Peaks and Promises

Part 1 - Chapters 1 to 5

Reese has been back in town less than twenty-four hours and is already restless. He sits in a vintage diner near his house, waiting for a message from his partner about a new job. Nothing. After four months doing security at an archaeological site in Peru, he's impatient and ready to work.

His waitress is Summer. Her blue eyes and bright smile hit him like always. She asks where he's been. He says out of town for work. He orders steak and eggs, no hash browns, no toast. She remembers. He asks about her son. He knows she's a single mom. He wants to ask her out but a relationship is out of the question.

Motorcycle engines roar outside. Summer's face flashes with fear and she hurries to the kitchen. Two men in leather vests with club colors swagger in. Reese's back ripples with tension. He maps exits and potential weapons. The men sit at the counter. Customers shift uncomfortably. When Summer brings his breakfast, the men's eyes snap to her. Reese asks if she's okay. She says fine, but he notices she seems to lie about knowing them.

One man leans into the aisle to watch Summer. Then he hops off the stool and grabs her wrist. Reese surges to his feet, ready to put his fist through the guy's face. The front door opens and two uniformed cops walk in. The man drops Summer's wrist. She darts behind the counter. Reese sits and picks up his fork. The cops only want breakfast. The bikers leave without paying. Summer gives Reese a grateful smile. He lingers over coffee until he's sure they're not coming back. He doesn't need to get wrapped up in her issues, but he already knows he's coming back tomorrow.

Summer returns from the kitchen to find Reese gone. Disappointment dips through her. She thinks he's hard to miss: tall, broad chest, tattooed arms, scar on his jaw. At first she thought of him as the big, scary guy, but his gray eyes have a surprising softness. She's not afraid of him. She's known dangerous men before.

The men from the diner are part of Midnight Mayhem, the motorcycle club that has haunted her. Her mother is an old lady in the club, and her longtime boyfriend Stryker is a high-ranking member. Summer spent her teen years in that world. She got pregnant at eighteen by Axel, another club member. Axel was manipulative and volatile. She ended the relationship, then found out she was pregnant. Axel has been in prison for her ten-year-old son Nate's entire life. She left Axel, the club, and the town, determined to keep Nate out of that life. But Midnight Mayhem never let her go. They see her as their property. Wherever she goes, eventually two or three of them show up, find where she works, and make sure she knows they can still get to her.

At the diner, her coworker Tess teases her about Reese. Tess points out Reese was about to drag the bikers outside when one touched her. Summer says that doesn't mean he likes her. Tess bets her tips that Reese has a crush. Summer says she's a single mom and isn't closing the deal with anyone. But she's thought about it. She finds Reese fire, big, intimidating, handsome in a rough way, even his scar sexy.

The afternoon winds down. The roar of motorcycle engines returns. Buzz and Hammer are outside next to their bikes. She wishes for Reese, not cops. The men come in anyway. Buzz tells Tess they want Summer as their waitress. Summer doesn't want a scene and can't risk her job, so she waits on them. Buzz calls her Sum Sum. Buzz makes a crude comment, then orders. Buzz asks about Nate. He says Nate is getting older, ten now, and it's about time he started learning to be a man. Summer asks if from them. Buzz says maybe they'll talk to Axel. Anger flashes through Summer. She tells them Axel has nothing to do with her son. They chuckle and ask if she's sure. She tells them to stay away from Nate, her voice quiet but sharp. Her manager Terri appears and asks if there's a problem. Buzz says they want a different waitress because Summer is rude. Terri glares at Summer and tells her to deal with her tables. Summer tries to explain, but Terri snaps at her to go. The men harass her the entire time, reaching out to touch her, asking for things already on the table, complaining loudly. Finally they leave. They stiff Terri on the tip.

When her shift ends, Summer's feet ache and her head feels like it's about to split open. Terri confronts her, asking if she's going to be a problem. Summer says no. Terri says the customer is never the problem. Summer says they came in specifically to harass her. Terri asks if she knows them. Summer says unfortunately. Terri says this better not become a regular occurrence. She tells Summer not to make her regret keeping her. Summer says she won't.

