"Not mad, Travis. Just not impressed with the way you treat your cousin."

He pursed his lips. "Listen, Bree, he's my family, and we didn't communicate for a lot of years–I can see that that was mostly my fault, but me and Archer were always… competitive as kids. Maybe that carried forward a little more than I should have let it when it came to you. I'll admit that. But he's game too, trust me there."

"Competitive?" I scoffed. "Jesus, Travis." I raised my voice slightly, and a few people looked over and then looked away when I gave them a tight smile before turning back to Travis. "Don't you think he deserves for someone to be on his side for once in his life? Don't you think he deserves for someone to root for him, rather than competing against him? Couldn't you have tried to be that person?"

"So that's what it is for you–some pity deal?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath so that I didn't throw a pot of hot coffee in his face. "No, he doesn't need anyone's pity. He's… he's incredible, Travis." I pictured him in my mind, his gentle eyes and the way his smile lit up his face when he was truly happy. "He's incredible." I looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed all of a sudden.

Travis was silent for a second. He opened his mouth to say something when the bell jingled again and I looked up. My eyes grew big.

Natalie was standing there, and our friend Jordan was standing slightly behind her, his hands in his pockets, looking embarrassed.

I dropped the menu in my hand and hurried around the counter. "Oh MY God! What are you doing here?" I squealed. I was still waiting for a text telling me when her flight was getting in. Natalie walked quickly to meet me and we hugged, laughing.

"Surprise!" she said, hugging me one more time tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," I said, my smile fading as I looked over at Jordan who still hadn't moved away from the door.

Natalie looked over and then looked back at me. "He practically begged me to bring him with me so he could apologize to you in person."

I let out a sigh and gestured for Jordan to come over to us. Relief washed over his face and he walked to me, hugging me to him. "I'm so sorry, Bree," he said, his voice gravely. I hugged him back. I had missed him too. Jordan was one of my best friends. Me, Jordan, Natalie and our friend, Avery, had been inseparable since we were in grade school. We had grown up together. But Jordan was also the figurative straw that had caused me to throw my stuff in a backpack and drive out of town.

At the height of my grief and emotional turmoil, I had gone to him as a friend and he had cornered me and kissed me, pushing it even though I resisted, telling me that he was in love with me, begging me to let him take care of me. It had been too much and the very last thing that I had needed at the time.

Natalie put her arms around us both and we all laughed softly, finally pulling apart. I glanced at the room around me–there were only a couple people in the diner and Maggie was in the back with Norm, closing the kitchen.

"Come sit at the counter while I finish up," I said, smiling.

Natalie sat down next to Travis who looked over at her, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well hello there," Natalie said, flipping her long, blonde hair and crossing her legs as she swiveled the counter stool so that she was half facing him. She smiled her best flirty smile. I snorted. She ignored me and so did Travis.

"Travis Hale," he said, smiling back and reaching for her hand.

I shook my head slightly and introduced Travis to Jordan.

They all said hi and then Travis stood up, placing a five on the counter.

"Bree," he said, glancing at me. "Natalie, Jordan, enjoy your stay in Pelion. Nice to meet you. Bree, tell Maggie I said hi." Then he turned and made his way out of the diner.

I turned to Natalie who was still watching his ass as he walked to his police cruiser outside. She turned back to me. "Well, no wonder you want to stay here."

I laughed. "He's not the reason I want to stay here."

Natalie glanced over at Jordan who was looking at a menu. I went serious and changed the subject. I had had an idea for years that Jordan had a crush on me, but I hadn't known he thought he was in love with me. I loved him too, but not like that and I knew I never would. I just hoped we could somehow go back to the friendship we'd had before. I really did miss him.

"Have you eaten?" I asked. The kitchen was closing, but I could make them a sandwich or something.

"Yeah, fast food about an hour ago." Natalie looked at Jordan looking over the menu. "You're not hungry again already, are you?"

He looked up. "Nah, just looking." He set it down, obviously still a little uncomfortable. I cleared my throat.

"Okay, let me go tell Maggie I'm leaving and I'll grab my stuff."

Fifteen minutes later we were in my little car headed to my cottage.

I got Jordan settled in to the front room, and Natalie brought her stuff back to my bedroom, and we all took turns showering, and then sat in the front room chatting and laughing at Natalie's stories about dating her new boss. Jordan already looked more comfortable and I was so happy to have them there.

"Do you want to go to dinner in town?" I asked. "I'll run over and ask Archer if he'd like to come with us while you get ready."

"Why don't you just call him?" Natalie asked.

"Well, he doesn't exactly speak," I said quietly.

"Huh?" she and Jordan both said at the same time.

I told them about Archer and how he had been raised, a little bit about his uncle and what I knew about his accident, even though he hadn't told me anything personally about it.

They both stared at me with wide eyes. "Holy shit, honey," Natalie said.

"I know, guys," I said. "It's a crazy story–and I don't even know all of it yet. But wait until you meet him. He's so sweet and just… amazing. I'll have to interpret for you, but he speaks sign fluently."

"Wow," Jordan said. "So if he never really even came off his property all those years, and he doesn't speak, what exactly is he planning on doing with his life?"

I looked down. "He's still figuring that out," I said, feeling suddenly defensive of him. "He will though. He's just still working on a few of the basics."

They looked at me and I felt suddenly embarrassed for some reason. "Anyway," I went on, "I'll go tell him our plans and hopefully he'll agree to come with us." I got up and went to put on my shoes and coat.

"Okay," Natalie said. "So is this a jeans and t-shirt type of place, or should I go dressier?"

I laughed. "Definitely jeans and t-shirt."

"Think Travis will be there?" she asked me.

I groaned. "Oh guys, I have so much to catch you up on. This could take a while. I'll be back in a few, okay?"

"Okay!" Natalie sang, getting up. Jordan was rooting through his small suitcase for something.

"Okay," he said too, looking back.

I headed out, jumping in my car and turning toward Archer's road.

Archer

I stood at my kitchen sink, drinking down a glass of water in big gulps. I had just gotten back from a run on the shore with the dogs. I wouldn't be able to do that for too much longer once the weather turned.

I stood there thinking about what I was going to do today, feeling a heaviness in my gut that I wasn't sure how to handle. I had felt the same way before my run, too, and thought that the exercise would clear my head. It hadn't.