"I wouldn't do it to you again."
"That's what you say. But I didn't think you'd do it the first time. My instincts about you were wrong. So, that's it."
"That's nowhere close to being it," he argued.
She sighed. "I don't know what you're trying to prove."
"I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want a second chance."
"You haven't earned it."
"Okay," he said. "Then I'll earn it."
"I didn't mean to make that a challenge."
"Too late. I've already accepted."
"Jake, give it up already. We can coexist more peacefully than we have. We can be friends, but that's it. We are not going to be what we were before."
"I have no intention of being what we were before. I want you to know me now, and I want to know you. I'm going to show you that I'm someone you can count on."
"Are we here yet?" Brett piped up from the backseat where he'd been watching a show on Hannah's tablet.
He'd almost forgotten Brett was there. Thank goodness he had been wearing headphones the past several minutes, not that he would have understood what they were talking about.
"We are just about there," he said, spotting the turnoff for Northstar.
"Is our sled going to go really fast?" Brett asked.
"As fast as you want it to go," Hannah put in, turning to look at Brett.
"I want to go fast. Mommy said she'd take me sledding but not until after."
"After what?" he asked, curious about Brett's comment. Was there a much-needed clue about to come their way?
"After my little sister comes," Brett replied, dropping not just a clue but a bombshell.
Chapter Eleven
Hannah couldn’t believe what Brett had just said. Was he telling the truth? Was Kelly pregnant? Or was this just another fantasy like the one about the unicorn?
"When is your little sister coming?" she asked.
"Valentine's Day. We're going to make her a heart and name her Violet."
"That's a pretty name." She calculated the dates. If Kelly was having a baby in mid- February, then she had to be seven and a half or eight months pregnant. But Adam hadn't mentioned the pregnancy after speaking to Kelly's boss. Wouldn't that person have said that Kelly was pregnant? And who was the father of Kelly's baby? Was it the boyfriend who had disappeared at the same time as her? The one who might have been harassing her?
She was still trying to come up with answers when Jake turned into the busy parking lot at the snow park. As he searched for a spot, she took out her phone and texted Adam the information she'd just received. She didn't know if he was working on Sunday, but hopefully he'd get back to her. She felt like the stakes were even higher now that she knew Kelly might be pregnant. But maybe Violet was just a story in Brett's head. That was as plausible as anything else.
She didn't want to upset Brett by asking more questions, so she let the subject go as they got out of the truck and entered the park. They met up with the rest of the group in the great room of an enormous lodge that had once been the home of a wealthy landowner. It was spectacularly decorated for the season with an enormous Christmas tree and plenty of colorful wreaths. It also smelled like pine and cinnamon. Gianna, Zach and Hailey were there as well as Chloe and her son Leo, Lizzie Cole and her fiancé Justin Blackwood, and rounding out the group was Keira, who was flying solo today.
Lately, she and Keira had been the ones to do most of the solo flying as members of their group had started coupling up, but today Hannah had Jake by her side, and she knew their arrival together would raise a lot more questions. To her surprise, everyone acted as if it was completely normal to see her and Jake together. They must have made some sort of pact not to say anything, which was fine with her.
Eight-year-old Hailey immediately took Brett's hand and asked him if he wanted to go on the sled with her. Brett was thrilled to have the little girl's attention and immediately attached himself to Hailey as they headed out of the lodge.
The guys led the way, with Zach keeping a close eye on his daughter Hailey and her new best friend, Brett. Jake put Leo on his shoulders as he walked alongside Justin, and the women fell into step with her. The interrogation was on.
"What do you want to know?" she asked with resignation.
"First, any news on Kelly?" Keira asked.
"Nothing yet."
"Well, no news is probably good news," Chloe said. "And, by the way, we filled Lizzie in."
"I figured. Your brother is looking for my sister."
"Adam is the right man for the job," Lizzie replied, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I hope everything works out."
"So do I."
"Now, let's talk about you and Jake," Gianna said pointedly. "You were with him at the carnival. You're with him now. What's going on? Are you back together?"
"No. He happened to be with me when I discovered Brett, and ever since then he's been helping me."
"But you hate him," Gianna reminded her.
"She doesn't hate him anymore," Keira put in with a mischievous smile. "Come on, Hannah, be honest. I saw the way you were looking at Jake last night, and it reminded me a lot of high school."
"I may not hate him as much as I used to, but we're not getting back together. He's being a friend, and I'm letting him. The only thing I'm concerned about right now is making sure my nephew has a great day."
"We can help you with
