Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Hatch
The Kershaw Kinder chat group was away to the races, led by my younger brother Conor.
Conor
Can’t believe we missed more Rebels drama! First Nyquist’s baby mama drop off at the Net. Now Carter gets jilted.
Landon
We did see Dad punch Nyquist at a game though.
Conor
Yeah, classic.
Anyone here? H? Addy? We need details from the insiders. Mom and Dad are useless.
Addy
Yes, I’m here. And no, I have zero information for you.
Landon
Find that hard to believe. You were on site when she skipped out, right?
Addy
I was outside talking to Lars.
Conor
Jesus. Way to drop the ball, sis.
Addy
Rosie said Summer went into the bathroom and never came out.
Landon
Like the Twilight Zone. Or Hotel California.
Addy
I’m sure she had her reasons.
Conor
You mean you haven’t spoken to her? What about Carter? How’s he taking it?
Landon
Sounds like you really care, bro. Such heartfelt concern.
Conor
So Carter’s a fuckwit but even I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Not sure what Summer’s game is but he can’t be happy about it.
Landon
This would be a great time for Dino Boy to weigh in. Hatchling? Oh, brother where art thou? Got anything to add to bring the level of this discourse down even further?
No, I did not. Usually, I would be all over this chat because I enjoyed a good gossip as much as the next person.
The twins, Conor and Landon, were home for the summer, living at the family home on Chicago’s North Shore, after graduating from the University of Michigan a month ago.
Conor was due to start at training camp in the fall for the Detroit Motors.
Landon didn’t play hockey; he was an app developer and was currently working on securing funding for a dating app he’d created in college.
We were all close, a product of the tight-knit family environment my parents and great-grandmother, Aurora, had crafted with care and love. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for them, no secret I wouldn’t share.
Except when it came to Summer.
How could I tell them she was hiding out here in the family’s vacation home when I barely understood it myself?
All I had to do was take her to my place in the city, let her compose herself, then send her on her way.
Adeline could have helped. Rosie, too. Instead of approaching it logically, I’d brought her here.
Because you can’t help yourself. This woman has had her barbs in you from the beginning.
I needed to say something on this damn chat.
Me
Once I realized the wedding was off, I left for sunnier climes.
Conor
How’s the Tuck?
Landon
No one calls it that, dude.
Conor
Dad does, and he’s the OG Tuckman!
Me
The Tuck is fine. They opened a new restaurant on the pier. Nice looking grill place from the pics.
Addy
Did the hydrangea hold up over the winter?
Me
No idea.
Addy
Send me pics of the garden! Tomorrow when the sun is out.
Conor
Gardening, Adeline? Where are your priorities? I can’t believe you haven’t heard from Summer. Or that you won’t tell us what happened. Don’t make me get it out of Rosie.
Addy
Good luck with that. The day I see you guys sharing anything is the day Hatch can actually recognize a hydrangea bush.
That made me smile. Rosie and I were good friends, Conor and Ro, not so much.
Addy
As far as I know, Summer’s already been in touch with Dash. It’s between them.
I didn’t know that. Of course, she had to talk to him at some point, but something in me balked at the idea. Would she go back to him? Would he try to fix things with her? After all, “Carter’s Cool Crew” implied the groom thought Summer’s sprint was merely a hitch.
While the Kershaw Kinder chat bubbled away without me, my phone buzzed with a call from Rosie. She’d already left a couple of messages, so I answered.
“Yep.”
“Don’t ‘yep’ me, Hatch Wayne Butler Kershaw. What the hell is going on?”
She couldn’t possibly know, unless Summer had said something.
“You’re going to have to be more specific, Ro.”
“You were in the wedding party, but you didn’t even stick around for the fireworks.”
“Carter and I aren’t buddies. You know his mom only wanted me in there because she thinks some of Dad’s glory will rub off on her.” Which made little sense when the Carters were billionaires with their own glory cloud. “He’s got people closer to him to help him through this.”
“Well, I’d love to know what’s going through their heads here. Dash told NoBo that Summer was okay. But she’s not answering my texts or calls, so I’m not sure I take her ex-fiancé’s word for it. What if he … did her in?”
My friend, the drama queen. “He did not do her in. At least not personally. He’d outsource it.”
“Not funny. I just wish she’d call.”
Guilt at being in the know and unable to put Rosie at ease pinged me. But it wasn’t my place. Neither did I want anyone to know I was involved.
Because that’s what I was: involved.
“How long are you staying in Saugatuck?”
“A week, maybe two. I said I’d come back to help with the Rebels Youth Hockey Camp when the U-14 session starts up. For now, I just plan to chill.”
“Any word on your dad’s plans for next year?”
“You mean, since you asked me yesterday?”
She clicked her tongue. “I think you should talk to him. Tell him you’re looking to play for another team.”
Rosie and Special Agent Lauren were the only people I’d confided in about my desire to move.
“He would be so disappointed, and I don’t want him to make a career decision based on whether I’m here or not. Me telling him I’m looking to leave would hurt him. And that’s the last thing I want to do.”
If my father knew about my special guest, he wouldn’t be too pleased either. I was the golden child, and I didn’t usually make mistakes.
Maybe Summer wasn’t the only one who had gone a little mad back at that church.