Page 92 of Tourist Trap

"I didn't," Sutton says matter-of-factly, and I decide right then that I really like Claire's older sister.

"Sutton—" Mrs. Donovan says.

"Me neither," Sophie says, and it's the perfect amount of comic relief needed to break the tension.

Mr. Donovan squeezes Claire's hand one last time, then lets go.

"Okay, who's ready for Pictionary!" Mrs. Donovan says, clapping her hands.

Instantly, everyone starts to move, clearing off the table with what seems to be already assigned chores, working like a well-oiled machine. I guess for a family of six, that kind of thing is required to avoid chaos. As I awkwardly stand to follow whatever Claire's task is, Mr. Donovan puts a hand on my shoulder and tips his head to the living room.

I step in with him and instantly start to apologize. Kind of.

"Sorry if you think I overstepped, Mr. Donovan, but I also don't really care. Your daughter means a great deal to me, and I don't like anyone making her upset," I say.

He looks at me stoically, and I contemplate standing down, but then a wide smile spreads on his lips. "No, you were right. We're too hard on Claire, and she has never given us reason to be. She's just the baby of the family, and we all care a whole lot about her."

"That makes sense. I care about her, too," I say, meaning it in a dozen different ways and when he looks at me and nods, I think he can see that.

"Call me Tom," he says.

"Your brother," he says, and my gut tightens. "No offense?—"

"My brother's an ass. Trust me, I know."

He smiles then. "Family is important, but sometimes, you gotta know when to cut them off."

"Trust me, we're on the same page with that. That's something I've been working my way up to."

He nods like this is an appropriate response.

"I always thought all my girls would settle down in Evergreen Park, close to their mom, so she wouldn't have that empty nest she always feared. But I always knew Claire would jump ship somewhere else. Happy she picked somewhere we'll be happy to visit, though. Real pretty down there." I open my mouth, unsure of how to respond to that, but I don't have to when he keeps speaking. "All I care about is that Claire is happy. She's always been a bit head in the clouds, and I've always loved that about her. My wife and her siblings give her a bit of a hard time about it, but I always knew she'd figure things out eventually."

I smile then. Finally, something we can agree on.

"I agree."

"That includes where she wants to be and who she wants to be with," he adds, and again, my back straightens. "Only thing I ask if you take her out of this town is you make sure she comes home often and has a room for her sisters when they want to come down. They're close, and they need their time together."

A long beat passes before I nod with understanding.

"You have my word," I say, putting a hand out to him. He inspects me, then takes my hand to shake, but surprises me when he pulls me in for a hug, patting me on the back.

"You're a good kid, Miles. You're good for my girl."

And then he walks off, and again, I think I have gotten Claire's dad's seal of approval.

THIRTY-TWO

CLAIRE

"Ahh!" I yell, running across the bar in my hometown, when I see Ava Bordeaux—no, AvaWilde—walk in, a big man standing right behind her. "Ava!"

"Claire!" she yells, abandoning her husband to run my way with her arms in the air.

"It's so good to see you! Jules didn't tell me you were coming!"

She shrugs. "You know how much I love a dramatic entrance."

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