Page 20 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

“Be right there,” I texted back. I pulled on jeans, a sweater and my boots and headed out the door.

Nonna’s cottage always looked exceptionally cozy and inviting at night, with a foggy sky behind it and the lights glowing behind lacy curtains. I used to love when the occasional thunderstorm would hit the coast, and we’d be tucked on the couch telling each other ghost stories while Nonna knitted by the light of the fire. Ella’s stories were the best, of course. She always knew how to build suspense, and we’d be on the literal edge of our seats waiting for the kaboom ending.

I could hear my sisters laughing as I walked up to the door. Ella’s earlier comments about Kellan always managing to keep me from hanging out with them crept into my thoughts. We hadn’t had any plans tonight. We never saw each other on Tuesday, but suddenly, he expected me to skip my plans to see him. I’d told him about Ava’s homecoming and the planned dinner with my sisters. He either couldn’t be bothered to listen to me, or he was trying to get in the way of a night with my sisters. Neither explanation was good.

I opened the door. Delicious, warm smells wafted my direction.

“Aria’s here!” Layla squealed. “The fabulous five are together again!”

Layla greeted me in the entry and pulled me farther into the room. Ava hurried across the room for a hug.

“Good to see you, little sis.” I squeezed her tightly. It was hardest of all for me, trying to make sure that Ava was safe and happy. She spent far too much time across the world in exotic locations where phone service was often poor or even non-existent.

The other sisters piled on for a second, and we stood in a giant group huddle, our arms wrapped around each other and giggles floating up between us.

Layla was the first to peel off. “We’ve decided to set dinner up on the patio. I brought out Nonna’s pewter candlesticks and topped them with tapers.”

Isla was wrapped in a checked apron. “El, why don’t you toss the salad? I’ll plate up the macaroni and cheese. I put on an extra layer of buttery bread crumbs.” She winked at Ava. “You look thin, so I’ve taken it upon myself to fatten you up.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s you.” Ava stepped into the kitchen and broke off a tiny piece of fudge brownie. “Hmm, better than ever. Gosh, I’ve missed you all. I’m even thinking about taking a break from travel.”

Our chins simultaneously hit the floor. Ella was the first to start laughing at her declaration. “Good one, Ava. You had us all going.”

But I knew Ava well, and I immediately sensed this was not a joke. “Are you really going to stop traveling?” I asked. “Because that will stop these gray hairs that keep creeping up out of nowhere.”

Ava had one of those radiant smiles that belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. Her love of adventure and travel was not the only thing that made her stand out from the rest of us. She was the only one who’d inherited our dad’s black hair and green eyes. Layla and I, as the youngest and oldest, had been Nonna’s “bronze bookends.” Ella and Isla were both her fair-haired princesses, but Ava, the middle child, stood out most of all with her shiny black hair and statuesque physique.

“There’s a position open at the university—in the zooarchaeology department. I’ve applied for the job.”

We all squealed with delight and reformed our huddle. A job at the university meant she’d be only an hour away instead of the usual twenty-hour flight and six time zones.

“I’ve only just applied,” she explained once we released her. “There’s a good chance they’ll give it to someone else.”

“Sure, I’ll bet there are at least fifty people with an interest and the qualifications for zooarchaeology,” Isla teased. “Why, I probably know three just in my inner circle.” She returned to the task of plating dinner.

“Okay, so there probably aren’t a slew of applicants,” Ava admitted. “And there are still a lot of details to work out if I do get offered the job.”

“I’m going to light the candles.” Layla dashed out with a box of matches.

We all picked up our plates and headed outside.

“This darn wind,” Layla still hadn’t gotten a candle lit, and the fog had drowned out any moon or starlight. The cove looked dark and shadowy and endless. It was my favorite time of night on the cove.

Ella held her hands up to block the wind, and Layla made a third attempt to light the candle. We clapped and cheered when the wobbly orange flame finally took hold of the wick.

We sat down to our delicious meal.

“So, bring me up to date on everyone’s love life,” Ava said. “Mine is in the garbage, but that’s a story for another time.” She looked at Isla first.

Isla took a deep breath. “I’ve only told Aria this so far, but Luke bought the empty bakery so I can get my business up and running.”

Ella dropped her fork. “You didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was waiting to tell everyone once we were all together.”

“But you told Aria,” Ella reminded her.

“Seriously, El,” Isla said. “You sure know how to ruin a big announcement.”

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