Summer leaves through the back door into oppressive heat. Her car is a white Chevy Malibu that has seen better days. They've lived in the dusty small Arizona town for a little over a year. She wants Nate to have a stable life, but being a single mom is hard. They're broke more often than not, and she barely has a high school education. Their apartment complex is not far from the diner.

Reese walks out of the hardware store into a punishing desert sun. He cranks the AC in his SUV. He'd gone to the diner first thing that morning, hoping to catch the bikers, but they weren't there. Summer told him they had come back the day before, and it angers him that he missed them. He regrets not pressing her for more details. After leaving the diner he circles town, checking motels and bars, but finds nothing. His gut tells him they're still around, and that Summer is in some kind of trouble.

Before he can back out of his parking spot, his business partner Gunnar calls with a job. A client's husband cleaned out their bank accounts and fled to Brazil. Her wealthy parents are paying to send her down there to confront him. It's easy payday. Reese flexes his fist, tells himself to take it, and then hears himself turn it down, claiming he has things to wrap up in town. He suggests Gunnar call Decker instead. After hanging up, he rolls his eyes at himself. He just turned down work to keep tabs on a woman who isn't even his client.

He drives to the diner, telling himself he'll just check the parking lot for bikes and leave. No bikes. But instead of driving by, he pulls in and parks next to a beat-up white sedan. An alarm on his phone goes off: it's time to call his mother. He keeps burner phones in his glove box for this purpose. It's May, and he hasn't spoken to her since Thanksgiving. He wonders if it would really be so bad if she had his number. She's never come looking for him or sent his brothers after him, even though she could have. He knows what it costs her to leave him alone, and he hates himself for it.

He calls. Her voice is soft and familiar. She tells him about the family: Luke married Melanie Andolini, and Theo is engaged to a woman named Penelope. Reese starts to ask about his father but can't make himself say the words. Then she asks the question she always asks, the one about coming home. He tells her he can't, that it's better for everyone if he stays away. She pushes back, telling him he's like a wild animal and she's afraid one wrong move will chase him off for good. She tells him whatever terrible thing he's afraid will happen won't happen, that he has more allies than he realizes. He promises to think about it, because he can't break a promise to his mom. He tells her he loves her and hangs up.

He sits with the weight of it. Go home? She has no idea what she's asking. She also doesn't know he's already been back twice. The first time, he spent two days in Tilikum, the small town in the Washington Cascades where he grew up. No one recognized him because he avoided his family entirely. The second time, a job brought him back, and he came face to face with people who might have known him. He fooled them too, except possibly his brother Zachary, who stared at him as he drove away. But Z never followed, so maybe not. He knows from his mom that Zachary is a husband and father now. So much in Tilikum is different. But so is he.

Movement catches his eye. Summer walks around from the back of the diner in a pink T-shirt, the hot wind blowing her hair across her face. She shields her eyes and scans the parking lot, clearly looking for the bikers. His grip tightens on the steering wheel. He sees how vulnerable and alone she is, and he feels protective and attracted to her at the same time. She glances toward his SUV, pauses, and looks right at him through the windshield.

Summer walks out of the diner for her lunch break. She hadn't heard bikes, but she stopped to check anyway, and there he is: Reese Haven, sitting in a black SUV parked in the lot.

Part 2 - Chapters 6 to 9

Axel at the School

Summer is sitting in her car outside Nate's school when she spots Axel straddling a motorcycle in an empty lot across the street. Years have passed, but she recognizes the shaggy dark hair, the patchy beard, the mismatched tattoos. One of the black rectangles covers her name. He tattooed Summer on his forearm after their first date, back when she was too young and stupid to recognize the red flag.

She hands Nate the keys without getting out, telling him to lock up and stay inside no matter what. Then she steps out to meet Axel, keeping herself planted between him and her son.

He comes at her grinning, calling her hot as ever, calling her Sum Sum. She orders him to stop. He asks if she missed him; she asks if he isn't supposed to be locked up. He says he did his time and he's out. Then he gets to it: he just wants to see his kid. Take him for a burger. Summer refuses flatly. He insists he has a right to see his son. She tells him he doesn't. He asks if she's going to make him pay for his mistakes forever. She tells him she's going to keep her son safe.

A minivan pulls in, and the couple getting out pauses, the man's gaze moving between them. Axel notices the audience. He tells her they'll talk more later and backs off toward his bike. Summer retreats to her car, watching him drive away in a cloud of dust.

