The Perfect Homecoming (Pine River #3)

Cooper stared at me.

“She’s like, super generous, and they’re all excited about the improvements they’re going to make in the spring.” Boo-yah. Once again, I am king of information in Pine River.

Even Luke was impressed, because he said, “My God, what do you not know about Pine River?”

Well, nothing, but that is way beside the point here.

“So how come you never mentioned this before?” Luke demanded, all mad because once again, I knew something he didn’t. I told him it was because it seemed kind of personal for Emma. Sort of like the Wilson kids, which, of course, Luke knows about because Jackson’s told everyone. I mean, I know what it’s like to want something so bad when you can only look at it. Like when you can’t go out in the world and get what you want because your arms and legs don’t work, or maybe because your heart is too broken. I explained all this to Luke, but it was Cooper I was watching. He was really quiet, just listening, watching me really closely like he wasn’t quite sure I was all there.

I decided that night that I really like Cooper. I think he could get it, like, really get it. He just seems sharp, you know? Sometimes a person walks into your house and you get a sense about them, that they are really hearing what you’re saying, and understanding it. Most people walk into this house and they are trying to think of something to say really fast so they don’t have to address the elephant in the room—which would be me—or they are thinking about themselves. You can just tell.

But Cooper doesn’t seem like that. He’s cool.

And Luke really likes him. It’s man love or whatever you call it when two dudes find someone just like them out in the world. Luke’s been talking about Cooper and the stuff they’ve been doing, checking out all the places they could stage some sports in the summer like they’re two little kids building a fort.

I remember when that used to be Luke talking about me and what we’d done together. We’d go way up in those mountains, and we’d build forts and hunt elk and ski and climb rocks—you name it. Mom used to get really mad at us and tell us she was going to sell us to a merchant ship if we didn’t come home when we were supposed to, but Luke and I weren’t really scared of her. We were really scared of bears.

Anyway, Luke and Cooper’s excellent adventure makes me kind of sad. Not sad that I can’t go—I got over that a while back. I’m sad that Luke has to replace me. Your brother is supposed to be there in the beginning and all the way to the end. Your brother is supposed to be exploring canyons with you in the winter. What really sucks is that I’m the lucky one in this deal, and Luke got robbed.

You know what I hate? I hate that I’m letting him down. I hate it worse than almost anything. Except maybe the Patriots. Anyway, I’m glad Luke has found Cooper who, let’s be honest, is pretty good-looking and super smart. In other words, if you can’t have me, he’s a pretty good runner-up.

I just hope Luke doesn’t forget how totally awesome I was.

Who am I kidding? That would be impossible.





TWELVE

Cooper had liked Luke Kendrick the moment he’d met him. He had an easy way about him, seemed very much at home running interference between his brother and his dad, and took ribbing in stride.

Their friendship had begun the night Cooper had dinner with the Kendricks. As Cooper had begun to describe the sort of sports they would like to stage here, Luke’s eyes had lit with the possibilities. He’d been showing Cooper around for a couple of days, and it had been a blast.

Last night, the two of them had a beer at the Rocky Creek Tavern. “I know exactly where to take you,” Cooper had said, pointing a beer bottle at Cooper. “I can’t believe I haven’t thought of it before. Trace Canyon. No one’s ever back up in there except the Forest Service. There are some great gullies, some great rock faces. I’ll take you up tomorrow if you have time.”

Of course Cooper had time. He let the calls from Carl roll to voice mail; he didn’t want his fun to be ruined with Carl’s paranoia.

Like Jackson, Luke seemed to think the warnings about the canyon were more informational than instructional, and took Cooper all over Trace Canyon. They drove up logging roads and scoped out some great ravines for cliff jumping and temporary zip lines. The waterfall Luke had in mind was frozen, but in summer, he explained how it was the perfect place to rappel down to the pool below, then catch some white water another five hundred feet down.