Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
DYLAN
I back us into the narrow hallway by the bathrooms, Chloe perched on my hip, her curls brushing my jaw. Dahlia leans in, her body soft against mine, and somehow we’re hugging like we’re each other’s lifeline.
“That’s Ava, right? That’s her out there?” she whispers, sounding panicked.
“Yes, that’s her. Are you okay?” I lean back to assess how traumatic this is for her.
“I think so,” she says, and then she shakes her head. “No, not really.”
Her hand is cupped over mine on Chloe’s back. It’s crazy intimate, all three of us pressed together, the faint buzz of the bar around us, the scent of Dahlia’s shampoo making my thoughts dissolve. Chloe hums a little tune against me, in her own little world.
And then—
“Well, isn’t this cozy.”
Dahlia jumps back like she’s been electrocuted. Erin is halfway down the hall, holding a beer in each hand, and her eyebrows are raised so high they’re practically in orbit.
“Oh my God,” she says, grinning like it’s Christmas all over again. “What have we here?”
My heart drops into my shoes.
Dahlia goes bright red.
Erin saunters closer, smirking. “So this is why you keep vanishing, Dylan. We’ve all been betting you must have a woman, the way you’ve been disappearing off the face of the earth. And here you are—making out in a hallway with one. While holding a child. Bold move.”
Chloe lifts her head to see who’s talking. Erin’s eyes widen, then sparkle.
“And who is this cutie?”
“I’m Chyoe,” she says proudly, patting my shoulder like I’m her personal elevator.
Erin somehow manages to free one hand and wiggle her fingers in greeting. “Well, hello, Chloe. I’m Erin. You should know that I’m awesome. And I can tell you are too.”
Chloe nods. “Awesome,” she echoes.
Erin laughs, delighted, before turning her attention back to Dahlia and me. “Okay, seriously—why are you sneaking around? Your family would lose their minds in the best way. They’d be thrilled to meet…” She waits, expectantly, for us to fill in a name.
We don’t.
She lifts both brows. “Really? Nothing? You’re obviously gorgeous,” she tells Dahlia. “And the chemistry here”—she waves a hand between us—“is thick enough to cut with a knife. So what gives?”
I exhale, shifting Chloe higher on my hip. “Look,” I start, meeting Erin’s eyes. “Can you…forget that you saw us?”
Erin’s smile drops. She blinks, confused. “Why?”
I look at Dahlia, who is staring back helplessly at me.
Erin’s eyes dart between us, slowly narrowing. “Guys?”
My grip tightens around Chloe.
Dahlia clears her throat. “I’m Dahlia Granger.”
“Oh,” Erin says. Her eyes widen. “Oh. Shit.”
“Yeah.” I laugh humorlessly. “That’s what we said when we realized.”
Erin stares at Dahlia, and I can see a million thoughts race across her expression in less than a minute.
“My father can’t find out we’re dating,” Dahlia says.
She sounds so nervous. I put my hand on her waist and tug her closer, and she sinks against me.
“He would lose his mind and make it very difficult.” She looks at me. “If I thought he’d take it easily, I’d be all about introducing you and being open about this, but he won’t.”
I’ve heard enough about Bruce over the years, and through Ava more recently, to know he’s not the greatest guy, but I can’t help but feel like Dahlia is exaggerating.
She’s said it herself—he loves her. So I think he’d come around once he got used to it.
But I don’t want to argue about it with Dahlia, not here anyway.
Erin swallows, and her eyes dart over her shoulder as she shifts on her feet.
“And then there’s Ava,” Dahlia says softly.
Erin’s eyes round in surprise. “You know about Ava?”
“Something I blurted out without thinking…how weird it is that we share a sister,” I say, shaking my head.
Erin winces. “Fucking hell.”
“Fuckin’ hell,” Chloe says softly and perfectly clear.
We all gasp, and Erin apologizes to Dahlia profusely before looking at Chloe.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” she says. “Not a good thing to say at all,” she tells Chloe.
“Can you believe she said her L’s perfectly for that?” Dahlia whispers to me.
All this nervous energy and this perfect little girl throwing down the f-bomb has laughter threatening to burst out.
“You know she’s here, right? Ava?” Erin says, tilting her head toward the noise behind her.
Dahlia inhales shakily. “Yeah, I thought that was her at your table.” Erin—” she starts, her voice getting steadier, “I—I’m dying to meet Ava. I have been ever since I heard about her. I’ve always wanted a sister.”
