“To go with cocktail time,” Isabel added.

“We’d want you there as one of the girls, not as the badass who built the place,” Anna said. “Would that be possible?”

I was at once thrilled to be included and flustered to think that, by fall, I hoped to be the president of Marks International. If all went well, I’d likely be in Switzerland for months on end, overseeing the next project. The thought sent a spark of excitement through my veins, but I tamped down on it. It was easier just to say, “Totally possible, depending on work, of course.”

They all pulled out their phones and started discussing dates, and I went along for the ride, not wanting to jinx anything with my promotion.

By the time talk turned to other topics—the preseason sale at Lake Girl, Sergio Vega’s fender bender on the square in front of half the town, the best streaming shows right now—the bonfire crowd was even bigger, closer to forty or fifty people. Seth had showed up and was tending the fire with Nick Carlisle, who apparently volunteered for the fire department, and Levi Dawson. There was a constant shifting of people from one group to the next and an overall friendly, happy vibe, as if everyone had officially come out of their winter hibernation, relieved by the mild temperatures.

I’d nearly finished my drink when I realized how relaxed I’d become with the people around me. Others came up to us to say hello, many of whom I knew, whether it was from the past in a distant way or people I’d more recently become acquainted with either through Holden or simply by being back in town. My husband caught my eye several times, as if he was checking to make sure I was doing okay, and honest to God, I was. And I was a little stunned by that.

Even when I saw Magnolia James arrive with her fiancé trailing a step behind her, I didn’t feel as threatened as usual. I kept one eye on her, though, as she inserted herself into various conversations and groups.

“Don’t let her get to you,” Emerson said quietly. “She’s not worth it.”

I nodded but still kept track of her so as not to get blindsided. I felt like Emerson had my back though, and that just added to my contentment. As I listened to Anna and Olivia discuss concerts they hoped to see in Nashville and half tuned in to Isabel bantering with one of the McNamaras, the truth hit me like a sledgehammer.