Page 5 of Falling Together

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Joey deadpans.

“Yeah, I won’t hold my breath.” Presley laughs.

“We love you just as you are, Georgia,” Rylee says. “You don’t have to change just to fit some tarot reading.”

“Ugh. Fine. But I could if I wanted to.”

I’ve had enough reckless people in and out of my life. People that didn’t care about any responsibility they had when it came to me. It shaped me into who I am today. But…maybe a little bit of risk-taking couldn’t hurt.

Chapter Two

GRANT

“When will you be home then?” Kari asks, her annoyance audible over the phone.

“I don’t know. All flights have been canceled.”

“This is supposed to be my weekend with Luke. I’ve barely seen him this month.”

Whose fault is that?

“Look, I didn’t dump a foot of snow on this town to strand us here. If we could get home, we would.”

She scoffs. “Whatever, Grant. You know we’re leaving to go on our trip once you get back. I’d like to have some time with my son before then.”

“And as soon as we land, I’ll bring him straight over, but⁠—”

“You don’t know when that will be. Got it. Text me when you know.”

Kari ends the call, and it takes everything I have not to smash my phone into the bar. Only my ex-wife would blame me for the weather and not getting home when I said we would.

I hate to think what she might say when she learns I had an impromptu meeting with the owner of the Pinecrest Loggers while I was here. Not that it’s going to turn into anything, but any disruption to her life and I’m the one to blame.

Even though we got divorced four years ago.

“You look like you could use another drink.”

The bartender comes back over. It’s late now, so most of the other parents have wandered back up to their rooms by this point. It’s me plus a few people lingering over a high-top in the corner.

“Do I look that bad?”

“I’ve seen worse. What can I get you?”

“Another.” I hold up my empty beer bottle.

“Last one, is that okay?”

“How can a bar run out of alcohol?” I ask.

He laughs. “Because we had a wedding and stranded parents with their kids for the last two days. No deliveries means we’re out of booze.”

I let out a low whistle. “Damn. Should I apologize to you now? Or later.”

He waves me off. “We’re good. Hopefully the roads will be cleared up by tomorrow. We usually don’t get snow this late in the season.”

“I appreciate you letting us stay here.” I nod in thanks as he uncaps the glass bottle and slides it over to me. “Kids are getting a little stir-crazy, I think.”

“Hence why the parents have drunk us dry.”