“Bad news?”
“Good news, actually. He said I can use the cabin all spring. He’s going straight from Miami to Brazil, spending the season with his in-laws. And we got the utilities settled.”
“Perfect.” I smiled and tilted my head. Good news didn’t explain Hannah’s careful tone. “One more season. Gives us time to think.”
“Yeah. Maybe we should think now. I’m sure Kevin will want his cabin this summer.”
“I’m not worried about it. Worst-case scenario, I stay at the condo for a while. Hiding in plain sight. That, or I could move to a hotel for a few months. When you get my inheritance—” A frown pulled at my mouth. It felt weird as fuck to talk about my inheritance. It was a lot of money, and it was my money. To think of that small fortune slipping out of my control …
“Matt?”
“Ah, the money.” I ruffled my hair. “We can do whatever we want then. You could buy a cabin out here, something like that. Hey, I can’t wait to see you, Hannah.”
Hannah was quiet.
“This weekend,” I prompted. “I’m missing you.”
“Yeah. I miss you, too. This weekend, I can’t come out this weekend.”
Only then did I realize how much hope I pinned on Hannah’s visits, because my heart dropped and my mood froze. Clouds seemed to gather over my week. Suddenly, I hated the cabin. I hated the cold and the snow. I especially hated my writing, which ruined my life—ruined any chance of happiness and normalcy for me.
“Why not?”
“Pam’s throwing a party at the agency.” Hannah paused. “For The Surrogate’s release. It’s in stores on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday. I’d forgotten.”
“Yeah. I have to go to the party. And I want to. I’m excited about the book.”
“Excited about the book.” I smirked. “That’s rich. I’m glad I’m not around for any of that shit. Did Mara totally savage the manuscript?” Mara was my editor.
“No. Almost no changes were made. Just some punctuation stuff…”
“Great. They fucked with my punctuation?”
“Pam says you’re overly fond of semicolons.”
My smirk softened. Pamela Wing, my stone-cold agent. I couldn’t picture her shedding one tear over my loss, and the thought pleased me.
“God, I miss that bitch.” I chuckled. Hannah laughed, too, relief flooding her voice.
“Anyway, I’ll drive out next weekend,” she said. “It’s not so bad.”
“Mm … not so bad.”
We chatted for an hour and then Hannah had to leave for yoga. Yoga … I loved what yoga did for her body. She was all curvy and elastic and capable of assuming the most pretzelesque positions when I f— “Matt?”
“Huh? I love you.”
“You’re daydreamy tonight. I love you, too.”
I flipped my phone shut, and then I flipped it back open. I dialed Mel’s number.
She answered immediately.
“Hey!” she said. “I thought you’d cut me off.”
“I was thinking about it. You’ve become a problem for me, Mel.”
She laughed nervously.
“Well, you have,” I said, “but that’s not why I called. Are you still between jobs?”
“Yeah. Are you going to make fun of me again?”
“Nope. I’m going to offer you a job.”
Chapter 25
HANNAH
On Wednesday morning, I had to park two blocks from the agency. The joys of city living. I smiled as I hurried along the sidewalk. I thought about the cabin.
Yes, I would happily use Matt’s money to buy us a cabin of our own.
I loved Denver, I loved the buzz and easy access to everything, but city life necessitates escape. I recharged in the mountains with Matt. When we lay in bed listening to the owls calling to one another, I felt satisfied at the deepest level.
They sound beautiful, I once said. Matt said they sounded lonesome.
I sighed and laughed.
I just couldn’t understand that boy’s fascination with sorrow.
Too late, I saw a figure standing on the agency steps. My vision of cabin life dissipated. It was Seth Sky. I veered away from the steps, but he’d already spotted me.