Back inside, Nate asks who that was. She calls him someone she used to know, and when Nate asks why he made her lock the doors, she says he's a bad person. Her hands shake as she buckles her seat belt. Axel had been outside Nate's school. How had he known? Had he followed her?

Questions in the Car

Nate presses her. Is that why she always tells him not to talk to guys on motorcycles? He's one of the reasons. Is he in a gang? She confirms it, though they call it a motorcycle club, and yes, it's a criminal one. Nate mentions some kids in his class started a club. Summer says that's stupid. He chuckles and agrees.

She scans the apartment parking lot as she approaches. It looks clear until the last second, when she spots one of them, Buzz or Hammer, half hidden in the shadow between two buildings. She hits the gas, driving right past. Nate twists around. A club member, she tells him, probably looking for her. He asks where they're going. She doesn't know. She can't go home. She can't go to the diner, since they know where she works. Panic presses in: Nate's suspension, Axel's reappearance, the man waiting at her apartment, and Reese Haven, who told her to call him.

The Ice Cream Shop

She turns into a strip mall parking lot, spotting the taco truck. She tells Nate they're getting ice cream. He's suspicious, pointing out he just got suspended, and she tells him it's in spite of the suspension, not because of it. Inside, she sends him to pick a flavor and steps outside to make the call.

Reese answers with a flat "Where are you?" She identifies herself anyway. He asks if she's in danger. She tells him she just ran into her ex outside her son's school, that he's dangerous and she can't let him near Nate. Reese asks if the ex is a member. Midnight Mayhem, she confirms. Was he alone? As far as she could see. Did he follow her? She doesn't think so, but he said they'd talk more later, and one of the others was at her apartment complex. Reese tells her to stay put, that he's already on his way, and to keep indoors away from the windows.

She goes back in and they sit at a table in the very back, away from the windows. She tells Nate to explain what happened at school. He admits he shouldn't have punched Joey, then explains why: Joey keeps calling him fat ass. Summer fights the urge to picture her son wailing on another ten year old. Instead she tells him they'll see if Joey learned his lesson. Nate blinks in surprise. She adds that hitting isn't okay unless it's self-defense, and he apologizes.

Then Reese walks in, and he's huge and intimidating, blocking the light from the door. He strides straight to their table. Nate's mouth drops. Summer introduces them, calling Reese a friend who offered to help and admitting they need it. Reese shakes Nate's hand and asks to talk with Summer outside. She tells Nate to finish his ice cream and follows Reese out.

Outside the Shop

Reese lays out his understanding: her ex and the two men from the diner are members of an outlaw club, and she's worried about what they want with her and her son. Exactly, she says. He asks if Nate knows his dad. No, Axel has been in prison his whole life. What did Axel say? He wants to see Nate, but she can't allow it. He's dangerous and volatile, nice one minute and awful the next. She's done everything to keep her son away from him and the club. Reese says he wouldn't trust them either.

She tells him she tried to go home but one of them was at her complex, so she drove here and called him. He tells her she did the right thing. He says they should move, leave her car and come back for it later. She asks where they're going. His place, where she'll be safe and they can make a plan. She points out she can't pay him. He tells her not to worry about it. When she pushes on why he'd help for free, he hesitates and says he can't walk away from a woman in trouble.

She holds his gaze. She's so tired of men letting her down. She glances at Nate through the window. There have to be good men out there, or what hope does she have of raising one. She has a feeling Reese might be different. She agrees to trust him for now. He says he'll help her, for now. They shake hands, his grip gentle but strong. She feels steadier knowing he's there.

To Reese's House

Reese gets Summer and Nate into his SUV and scans the parking lot, the street, the strip mall across the way. No bikes, no engine rumble, though that doesn't mean they aren't around. Nate asks from the back seat whether the windows are bulletproof. Summer says no at the same moment Reese says yes. She whips her head around, surprised. He confirms it nonchalantly. Nate runs his fingertips along the glass until Summer snaps at him not to leave fingerprints.

When Summer asks where he lives, Reese says near the diner, so she wants to know why they're heading the opposite direction. He's making sure they aren't followed. Nate asks if there's a gang after her, and she stammers through a no, yes, sort of, promising to explain later. He asks where they're going. Reese's house. He goes sullen and crosses his arms.

