This time, they were going to a room. A dark, ominous lady cave where terrible things happened to those with insufficient follicle care.

Upon seeing the table and sheer amount of wax waiting for her, Zoey’s body stopped of its own accord, unwilling to move past the doorway.

“On the table.” Grace ignored Zoey’s internal panic attack. “Are we still doing a Brazilian wax?”

“I think so?”

Raising another eyebrow at her squeak, Grace glanced at Lana.

“Of course she is. Now undress, love. We can’t get all spiffy with our clothes in the way.”

Nervously, Zoey did as she was told and lay down on the torture table.

“It’s nothing to be scared of.” Sitting on a chair next to Zoey’s head, Lana gave her a reassuring squeeze of her hand. “I do this all the time. All they will do is—”

Grace gasped, mumbling, “What in the world?”

“What?” Pushing herself up to her elbows, Zoey cast about frantically. “What’s wrong?”

“I mean, do the words daily moisturizer mean nothing to you?”

“Down there?”

Grace and Lana shared a look. “It’s okay,” her friend promised. “It’s never too late to start wrinkle repair.”

“I have wrinkles?”

“Well, they certainly aren’t laugh lines,” Grace said dryly.

“Until recently, that part of you didn’t have much to laugh about, did it?” Lana shrugged. “If nothing else, the handsome boy has put a spring in your step. Now, let’s make it easier for him to see the forest for the trees.”

“That analogy doesn’t even make sense—ow ow ow!” With an impossibly loud rip, Zoey saw nothing but stars. “This was a terrible idea.”

“Agreed.” Nodding, Lana patted her head. “But now that you’ve taken the right steps, it should be easier next time. I never even feel it when I’m being done. What are you getting?”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’ll be a while before it matters,” Grace muttered, rolling her shoulders to loosen them before going back in.

“Hey! I’m not that bad.”

Lana stole a peek, then clucked her tongue. “You’re not that good.”

“Don’t look!”

“Oh nonsense. It’s not anything I haven’t seen before. Now, some get a heart, some a little strip, but Grace’s claim to fame is the moose.”

“I’m sorry?”

“A moose.” Lana turned her phone to Zoey, waggling an image of the animal in question. “Tall, big horns, the town is named after them.”

“I know what moose are. I just never imagined one…down there.”

“Get the moose,” Lana encouraged her.

“You’re not joking? This can’t be a thing.”

“Oh, it’s not just a thing. Grace’s signature moose is Moose Springs’ second rite of passage. You should definitely get one.” Peeking one more time, Lana’s face creased in concern. “Hmm. Might want to brace yourself.”

When Grace’s brows knitted together in determination, Zoey knew she was in for a rough time of it. Things went downhill for a while, and in between her yelps and several attempts to crawl half-naked from the table, Lana did her best to distract Zoey.

“We’re watching the fireworks tonight from the veranda. Killian reserved it. You can bring Graham if you want.”

“Lana, why in the world would he want to go? These are the same people you’re trying to sell pieces of his home to.”

“Oh, he won’t be mad forever.” Despite her dismissive tone, there was worry in her eyes. “Graham doesn’t hold a grudge.”

“I don’t know. I’m not from here, so I don’t have to live with what he does. But I saw him in pain. Real, heart-wrenching pain. And what you’re doing is only going to make things worse.”

“Worse than letting the town die?”

Another rip had Zoey hiding her face beneath her arm from embarrassment. Lana tilted her head, nodding in approval.

“Stop looking!” Zoey squeaked. “There are friendship boundaries, Lana.”

“Are there?” Lana flapped her hand in dismissal. “You know you should have done this days ago. You’ll be awfully raw tonight.”

“I hadn’t really planned on…” Zoey trailed off.

“The delicious diner owner making you swoon? Understandable. I see a moose horn. Oh, well done, Grace. You truly are skilled. She’s quite the fixer-upper, isn’t she?”

“I’m taking my break early,” the stylist said as she started on the final rips.

Lana’s phone began to chime, and she hopped up, squeezing Zoey’s hand. “I have to take this. Come tonight, just for a little while. I want to clear the air with Graham. He’s not returning my calls.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Zoey promised. “But I won’t force him to go if he doesn’t want to—ahh!”