Erin’s face shifts from teasing to something gentler. Dahlia keeps going.
“I just…I don’t know if she’d even want to meet me. And I don’t understand why my dad hasn’t introduced us. Do you think she would want to know me?”
It breaks my heart because I know how often Dahlia thinks that. How deeply it scares her.
Erin’s eyes widen. “Dahlia.” She steps closer, lowering her voice. “Ava absolutely wants to meet you.”
Dahlia’s eyebrows pinch together, like she doesn’t quite believe it.
“I’m serious,” Erin says. “I’ve gotten to know her better recently.
And I know for a fact she’s dying to meet you too.
She just…she hasn’t known how to go about it since your father hasn’t introduced you yet.
I don’t understand why it hasn’t happened yet either.
Ava’s like this dirty secret or something.
Or maybe he’s purposely keeping you apart for some reason. ”
Erin glances at me, then back at Dahlia.
When I glance at Dahlia, she looks shocked.
“I don’t understand it either. I think maybe I don’t understand my father at all.” She bites her lip, and her eyes fill.
Erin softens even more. Despite all her bravado, she has the sweetest heart. “Would you like to meet her today?”
Dahlia sucks in a breath, eyes hopeful for a split second before the worry takes over again. “I’d love that,” she whispers. “But…no. I don’t think so.”
Erin blinks. “Why not?”
Dahlia’s fingers find mine. I shift Chloe higher on my hip, heart thudding because I already know exactly what Dahlia is afraid of—and exactly how hard it is for her to say it out loud.
Her voice comes out small. “I don’t want to force myself into her life.
Or scare her. Or make her feel like she has to pick sides.
” Her eyes flick to me. “And my dad…I know I keep putting the blame back on him, but…I’ve learned not to rock the boat where he’s concerned.
He’s spiteful, and I like to keep the peace. ”
“What if…he didn’t have to find out?” Erin suggests.
Dahlia glances at me again and back at Erin reluctantly. “I guess that could work…it’d just have to be Ava, though…not—” She bites her lower lip again.
“Not anyone else?” I fill in.
She nods.
“Like Goldie and Juju,” I clarify to Erin.
She takes a deep breath. “Geez, how did I become the secret-keeper all of a sudden? First, Cam—” She blinks and stops in mid-sentence.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. Um. Okay. Here’s what we can do. I’ll get Ava out of here, and you guys could come to my place or the shop, either one.”
“Erin and her family own Cox Trading Post here in town,” I tell Dahlia. “Does that work?”
She nods and shakes her hands out. “I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. Ava’s great.”
“We can come wherever is best for you,” I tell Erin.
“Come to the house so we don’t get caught by anyone else. Half an hour?”
“My brothers will give me grief for bailing so soon, but what else is new?” I laugh.
Erin smirks. “You may as well tell them you’re gettin’ some. They’re assuming as much anyway.”
“Mmm, I’ll keep ’em guessing.”
She snorts. “Okay, hotshot. I’d better get these back to the table. I’ll see you guys very soon.” She winks at Chloe. “You’re gonna love my puppy Sabrina.”
“Puppy!” Chloe perks up.
Erin turns and walks back to her table.
I look at Dahlia. “Are you okay?”
“Uh…I’m not sure yet.” She lets out a shaky laugh. “Are we really doing this?”
I grin at her. “Yes, we are.”
She reaches up and smooths her hair and then Chloe’s. “Okay.” She nods, letting out a long exhale. “Okay.”
I lean over and give her another quick kiss. “It’ll be good. Don’t worry. I’ll see you ladies shortly.” I kiss Chloe’s forehead and hand her to Dahlia. “Want to unlock the car, and I’ll sneak in there in about twenty minutes and wait for you?”
“Won’t someone see you?”
“I’ll make sure they don’t,” I assure her.
“Okay.” Her eyes are glinting with excitement now, and I’m excited for her…Ava too.
Things started out rocky between my family and Ava, but they’re great now. She comes to the house regularly, making sure to come over when I’m in town, which means a lot to me. We’re all slowly getting to know our sister.
We haven’t let Bruce get between us, which is why I think Dahlia and I should be able to do the same.
One thing at a time, I guess.
I go back to the table and pick up on the conversation. Tully’s on a roll with a story about his neighbor’s cat sneaking into his house, and it’s cracking us all up. The guy is even more dramatic than I am, which is saying a lot.
