Page 152 of More For Me

“Oh my God,” I burst out. “Are you doingLove Actually?”

“Duh,” Vega says, holding up another poster board.“Honestly though, Bodhi, this scene is NOT romantic.”

Another card.“Keira Knightley is married to that guy’s best friend!”

I’m laughing too hard to read the next card. “Okay, really. Where is Everly?” I ask Alex. She just shrugs, grinning, and points at the poster board Presley is holding up.

“But this isn’t about my favorite romantic gestures,”her card says. She drops it, revealing one more.

“Tonight is about you.”

I shake my head. I’m definitely going to cry in front of the entire Ransome family before this is over.

“Good job, Brennen girls,” Alex says, then she has my hand again, moving me further down the path.

“There’s more?”

She rolls her eyes. “This is Everly. Of course there’s more.”

Some of the giddy rush fades when I see the next group of people—Everly’s parents. Reed doesn’t look particularly happy to see me, but Paige holds out her arms for me to join them.

“Uh, hey, guys,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck as I approach.

“Having fun yet?” Paige asks, beaming at me.

Before I can answer her, Reed takes a step toward me, the scowl on his face darkening. It takes everything in me to hold my ground.

“She was crying this morning,” he says in a low voice, and my chest tightens.

I hold his gaze, though. “I know. I’m really sorry I hurt her.”

He studies me for a minute, then sighs. “Don’t let it happen again.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

He nods once. “Let’s get this over with then.”

He steps back to his wife and bends to pick something off the ground. “It’s an old boom box!” Paige announces, clapping her hands. “LikeSay Anything!”

“Great movie,” Alex says. “But you know, Uncle Reed, he holds the boom boxoverhis head at the end.”

Reed glares at Alex then shoots Paige a pleading look. “Please don’t make me do this.”

“God, you’re such a baby,” she complains. “This is the most fun I’ve had in ages! Why don’t you do romantic stuff like this for me?”

“Are you even kidding me right now?”

She crosses her arms and glares at her husband. “Hold the damn stereo over your head or you’re sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week.”

He grimaces, but does what she says. The music shifts to a Peter Gabriel song. I turn to Alex, shaking my head. “What did she bribe him with to do that?”

She rolls her eyes. “Please. Like he ever says no to any of his daughters.”

“Are we done yet?” Reed grumbles, then yelps when Paige steps on his foot.

“Arewe done yet?” I ask Alex.

She shakes her head. “Almost there.” The path curves and I see the lake ahead of us. Still no Everly.