Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
OFF THE HOOK
DAHLIA
The Whitmans are blowing my mind.
Not even half an hour ago, we were strangers, but they’ve opened their arms to me—from the enemy camp—with no hesitation.
I’m completely overwhelmed.
There’s an air of excitement as we move into the living room. I’m still a little shaky, my nerves at an all-time high about my dad, but I’m so happy to finally meet everyone that that’s taking a back seat right now. They’re being so wonderful.
Bill and Kevin are so cute with each other. They chase each other and then circle the room for ear scratches.
Grayson appears from down the hall, holding a plastic bin in his arms.
“Chloe, you wanna see my toys?” he asks shyly.
Her eyes go wide. “Yes!”
She practically launches off of Dylan’s lap, which makes everyone laugh.
The house smells like coffee and cinnamon bread. It’s beautiful and cozy, and each person around this table is so warm and lovely.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Milo says, elbowing me.
He’s sitting next to me. He and Ava playfully argued about who got to sit by me, and Milo won when he realized Ava and I had spent time together recently.
He leans in. “I need to apologize for knowing about Ava and not telling you,” he says under his breath. “I’ve tried to convince your dad…” He shakes his head.
His expression is so sincere that I take it to heart.
“You’re off the hook.” I bump his shoulder with mine. “But only because I’ve been dating your future brother-in-law for quite a while. And…I’ve been avoiding you because of it…so I’m sorry too.”
“You know what makes me happiest about this?” He grins. “I’ll get to see you more often.”
“My mom’s gonna be so jealous. You know you’re her favorite, right?”
“She’s pretty great.”
“A lot better than my dad,” I whisper.
I keep waiting for the shift, the moment when things turn, the politeness fades and wariness creeps in. It never comes.
“Is there time for you to tell us how you met, or do we need to get to the serious stuff?” Everett asks.
Dylan grins at me. Our thighs are touching, and his fingers are laced with mine.
“She fell face down in my lap on a flight,” he says.
Everyone gasps, and Tully tries to give Dylan a high-five.
“Son!” Everett says, chastising Tully.
“What?” he says when everyone stares at him. He grins, not looking one bit sorry. “It worked out,” he says.
“Was it a turbulent flight?” Goldie asks.
My face flames. “I passed out.”
“Oh no,” Goldie and Juju gasp.
Now Tully looks ashamed. “Shit. Were you okay?” he asks.
I laugh. “Yes. I hadn’t eaten or slept much.” I wave my hand. “It was no big deal…except that I face-planted in Dylan’s lap.” I smile at Dylan. “And then he worked his charm.”
“Charmed the pants right off of—” Tully’s holding his hand up again to Dylan, and then it’s like he realizes what he’s doing, and his face turns red.
“What is wrong with you?” Noah hisses.
Tully swipes his hand down his face, and it reminds me of when Dylan does that.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been in a locker room and out on the ice way too much lately.” He shakes his head. “Have clearly lost my mind.” He looks at me sheepishly. “I apologize, Dahlia. I’m not normally so—”
“Crass,” Everett finishes for him.
“That’s exactly what happened, though,” I say under my breath, and both Dylan and Milo choke out a laugh.
“Clearly, things are going well,” Everett says, smiling wide.
“So well.” Dylan squeezes my hand and gives me a sweet look. “I took her out to dinner…made Grandma Nancy’s Swedish pancakes.”
Grandma Nancy straightens and smooths her hair. “Well, that should do it. If a man did that for me…well…I wouldn’t keep him waiting, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Don’t let Uncle Hal hear you say that. I won’t be able to keep him out of my kitchen,” Juju says.
Grandma Nancy laughs lightly. “He’d never be able to get the recipe right,” she says primly.
“And you’ve apparently seen each other in Windy Harbor too because you were able to get right over here,” Goldie says, assessing Dylan and me.
“There’s an Airbnb we stay at when I’m in town,” I say.