With an expression of victory, Grace held up a waxing strip. “Finished. I feel like I just came back from war.”

“You and me both.” Whimpering, Zoey and her freshly minted moose paid and tipped Grace, then they both limped out of the spa.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” Grass asked as she passed through the lobby.

“Yep,” she replied through gritted teeth. “If anyone asks, drinking a Growly Bear is the less painful rite of passage.”

By the time Zoey made it back to the room and finished getting ready, her phone was already buzzing. Graham was down at the lake, and they were setting up their own fireworks to shoot off. Would she come meet him?

As if he even had to ask.

Moose Springs Lake was a short walk down the mountainside, nestled beneath the resort’s shadow. Large enough to boat and fish in but not nearly as massive as the lakes she was used to back home in the Midwest, Moose Springs Lake was the place to go for all Fourth of July festivities. Already the waters were filling with pontoon boats and little fishing boats, people playing music and swimming. On the shore, trucks and cars were parked, blankets spread on the ground, and children ran with sparklers in their hands.

“Someone’s going to lose an eye,” Zoey murmured.

“Yes, but it’ll be fun up until it happens.”

Turning around at Graham’s familiar rumble, Zoey found herself swept up in the best, most massive bear hug.

“So, are you adding to this craziness?”

“You better believe it.” He was practically vibrating with childlike enthusiasm. “Any excuse to close the diner after lunch. Here, I got you something.” Graham tossed her a small firework box with a round frog on the label. “It’s a frog prince. It matches your little money holder thing.”

“You remember my coin purse?”

“It’s a sparkly frog. A guy doesn’t forget a pretty girl with a sparkly frog in her back pocket. Lucky frog.”

Sliding his hands into said back pockets, Graham stole a kiss from Zoey’s lips.

“You’re trouble.”

“Always.” He gazed down at her, that look in his eyes.

The look that took the strength right out of Zoey’s knees and left her a mess, plastered all over him despite who might be watching. Graham didn’t seem to mind the plastering one single bit, not even when their embrace resulted in several ear-piercing catcalls.

“We might need to find a more private spot.” Graham hugged her again, pulling her up to her toes. “You look especially great today. Anything different?”

“It’s the glow of surviving my last rite of passage,” she informed him. Whispering in Graham’s ear, Zoey added, “Grace moosed me.”

A wide grin crossed his handsome features. “You know I’m going to lose a hand setting off fireworks now. I’m completely distracted by you.”

“Good. Keep that up.”

“Where’s Jake?” For once, Graham’s constant companion wasn’t with him.

“He’s staying with my parents tonight. Anchorage does a fireworks show but nothing like we do here. Jake gets scared of all the noise, and my folks aren’t big fireworks people. They’d rather spend time with their grandpuppy.”

She arched an eyebrow. “So you’re saying we have some alone time without the kids?”

“Better make the most of it.” Leaning in, Graham added, “Maybe I got a moose from Grace too.”

What was it about him that made her unable to stop smiling? Zoey’s face hurt from grinning so much, and she was hoarse from laughter. They spent the afternoon surrounded by his friends, helping the younger kids with the kid-safe poppers and spinners. Zoey happily ate what was offered her, be it delicious potato salads, incredible desserts, or unknown animal flesh formed in hot dog shapes and slathered in ketchup.

The fireworks grew bigger and better as the afternoon turned into evening. Sitting with Ash and some of Graham’s friends, Zoey found herself utterly content, watching him lighting off the fireworks, happier than she’d ever seen him. A few mishaps occurred, including one accidental tipping of a mortar. Everyone dove for cover as fiery shells zipped over their heads instead of toward the sky, exploding on the grass frighteningly close. But as she climbed back into her lawn chair, Zoey knew Graham wasn’t the only one having a blast.

Surrounded by the warm kindness of Graham’s friends, Zoey couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

When the resort started their fireworks show, each burst bigger than the last, it seemed to renew everyone’s efforts to shoot off more fireworks of their own. Zoey loved watching the colors exploding across the sky, but her eyes kept drifting back to Graham. He must have noticed the way she was watching him, because even as the resort started to roll the big ones out, Graham came over, kneeling next to her chair instead of watching.

“I parked a little way away,” he told her. “Want to help me get some blankets?”