

“Congratulations,” I reply with a flat tone.

“It was just a matter of when, not if, much like with everything else in my life,” Melanie says, eyeing me intently.

I avoid her gaze and shift my focus back to Bryan. “We should definitely book an hour or two for a whiskey tasting tomorrow,” I suggest.

“It’s not customary to drink before 11:00 a.m., though.” He chuckles.

“We’ll walk in at 11:01 then,” Kellan replies with a wry smile. “It’s a holiday. Besides, how often do we get to sample so many single malts from around the world in one sitting? The Swedes really outdid themselves with this lounge.”

Alex nods in agreement. “Kellan’s got a point. The next best place for this is that private club in SoHo. Remember? They’ve got a similarly impressive collection, but even they didn’t go as far as India and Japan for their shelves.”

“Will you be all right with Callie and Melanie on the slopes?” I ask Makayla in a hushed tone. “Or would you rather hang back with us tomorrow?”

“I’ll be fine,” Makayla responds, putting her hand over mine. It’s the devilish glint in her eyes that worries me. “I look forward to spending some time with the girls. A little bit of skiing, a little bit of mulled wine to loosen our tongues, a little bit of gossip… Maybe some shopping.”

She’s firing the first shots, clearly. That should teach me to never underestimate her. Oddly enough, it makes me want her even more. The way she’s got me on the edge of my seat… it’s something else.

“Maybe we should leave the shopping for another time,” Melanie says, her tone deceptively sweet. “You did just quit your job, didn’t you? Whatever project you’ve got going on, perhaps you should manage your money till it starts to return the investment.”

I grind my teeth, wishing we could rewind to this afternoon, before the queen of deceit arrived. I’d have kept us upstairs after giving Bryan a decent excuse. But there’s no turning back now.

“It’s not that bad; I do have a savings account,” Makayla says, forcing a smile. “Besides, how often do I get to enjoy shopping in a Swedish boutique? The experience is worth it.”

“Or we could check out the spa,” Callie suggests, deftly swooping in without even realizing it. “I heard that they have a fantastic mud mask.”

“That sounds great,” Makayla agrees. “Whatever you decide, Callie, I’ll follow your lead.”

“I’ll call the front desk as soon as we get back to our suites,” Callie replies.

“Please,” Melanie says, looking at her sister. “Let me handle the arrangements. You have enough on your plate with this romantic getaway. Makayla and I can handle these things. I’ve got a feeling we’ll get along great...”

I look over at Makayla to see how she’s going to react.

She seems pleasant enough, though I know her well enough to spot the effort in her smile.

This dinner isn’t going well. Melanie is up to something.

Meanwhile, Bryan can’t loop Callie in because he doesn’t have all the details, either. Fucking non-disclosure agreements...

I release Makayla’s hand to send Alex a message. Be cool.

“So, I forgot to even ask, how’s everything in your suite?” Bryan asks.

Nearly dropping my phone, I look up and suck in a deep breath. “What do you mean?”

“Everything is fine in our suite,” Alex responds.

“Good to hear the four of you are getting along,” Callie says. “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but Bryan says you guys go ways back so?—"

“The four of you are staying together?” Melanie cuts in, waving a manicured finger around the table to indicate the known culprits, while I take a long sip of my whiskey, at a loss for words.

“Yes,” Makayla says, rearranging herself in her seat. “Bryan made the arrangements, but it’s been fun catching up with these three.”

“Must be fun, catching up with old friends,” Melanie observes.

“We’ve known each other since I was a kid. My brother was their shadow, basically.”

The more Melanie talks, the more she hears, the greater my urge to throw her off the planet.

Or bury her in lawsuits and criminal investigations at the expense of our reputation, if that’s what it takes to get her out of our lives forever.

I hate myself for these thoughts, but the damage she did, the damage she clearly intends to keep doing despite the settlement’s legal stipulations… I can only see Melanie as a threat.

My brothers and I do not take kindly to threats.

“It’s been memorable,” Makayla adds, giving me a soft smile. “It’s like we’re getting to know one another all over again, in a way.”

“Personally, I’m happy to see you’re all so close,” Bryan observes, gesturing toward me and Makayla. “It’s as if no time has gone by, whatsoever.”

“I can only agree,” Makayla says, glancing over at me for help.

I don’t know how to navigate this without coming right out and saying it. But we’ve already discussed keeping the developments from Bryan.

“You know Makayla,” Kellan pipes up. “She’s sweet and friendly, as always quite the firecracker.”

“And then some,” Alex adds with a brief chuckle, prompting me to give him an alarmed glare.

He loves laughing in the face of danger, doesn’t he?

Bryan looks across the table with a curious glimmer in his eyes. But even though I’m worried about saying too much, he doesn’t seem to be upset. His lips are curved up into a gentle smile, as if he’s cheering for us. I’m grateful he’s not as quick on the uptake as Makayla clearly is.

“Well, I hope you continue to enjoy catching up with each other,” Bryan says, raising his glass. “In fact, I hope that we all make the most of this Swedish holiday in the days to come!”

“Hear, hear,” Callie agrees.

“I couldn’t have said it any better myself,” Alex replies.

I can’t muster a single comment, but I do start to relax.

Whether or not the events of today will lead somewhere good, I know that I must make the most of every moment I’ll get with Makayla. Yet the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes that… I do not want this to end.

“So, how are things for you at work, Callie?” Melanie asks, shifting the spotlight back to her sister.

“Oh, I can’t complain,” Callie responds. “A little bit of this, a little bit of that. We’re already gearing up for graduation. I was nominated on the organizing committee. For some reason, the principal thinks I’d do a good job of keeping the other teachers from biting each other’s heads off...”

“You’re a high school teacher, right?” Alex asks.

“Yes, sir. Special ed, to be specific, but I end up subbing for the other teachers, as well.”