Page 14 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“I don’t love any of you except Mom,” Ryder said, taking the mug Robyn Duke handed him.

She followed Birdie out of the house. They started jogging down the drive, and Zoe took a deep breath of the still cool morning air and exhaled slowly.

September was easing them into fall, and it was one of Zoe’s favorite times of year. The leaves turned amazing colors, and the blistering heat of summer eased.

“You doing okay, Zoe?”

“Sure. You?”

“Wonderful,” Birdie said.

Uncle Asher’s cruiser was gone, so he was clearly at work too, like Dan. This was their little slice of Lyntacky. Duke Drive. A place where her parents had put down their roots. Zoe wasn’t sure yet where she wanted to put down hers. For a while she’d thought maybe Chicago, but since being back here, she wasn’t so sure. But what she knew was she needed a job, and that would take her from here, and for now, that had to be her focus.

“Your brother is the love of my life, Zoe.”

“I just threw up a bit in my mouth.”

“Ha-ha, and that’s just jealousy talking,” Birdie said, nudging her with an elbow.

“You’re probably right, but I’m not ready for that. The forever after kind of love. I’m not sure I ever will be.”

“I didn’t think I was ready after Steve, but it turns out I was.”

Zoe loved that Birdie and Sawyer had fallen in love, even if she found their constant smiles nauseating. Okay, maybe her brother didn’t smile all the time, but he did with his eyes when his girl was close.

They ran toward town, and everywhere she looked were memories. This place was etched inside Zoe. Her life had played out here.

“The party went well,” Zoe said.

“It was wonderful, and even though we said no gifts, people still gave us things. Delores and Red Heckler gave us a gallon of lube, a book titled200 Sexual Acts to Satisfy Everyone, and a vibrator.”

Zoe tripped and stumbled several feet before righting herself. “You are not serious?”

“Totally. Tripp Lyntacky gave us matching square dancing shirts with our names on the back.”

“I bet Sawyer loved those.” Zoe giggled.

“He said the day he wore that was the day I would have to put him in some kind of institution.”

“I love this town,” Zoe said. For years, she’d fought to get away from Lyntacky, believing she wanted a big city and all the excitement that came with it.

After applying at several places, she’d finally got into Columbia College Chicago to pursue her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Zoe had then stayed and got an internship at a company.

Life had been good as far as the youngest Duke was concerned. Then everything had changed in a heartbeat.

They jogged into the main street, passing the statue of Shelly Lyntacky her family had erected after her sudden death many years ago. It was because of her the town was obsessed with square dancing. The woman had danced every moment she got, and her family, who had run this town for years, had played music from speakers so she could practice her square dancing moves in the street.

“Morning, Shelly,” Zoe and Birdie said.

“So what’s next for you? Now you’re back from Chicago,” Birdie asked. “You’re Zoe Duke, the go-getter. Always busy. Always striving, so I’m sure you have plans. In school, I was so jealous of you.”

Zoe shot her running buddy a look to see if she was serious.

“I mean it. I was always jealous of you. You were this pretty, confident kid, even at a young age. I envied that, as I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.”

“I wasn’t confident. I just had four older brothers, so I had to look like I knew what I wanted, or they’d tell me.”

“Really?” Birdie looked surprised.

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