Reese takes a circuitous route through town. He suspects her ex is waiting at her apartment, and there are three of them lurking in town, maybe more. Nate announces he has to pee and says he can hold it. Reese drives to his house on a quiet residential street, tan stucco with a tile roof and a high concrete wall around the backyard. He raises the garage door and pulls in, and they wait for it to close before getting out.

Inside Reese's House

The living area is sparsely furnished: a couch facing a TV, a cheap coffee table, an empty dining room, bare walls, blinds already closed. Reese checks the back door and looks out the front window. Nothing. Nate is shifting from foot to foot, so Summer points him to the hall bath.

Summer drops her purse on the counter and sits on the worn beige couch, saying she still can't believe Axel showed up. Reese asks his name, guessing "Asshole." She grins and says it's Axel, though his real name is Aaron Gunderson and he doesn't answer to it anymore. She says she should have called him Aaron just to make him furious. Reese admits he can't picture how she got mixed up with a club member, since she isn't the type they usually attract. She explains her mom has been with a member for years, a higher-up named Stryker, and that's how she met Axel. In her defense, she was young and stupid. Reese says he isn't judging, that he knows all about being young and stupid.

She rubs her forehead, saying she wishes she knew what Axel really wants. He claims he just wants to see Nate, but she doesn't trust him at all. Reese has a feeling he knows exactly what Axel wants: his son. When Nate comes out of the bathroom, Reese's temper flares for a second. He is not that asshole's son, not in any way that counts.

Nate asks about getting the car back because he left his backpack. Reese offers to have it towed by a guy who owes him, so it won't lead anyone anywhere, and refuses payment. Summer thanks him again and calls Nate over to the couch.

Telling Nate the Truth

Summer keeps her promise to explain. She reminds Nate that she isn't with his dad because he made bad choices, and Nate says his dad is in jail. She corrects him. Axel isn't in jail anymore. He got out

Part 3 - Chapters 10 to 13

Reese packs a bag while Summer calls Nate's school and the neighbor who watches him. He arranges for someone to pack up her apartment and haul everything to Tilikum. She protests the cost, but he says it isn't a problem. He loads everything into his SUV.

Nate comes into the garage and asks how long the drive is. Reese tells him two days if they push it. When Nate says his mom told him they aren't coming back, Reese asks if that worries him. Nate shrugs and says he didn't want to go back to school anyway. Reese asks if he'll miss his friends. Nate says not really, he just wants to go away. The answer hits Reese strangely, flooding him with the memory of desperation to leave, to cut all ties and be free. He pushes the sensation away. Nate asks if they're trying to get away from Axel, and the fact that Nate calls him Axel instead of my dad makes Reese's mouth lift. Nate says he figured it out. He says he isn't scared, and Reese tells him it's okay if he is. Being afraid isn't a problem. What you do when you're scared is what matters. Nate admits he's scared they'll hurt his mom. Reese tells him he understands, that there are very bad men who could hurt her and him, and that it's okay to be afraid. But he needs Nate to listen: he isn't going to let that happen. They shake on it.

Summer comes out and says she's ready. Reese double-checks the doors. He pauses in the living room, looking at the worn furniture and bare walls. It hardly looks like he lived there. He has the strangest feeling he won't see it again, but tells himself he will come back once Summer is settled and Axel is no longer a problem. The thought of leaving her in Tilikum gives him an odd pang of regret.

They climb into the SUV and pull onto the street. Summer lets out a long breath that could be relief or uncertainty, maybe both. They pass the diner, its parking lot mostly empty. Reese says he should stop for gas. Nate asks for a snack, and Summer is surprised he's hungry already. Nate points out it's a long drive and they need snacks. She and Nate go into the convenience store while Reese pumps gas, keeping a clear view of his surroundings. The heat presses at him, and a knot of dread sits in his stomach. He considers whether he could get Summer settled without seeing his family, maybe meet his mom privately and then get out of the way. But he knows his siblings wouldn't let him get away with it. He has to face all of them, even his dad.

