Page 37 of Cain

“Whereabouts? Do I have another vacation spot to visit in my future? Not to rag on my cousin, but couldn’t Fallon pick somewhere in the coastal region of California? Or the middle of nowhere, Texas? I think there are like fifty people in all of Copper Hollow.”

“You still have Golden Glades.”

“Just my luck that they moved out of Miami before I was old enough to visit,” she said, digging in the box of forgotten clothes, jewelry, and makeup various club girls had left over the last few weeks. “So?” she asked, looking at Briggs.

“Michigan. The Upper Peninsula. Nice place if you like a lot of snow sports.”

“Girls’ trip to some remote wooded area?” Aviela asked, eyes brightening. “What’s the clubhouse like?”

“A lodge with rooms. Then twelve small cabins on the grounds.”

“Man, you don’t know what you’re signing up for,” I said, shaking my head.

“Oh, found them! Okay. Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. President. I have to go talk to the girls about s’mores and cute snowsuits.”

“Oh, yeah,” Briggs said, watching her go and letting out a huff of a laugh. “They’re trouble.”

“And it’s our job to keep an eye on them.”

“I don’t know if I should look forward to it, or shake in my boots.”

“A combination of the two is probably wisest.”

“You’re probably right. Okay. Grabbing coffee and getting oriented.”

“By the time you get back, the guys should be done and dressed and ready to welcome you.”

“How are they planning on doing that?”

“Knowing them? A party.”

And the party was what happened, exactly as I expected.

What I didn’t expect was someone walking in just when I was debating if I should head off to my room because I wasn’t feeling the festivities.

Georgie.

CHAPTER TEN

Georgie

I would have kept fighting the urge to drop in like I’d been doing for over a week.

Truly, I would have.

If I hadn’t been driving down the main street in Navesink Bank after dropping a massive grocery delivery order that took me nearly forty minutes to shop for… only to get completely stiffed on a tip. If I hadn’t felt a familiar sinking feeling in my chest and a stinging in my eyes.

If I hadn’t heard the bass of the music thumping.

If I hadn’t seen all the lights on and groups of people milling around the grounds.

If the gate hadn’t been left open.

But all those things lined up.

So I turned in before I could talk myself out of it.

What was one quick visit?