Page 70 of For Fox Sake

Piper chuckles. “That’s probably part of her plan to get you all up to the main house for meals as frequently as possible.”

“She loves to feed people, that’s for sure,” Archer adds.

“Is that a lake?” Ari points out the window.

“More of a pond,” Jake says. “We can go fishing there though.”

“I’ve never been fishing.”

“I’ll teach you.”

Ari glances toward the front of the car. “Is Oliver going to come?”

Jake waves a hand. “We don’t want him to be there.”

Ari frowns. “Why not?”

“He’s too good at everything.”

“Then he should teach me.”

Oliver turns around, a smile lighting his normally stern expression. “Kid’s a genius.”

Ari beams at him.

Jake rolls his eyes dramatically.

We travel up and over a hill, then the camp comes into view.

Brightly painted, stout wood cabins are scattered beneath looming pines. The dirt road transitions to cobblestone, rumbling underneath us and winding between the bungalows.

Ari is silent, staring out the window.

Archer turns the car uphill, and a few seconds later we park in front of a house next to a Jeep with the camp logo painted on the side.

“Wait. Are Taylor and Atticus here too?”

Archer shrugs. “Of course.”

“Is that Luke’s car? Is everyone here?” Jake asks. “Don’t they have work or lives or something?”

“Guess not.” Piper shrugs.

Ari stares up at the house looming outside the car window. “What is this place?”

Everyone chuckles. Even Oliver.

Oliver pushes open his door. “It’s a monstrosity, I know, but they’ve done a lot of work on the interior so it’s not terrible.”

We all exit the car and I look up at the house, shading my eyes from the sun. Jake’s childhood home. It’s not a monstrosity by any means, but the large, two-story structure is an odd mixture of materials, dark wood, red brick, and a splash of stucco. It reminds me of when Ari built a house using a combination of Legos, popsicle sticks, and Play-Doh, but sturdier.

A woman stands on the porch, greeting us as we approach, hugging everyone as they pass, including me.

Jake introduces us.

“Ryan, it’s so nice to meet you finally.” Finley pulls me into a hug. She has the same dark hair as Jake and Piper, her nose is slightly smaller, her lips fuller, but the family resemblance is uncanny.

“Thank you for having us.”

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