“When I walked into the living room, looking for him, I didn’t realize he’d somehow climbed up the curtains.
He parkoured it, soaring right over my head and barely missing by an inch.
I felt the breeze on his way down. And then I couldn’t get him out!
The little squatter managed to leave little treasures for me all over the house. ”
We’re cracking up, and Tully is just getting started, so I hate to interrupt.
I clear my throat. “Hey, uh—I’ve gotta head out early.”
All three of them freeze and turn to stare at me.
Camden’s eyes narrow. “What’s your rush?”
“You mean what’s-her-name?” Tully says.
Noah lifts an eyebrow, which for him is basically shouting.
“I have some things I need to do before going back to the house.”
“Uh-huh,” Camden says. “Define do.”
“Tell her we said hi,” Tully adds.
They all erupt into laughter.
I clap Tully on the back and shake my head. “You’re hilarious. All of you.”
Camden makes a kissy face, and Noah just smirks at me. I flip them off on my way out, and they howl even louder.
The second I hit the cold air of the parking lot, I bolt. Dahlia’s car is conveniently tucked in the far corner. I slip into the passenger seat, close the door quietly, and breathe.
Two minutes later, Dahlia appears, walking as fast as she can while holding Chloe, who’s burying her face in her mom’s neck to avoid the chill.
She opens the door and puts Chloe in her car seat.
For Chloe’s part, she looks so stunned when I pop my head around the seat that she just blinks before breaking out into a big grin.
“You look like you just robbed the place,” Dahlia says as she slides into the driver’s seat.
“Stole myself away.”
I know she’s nervous because she doesn’t even do a polite chuckle.
She exhales, her fingers tapping anxiously against the wheel.
The whole drive to Erin’s, she talks nonstop—about how fun Erin seems, disbelief that she was at the same restaurant as Ava this afternoon, about whether Ava likes coffee or tea.
I rest my hand on her thigh. She covers it with her own. Neither of us says the real thing out loud: She’s scared and hopeful.
When we pull up to Erin’s house, Dahlia stares at the front door.
“Are you up for this?” I ask after we’ve sat there for at least five minutes.
“Yes.” She straightens her spine. “I want this.”
We walk up the path. I can feel her hand trembling in mine. Chloe has her other hand. Before she can knock, her breath stutters. I squeeze her fingers, and she knocks.
The door opens almost instantly—both Erin and Ava are standing shoulder to shoulder. Ava looks like she sprinted from wherever she was. Her eyes are wide, vulnerable in a way that cracks something open in my chest.
She and Dahlia gulp simultaneously and stare at each other.
Ava’s breath catches first. “Hi,” she whispers.
Dahlia’s eyes shine. “Hi.”
And then they’re moving at the same time.
They fall into each other’s arms.
Ava’s hands curl into the back of Dahlia’s sweater, and Dahlia presses her face into Ava’s shoulder, her shoulders shaking with emotion.
Ava lets out a quiet, broken laugh. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Dahlia chokes on a sob. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want me.”
Ava hugs her tighter. “I’ve wanted you my whole life.”
And God, it hits me then—how much they look alike. The same soft jaw, the same eyes, even the same way they fold into a hug like they mean it with their whole chest. Sisters who would’ve loved growing up together. I can imagine them fighting over clothes and telling each other secrets.
Goldie has gotten closer to Ava than the rest of us. I’ve gradually gotten to know her and I love her, but it began mostly because I knew my mom would want me to. Part of her felt familiar even before we knew each other well, but it’s taken time.
This isn’t like that at all. There’s an instant connection between Ava and Dahlia. Like they’ve found their missing piece.
Erin’s eyes meet mine. Wow, she mouths, quietly wiping her own eyes.
Ava pulls back just enough to cup Dahlia’s face in her hands.
“You’re real,” she whispers, like she can’t quite believe it. “You’re really here.”
Dahlia nods, tears streaking her cheeks. “So are you.”
They laugh through their tears and pull each other in again, swaying slightly in the doorway, as if neither wants to let go.
It’s truly beautiful. Something I’ll never forget.
I feel honored to have been here to witness it, and again wish that the rest of my family were part of all of this. But the two of them have earned this moment.
Neither of them lets go, even as Ava leans down to say hello to Chloe.
“I’m your Aunt Ava,” she says.
Chloe lifts her arms up for Ava to hold her, and Ava melts even more.