He calls her a traitor, and she blows him a kiss.

I’m crowing at the first point scored when Nathan slams me right in the chest—hubris getting me good, as it always does. “Hey,” I sputter, laughing. “Carina, get his ass good.”

She takes vengeance while I circle behind her, and then it’s a two-sister full-on attack. Dad and Nathan throw back a heavy volley as well. It’s non-stop snowballs in all directions, and we’re all laughing hysterically.

I get knocked down, flat on my back, right after the Referee Spouses inform us it’s too hard to keep score. I make one final snowball as I lie there, staring up at the twinkly, starry night sky, and as a big male form approaches, I sit up with a start and throw it with all my might.

It’s a direct hit, exploding all over his face and neck, white snowflakes clinging to every surface of his expensive coat and frowning face.

Because it’s not my dad, and it’s not my brother.

It’s Jacob, and he’s furious.

“What are you…” I scramble to my feet. I didn’t even hear a car approach. But even if I had seen him arrive, nothing could stop my heart from lurching when I realize just how hard and scowling his gaze is as he glares at me from under a flop of reddish blond hair.

And my first ridiculous thought is, he needs a haircut.

I forgot to book that for him before I quit.

I swallow hard. “What are you doing here?”

A muscle in his jaw twitches as he grinds out his answer. “We need to talk.”

We don’t have anything to talk about, but I don’t want to say that in front of my family.

As I’m grappling with what to say next, my sister tromps over, kicking snow in all directions. “Sienna, are you going to introduce us?”

Yeah, sure, this is the boss we were trashing earlier. He’s followed me across three state lines to tell me I didn’t quit properly or something. I can’t bring myself to say it, or any diplomatic version of the same truth. Instead, I open my mouth and the most batshit lie-that-is-almost-the-truth spills out. “This is…Jake.”

Her eyes light up. “Jake!”

My stomach flip-flops nervously. Oh no. This isn’t going to end well.

Sienna, think before you speak.

Jacob’s frown intensifies. “Excuse me?”

My sister grabs his arm, not noticing how he stiffens up. “Mom will be so thrilled to finally meet Sienna’s boyfriend.”

The nerves rioting inside me turn to a free fall panic. “Wait—”

Jacob shoots me a sharp, silencing glare.

I squeak instead of finishing my retraction.

“Yes,” he grinds out. “I think it’s time I meet your family, Sienna. Since I’m your…boyfriend.”

Chapter Two

Jacob Jake