“And before the last cabin was ready, we stayed in that one night too,” Dylan admits.
“You guys are just too cute for words,” Juju squeals.
“How could anyone be opposed to this?” Grandma Donna asks, shaking her head. “Look at the two of you. You’ll have the prettiest babies.” She sighs.
Dylan looks at me apologetically, and I giggle.
“If they have his hair,” I say, which is a hit, especially with the grandmas.
“You have such pretty hair!” Goldie says. “And you remind me so much of Ava. Oh, wait. This is crazy. Like, you’re sisters and we’re sisters.” She covers her mouth with her hand, and her eyes widen as she snorts.
“Oh, Erin already has a whole routine about it,” Dylan says.
“Erin knows?” Goldie shrieks. “How did she find out about this? And why hasn’t she said anything? I’m her best friend!”
Dylan gives her an apologetic look. “She caught us kissing at The Loon,” he says. “And we begged her not to say anything…because of Bruce.”
“That was the only time I ventured into town. Learned my lesson,” I say, wiping my brow. “Dylan had told me about Ava already…you were there too, Goldie and Juju. And Erin assured me that Ava wanted to meet me as much as I wanted to meet her.”
Ava and I smile at each other across the room.
“How long has all of this been going on?” Camden asks.
“Early December,” Dylan says.
“What?” is the collective gasp throughout the room.
Dylan and I look at each other sheepishly.
“You’ve been in a relationship that long? We’ve missed out on so much,” Goldie says, her eyes welling up. She snaps her fingers. “You’re cherry blossom emoji!”
“You saw that?” Dylan smiles. “Yes, she’s cherry blossom.”
“I’m really sorry. All the secrecy is my fault,” I say. “My dad. I was so afraid of what he would do.”
“And that’s why we’re here today. He found out and confronted me on the boat this morning,” Dylan says, his hand finding mine without looking.
“Okay,” Everett says. “Tell us what happened.”
Dylan takes a breath.
And he starts.
I heard an abbreviated version on the drive over here. But hearing the details is rattling. The lies about Dad’s name. The moment he pulled back his hood. The threats to smear Dylan’s name and his business. The implication that no one would know if something happened out there on the water.
By the time Dylan finishes, my stomach has twisted itself into a hard, burning knot.
“I don’t think he intended to actually murder me or anything like that. He just wanted to scare me.” His eyes slide to mine. Soft. “I do believe he’ll do his best to ruin everything else, though.”
Something inside me breaks. I grip his hand with both of mine.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “Dylan, I’m so, so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Doll. This isn’t on you at all,” Dylan says. “I’m sorry you’ve been living with this fear all this time.”
“You aren’t responsible for Bruce’s behavior, Dahlia,” Milo says.
“I knew he wouldn’t be reasonable about this,” I say. “The whole Whitman/Granger dynamic.”
Everett leans forward, elbows on his knees. “I could talk to him.”
Dylan stiffens, but Everett keeps going.
“I don’t know if it would do any good at all,” Everett admits, “but I could at least try. Try to convince him to bury this feud once and for all. If he cares about his girls at all.”
“I wish I thought it would help, but I don’t.” Ava pats his knee. He looks at her and squeezes her hand, then looks at me.
“I believe he does care about you,” he says quietly. “Or else he wouldn’t be so upset about this.”
It hits me with a jolt all over again—that overwhelmed, mushy warmth. They aren’t treating me like the daughter of a man they despise. They’re treating me like someone worth protecting.
“I can’t believe…” My voice cracks. I swallow hard. “You’re all being so…nice.”
“Dylan loves you,” Juju says. “And the way your dad acts isn’t your fault.”
Dylan squeezes my knee gently. “She’s right about that. I do love you,” he says softly.
I laugh and blink back the tears. “I love you too.”
“I’m nervous about you going back to work for him,” Dylan says, turning to face me. “I know you don’t want to lose your benefits, but he was unhinged today.”
