“Of course I know him. Small town, remember? How are you, Hank?”

“Hiya, Clark. What the hell happened to your face? You run into a door again?” Hank asked, starting to juggle the three apples he was holding.

“No I didn’t run into a door, I—”

Hank interrupted, “Senior year of high school, this guy ran right into a sliding glass door, broke his nose and the glass. It was hilarious! Man, that was a killer party too, everyone was there. Even Clark! I don’t think I’d ever seen you at a party before, come to think of it, and the one time you come, you walk right into a glass door! Oh man, that still cracks me up!”

Clark chuckled. “Yep, you got me there. Pretty funny stuff.” But his eyes weren’t laughing.

I felt like I should laugh, since they both were. But I couldn’t.

And after a few seconds, Hank was the only one. He finally stopped juggling, then said, “I brought these for the horses. Want to try giving one of them an apple?” He tossed one and I caught it.

“Sure, gimme a sec.” I turned back to Clark. “Thanks for coming by today. I really appreciate all the help with the house.”

He looked at me coolly. “Please keep me abreast of the bids you receive from the contractors, and consult me before making any final changes.”

I blinked. We were back to that?

“Viv! Come on!” Hank called, backing away toward the barn and beckoning me with one finger.

“I hope you have a pleasant visit with your friends, Vivian,” Clark said, getting into his car and driving away.

I walked across the yard toward the barn, noticing that the four on the porch were silent, watching as I followed Hank. I never even got to the barn, though, because I started sneezing and didn’t stop for almost two minutes.

Chapter eight

That evening I went back with my friends to Mimi’s family’s house to have dinner. We ate, we drank, we played Pictionary (these four are oddly fierce when they are playing games), and just had a nice evening.

They stopped by in the morning before heading back to San Francisco, bringing pastries from the bakery in town, and I fired up the French press again. I’d found an old painting tarp in the garage and before they left, the boys and I headed up to the roof to tie it down. The forecast was calling for rain this week, and I didn’t want to spend another night moving buckets all over the living room. We got it tied down nice and secure, and it seemed like a good temporary fix until the roof could be replaced.

We were outside by the Range Rover, getting everyone situated and settled, Mimi talking a mile a minute about stopping for beef jerky. “I’m telling you, Simon, it’s the best jerky ever! Just ask Ryan. I make him stop every time we come up here to see my folks, you’ll see.”

“I’ve learned not to argue with that one.” Simon laughed, draping an easy arm around my shoulders. “Sure is nice to have you out here, Viv. You gotta come down to the city sometime and see our place in Sausalito.”

“I’ll totally take you up on that offer, as soon as I get things settled around here,” I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. I missed my brothers, and I was glad to have Simon only a few hours away if I needed him. I patted him on the butt, then reached for his best girl.

“Can’t thank you enough for everything you did, Caroline, although you and Clark did get a little too close for my comfort,” I teased.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Yeah, what a terrible guy,” she said, making a show of hanging herself. “I have to say, after all the buildup, he wasn’t exactly the monster you made him out to be.”

“He’s okay, just a little uptight for me. Keeps me on my toes, though. And it’s fun making him squirm a bit. I was going to send him a text later asking if he wants to help me paint all the trim Day-Glo orange.” I grinned.

“You’re kind of a shit—you know this, right?” she asked, laughing as she pulled me into a hug.

“Kind of?”

“Now you let me know, Viv, if you need any more help organizing. I left my card and a price sheet for you on the dining room table, with a discount, of course, since we’re buddies now. So when you’re ready to really get organized, you call me, okay?” Mimi asked as Ryan helped her into the backseat.

“Buckle up, dear,” he said. “Nice you meet you again, Viv. We come up here a few times a year, so we’ll see you again. You’re coming down to San Francisco for the wedding, right?”

“That’s a brilliant idea!” Mimi said. “Oh, Viv, you have to come! Oh my God, Ryan, that’s the best idea you’ve ever had. It’s going to be the prettiest wedding anyone has ever seen! And you can—”

Ryan shut the car door and went around to the other side. As soon as he opened the door I heard:

“—and the cake has seven tiers, can you believe it? All the attendants have to wear black, I’m the only one in white, of course, and . . .”

Caroline told Simon, “Let’s get the jerky as soon as possible—it’s a three-hour drive.” She climbed into the front seat, leaving Simon and me standing there.

“Wind-surfing lesson next time?” he asked.

“Yup. Now get outta here.”

He got in and they sped off, Mimi’s hands waving excitedly as they pulled away. I chuckled for a moment, then headed back inside. It was really quiet in the house now. I finished my coffee, put in my earbuds, and got back to work cleaning.