“It’s freezing in here,” Ginelle says, stepping out of the bathroom, rubbing her arms.
“Coffee will help,” Lucy says, holding the mug out to her.
“Thank you.” Ginelle takes the drink, but I notice the intentional distance kept between the two women. “Cillian, fire, please.”
I look over to see Cillian loading wood into the cast-iron stove. “What do you think I’m doing?”
“Just making sure,” Ginelle says, shivering.
It doesn’t take long for the cabin to warm, especially when everyone else joins us and the O’Sullivan brothers put their short-order cooking skills to good use, doling out breakfast plates to everyone.
“Is this all y’all do out here?” I ask, full and cozy. “Eat and talk shit?” Ginelle had just finished a deserved and amusing tirade about the worst customers of the week.
“And hike,” Lucy says.
“No, thank you.” I scrunch my nose.
“Same,” Camille agrees with me. “I just bring a stack of books.”
“See, I can get behind that activity.”
“When it’s warm, the lake is great for swimming,” Oliver says.
I grimace. “I don’t trust lakes.”
“What?” The whole room choruses.
“There are too many unknown creatures!” I defend myself.
“Sure, there are fish, but nothing that will eat you,” Cillian says from his place beside me on the couch. “Unlike the ocean.”
I narrow my eyes. “Water moccasins?”
“Do I even want to know what that is?” Ginelle asks.
“A poisonous snake,” I clarify, confused.
Cillian smiles. “Oh! No. Water’s too cold up here, doll. No snakes.”
“Another for the pros column,” Lucy says with a grin.
I don’t disagree. In fact, this morning has potentially added several pros to the list.
CHAPTER 24
Cillian
“I thought we had something special,”Lucy chokes out in response to the draw 4 card Toni lays on top of the deck, demanding Lucy take the hit.
Toni shrugs. “There are no friends in Uno, my love.”
“Color?” Camille demands, pounding her hand on the coffee table.
Toni narrows her eyes at the very few cards in Camille’s hand, as though she is trying to see through them. “Blue.”
Camille slams down one of her two cards. “Uno, bitches!”
“That's it. We have to take my wife down.” Camille throws a pillow at my brother. “I'm sorry, babe. I love you. You're the mother of my child, the most beautiful and radiant woman I’ve ever known, but this is war.”
