Chapter 1
New Year’s Eve, Heart Falls
A shriek of laughter rang from the back deck. Lisa glanced up from where she was preparing hot boozy drinks to discover her youngest sister had both hands raised, pleading for mercy.
“I give up. I didn’t mean it. I will never do it again—Zach. No.” Julia shouted again, louder this time, as her boyfriend—sort of husband/the guy she was living with—lifted her onto his shoulder and spun her in a circle.
“Sneak attacks are good and fine, but you’re supposed to sneak up on the other team, Mischief,” Zach told her even as amusement shook his words.
That’s when Lisa noticed the remains of a snowball scattered across Zach’s broad shoulders and tangled in his brown hair. He all but bounced his way to the side of the deck, chuckling evilly the entire way.
Julia screamed for real as he tossed her off the edge then dove after her, while puffs of snow shot skyward. Earlier that day Josiah had used the tractor to move some of the recent massive snowfall into a pile right up against the deck, creating a safe but frigid sliding spot for their New Year’s Eve family gathering.
Lisa was so pleased to welcome all her sisters and their partners for the final celebratory gathering of the year. It promised to be a wonderful chance to catch up with everybody, including Julia and Zach, who had just returned from their holiday getaway in Hawaii.
Even as Lisa glanced around with deep satisfaction, she was self-aware enough to admit something wasn’t right. Some problem was tickling at the back of her brain—
She’d worry about it tomorrow. Right now, there was too much family and chaos to enjoy.
Another snowball flew past her, smacking hard into the glass beside the back door.
Lisa’s oldest sister, Karen, shouted with a laugh, “Dammit, Finn. Stop dodging. If I break a window, Lisa will have my head.”
Finn Marlette stepped out from around the corner, his usually unreadable expression as close to a smirk as Lisa had ever seen. “Sure, ma chérie. Blame your target for moving.”
The next instant he gasped as a multitude of snowballs pummeled his forehead and torso. They shattered, raining around him as if he were the center feature in a snow globe.
“I yield.” He put his hands in the air. One final missile exploded against his chest, and he turned a mock glare toward Lisa. “Hey. I raised the white flag.”
Lisa brushed the snow off her hands then reached for the tray of hot chocolates laced with peppermint schnapps that she’d prepared. “Strange. I could’ve sworn I threw that before you admitted defeat. There must be some sort of time-bending mischief happening, right here in my backyard.”
“Strange, my ass.” Karen snickered as she moved aside to let Lisa pass. “Good throw, sis.”
“Why, thank you.”
It took a while, but eventually they had all gathered around the fire pit. Four couples wrapped up tight in layers of clothing and blankets in spite of the flames flickering before them.
Lisa curled her fingers a little tighter around her mug, leaning against the strong, steady torso of her favourite person in the whole wide world. Without skipping a beat, Josiah Ryder slid an arm around her, cuddling her close even as he responded to the question Finn had just asked.
Tucked into the cushioned loveseat on her opposite side, the cream-coloured terrier who owned her and Josiah wiggled into a slightly more comfortable position. Ollie rested her chin on Lisa’s leg so she could stare up at them both with her usual devotion.
Cozy. Comfortable. It was an evening full of family, and as conversation drifted easily amongst them, Lisa reflected on how much things had changed over the past year.
She had to admit that while they’d had their ups and downs, it had all been worth it.
A year ago, she’d been living at her sister’s home, helping take care of her family while Tamara dealt with a difficult pregnancy. Now seated across from Lisa, Tamara’s shiny yellow glasses glinted in the firelight as she laughed at something her husband, Caleb, said. The two of them held hands, the simple connection as big and solid as any neon lights, declaring they were together.
Karen and Finn sat to their right, and Julia and Zach to their left. All four of the Whiskey Creek women were gathered in what was definitely not Whiskey Creek.
It seemed safe to declare that Heart Falls was now their home.
Zach cleared his throat. “Not to interrupt the celebration, but—”
“—but you’re going to do it anyway,” Finn finished in his measured drawl. He waved a finger. “Don’t ever say you don’t like to be the center of attention.”
“Can I help it that I’m so memorable and intriguing?” Zach pressed a hand to his chest. “Natural charm added to deliberate modesty equals one spectacular specimen.”
Finn made a gagging sound. Beside him, Karen smacked him softly with her mitt, but she snickered as the banter continued for a bit longer.
Josiah leaned against Lisa’s side, positioning his lips near her ear. “Those two are dangerous together.”
“You’re just happy somebody else is being a drama queen,” she teased.
A snort escaped him, drawing attention from the rest of their crowd.
Josiah grinned innocently. “So, Zach. You were saying?”
The other man offered a wink. “Julia and I got back late last night from Hawaii.”
“That would explain the tans,” Tamara offered dryly. She twisted slightly, leaning forward to speak directly to Julia. “Could you poke him so he’ll get to the point?”
“We got divorced.” Julia blurted the words but held up a hand as confused questions began to rise. “It’s okay, because we’re going to get married. I mean married again, for real. Only this time not in Vegas and not fueled by tequila.”
Lisa’s mind spun through the statement, analyzing and coming to one very fine conclusion. Her sister’s accidental marriage being on and then off was a good thing. “If that means what I think it means, congrats.”
Zach grinned. “Thanks.”
A round of well-wishing went around the loop, and everyone stood to exchange hugs and the rest of it.
They had just finished settling back into their chairs when Zach caught Julia’s fingers and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Also, she asked me to marry her.” His grin outshone the fire as he looked around at the other guys, definitely gloating. “Just because you needed to know that.”
Josiah coughed lightly and glanced at Finn.
Finn glanced at Caleb.
The sturdy cowboy with a heart of gold and a gruff exterior eased back in his lawn chair, fingers once again tangled with Tamara’s. “Well. That’s a fine thing.”
“Isn’t it just? I figure it’s a pretty big sign that we’ve got something special here.” Gloating. Yup, Zach was definitely gloating.
Caleb nodded. “Damn right. You know, when Tamara proposed to me, I figured that was one of the—”
“She proposed to you as well?” Zach looked almost disappointed for a moment before he perked up. “That’s awesome.”
“Karen offered to propose,” Finn informed him. “Just in case you’re keeping track.”