I nod. “I haven’t told you this, but I’ve been looking for another job for at least a month,” I say quietly.
“You know…there are some openings at the resort,” Milo says. “Guys, she is the chief accounting officer at her dad’s company.” He nudges me and grins. “Graduated at the top of her class. Crazy smart and organized and I’m not just saying that because she’s my cousin.”
“No kidding!” Everett says.
I laugh. “Thanks, Milo.”
“You know…we’re in desperate need of an accounting manager,” Everett says.
I look at him in surprise. “You just met me today, and you’re all being incredibly gracious. I don’t want you to feel pressured to consider me for a job.”
He grins. “I trust my son, and I trust Milo. And if I know anything about Bruce, it’s that he wouldn’t just trust anyone with his money.”
I nod, laughing. “You’re right about that.”
“We can show you around and see if working at Windhaven would even be something you’re interested in, but we certainly need the help,” Everett says.
He looks at Dylan. “And you know, there’s room at the house for the girls, or one of the cabins…
I mean, not to put the cart ahead of the horse”—Everett smiles lightly—“but if that’s where your relationship is.
And it being safer and all…” He trails off and chuckles.
“I just made it really awkward, didn’t I? ”
“Not at all,” Dylan says. “Thanks, Dad. We’ll need to talk about our options after everything that happened today. For the record, I’m madly in love with this woman,” he continues, eyes on mine. “And she says she’s madly in love with me.”
My chest tightens. Fills. Overflows.
“I am,” I say.
The room freezes for a beat and then erupts with a loud “Awwww!”
“Okay,” Goldie finally says. “No one is happier than I am about all of this…the good parts, not the scary Bruce stuff. I get keeping it a secret from your side of things, Dahlia, but you, baby brother…” She points at Dylan.
“You knew we’d keep a secret. I’m not sure you’re quite off the hook, bucko. ”
Dylan winces. “I know. It’s been eating me alive. I’ve been dying for all of you to get to know each other.”
Goldie softens, leaning her chin into her hand. “Okay, that’s all you had to say.”
Dylan laughs, and she leans over and hugs him hard, and then me.
“I’m so happy we don’t have to place bets on where you’re disappearing to anymore,” Tully says.
“Speak for yourself, I was getting a good little side hustle,” Noah says in his low voice.
It makes everyone laugh. He seems to be the quietest of all of them, so when he says something, the whole room leans in and listens.
“Yeah, Noah was probably onto you first, thinking you were sneaking off to be with a girl,” Camden says.
“We’re not the only ones who were sneaking around,” Dylan reminds him.
“Ha! Burn,” Tully says, pointing at Camden. “He has a good point there.”
“So help me, Tully, if you start seeing someone and don’t tell us, I’m going to wring your neck,” Goldie tells him.
“Nah,” he says. “Twin telepathy, and all that, right?” He straightens. “Wait. You can’t tell when I’m having sex, can you?”
“Oh God,” Goldie groans while we all crack up. “What is wrong with you? Ew.” She fans her face dramatically.
“While we’re sharing secrets and happy and all,” Ava starts tentatively, “I have something to tell you guys.”
Everyone turns to look at her.
“I wish Erin was here while I’m saying this, but…we’re dating, and it’s going so well,” she says shyly.
“OH MY GOD!” Goldie cries. She rushes toward Ava and barrels into her with a hug. “I’m so happy. And I’m going to give Erin so much shit for keeping this a secret from me.”
“It’s a banner day,” Everett says, laughing.
Ava’s eyes meet mine, and we share a happy smile.
I never imagined I’d spend so much time laughing after such an awful start to this day.
Is this what it’s like to be part of a huge, loving family? Surrounded by brothers and sisters, an amazing dad, two adorable grandmothers, a sweet nephew, and the cutest dog…
In the middle of the chaos, the fear and uncertainty, I feel safe and hopeful.