Summer and Nate come out with water and snacks. As Reese replaces the nozzle, the back of his neck prickles. Three motorcycles head toward them. He tells Summer and Nate to get in, voice sharp. They scramble in, and he drives forward, but one bike cuts into the gas station and stops in front of him. The other two pull in behind, blocking his exit. Summer looks out the back window. Reese calculates their options. He's tempted to run the guy over, but a hit-and-run means running from both Mayhem and law enforcement. He cranks the wheel, hits the gas, and cuts across a strip of weed-choked rocks, bumping over the curb onto the street. The bikers follow.

Summer says they're following, and Reese says yep. She tells him he's very calm. He shrugs and says it's not like anyone's shooting at us. She asks why she feels like he'd still be calm. Without replying, he takes a left, and the bikers stay on their tail. Nate asks if they're going to shoot at us, his tone somewhere between fear and fascination. Reese says they better not. Summer tells Nate to get down, and he leans over across the bench seat. Reese tells him not to worry, he'll lose them, though he isn't sure how. Half his job is making things up on the fly. Nate asks if the windows are really bulletproof. Reese confirms they are.

The light at the next intersection turns red, and there's a car ahead, so he can't run it. He doesn't want a high-speed chase in the middle of town where collateral damage could hurt someone. He slows down with enough distance to wait it out without stopping. When the light changes, he darts around the car and takes a right onto an empty side street. He tells them to hold on, hits the gas, and after a few quick turns they're outside the business district on a street lined with warehouses and a shady used car dealership. For a second he thinks he's lost them, but they race out from a side street and get behind them again.

Nate says he has to go to the bathroom. Summer asks if he can hold it. He thinks so. She tells him he has to try, they can't stop right now. Reese almost laughs at the timing. He guns it past another warehouse complex. They're on the outskirts of town, and if he keeps going straight, they'll wind up on a remote road crossing the desert with nowhere to hide. There's another warehouse ahead on the left, old and dilapidated, covered in graffiti, the fence partly torn down. Probably abandoned. Instinct tells him to turn, so he does. The bikers follow. Summer holds on as he swerves to avoid debris. Movement catches his eye. A train is coming. The fence on the back side is gone, nothing between them and the tracks. He fixes his eyes on the train racing toward them. He can make it. He lays into the gas. Summer's voice is tense. He doesn't reply, just drives faster. She tells him this is a bad idea. He says don't worry. The train is going to be close. Really close. She says she's worried, really worried. He checks the rearview. The bikers are right behind him. The train whistle blows. If he's going to stop, he needs to do it now. Another few seconds and he won't have time. He goes for it. The tires hit the tracks and they bounce hard. The train is unnervingly close. They cross to the other side, and a second later the train races by behind them. He lets out a breath and rolls his shoulders.

Summer turns to him, eyes flashing with fury. She tells him he almost killed them. He says he didn't. She says he could have. He tells her he wouldn't have gone if they weren't going to make it. Nate says that was amazing, his voice filled with awe. Summer smacks Reese's arm. He asks what that was for. She says for racing a train with her son in the car. He tells her fine, next time bikers are following them, she can drive. She huffs. There are more warehouses on the other side, and he drives alongside the tracks until he finds an opening in the fence. They've left the bikers behind. The cargo train is probably two miles long. They'll be well out of sight by the time the bikers find a way around. He keeps to back roads until he can get on the highway going north. The dread in his stomach is back. Not because of Mayhem. He knows they'll try to find them and he'll deal with them when the time comes. But every mile brings him closer to Tilikum and the reunion he's been avoiding for almost twenty years.

Summer's eyes are heavy, but she's never been able to sleep much in a car. She watches the dark landscape pass, wondering when Reese will stop for the night. He seems unaffected by the long hours, eyes open, posture alert but relaxed. She offered to drive several times, but he assured her he was fine. Nate passed out hours ago. The train thwarted Axel's attempt to follow them. They haven't seen any sign of him since. She hopes that means he has no idea they left town and they'll be long gone by the time he realizes he lost them. She doubts he won't follow eventually, but it's a nice idea to hold on to.

Reese breaks the silence to say there's a motel not far ahead. She says good and shifts in her seat, though comfort is long gone. She says she could use a few hours of sleep. He says they're making good time even with the bathroom stops. She glances back at Nate and says he's almost the size of an adult but still has the bladder of a little kid. Reese cracks a smile. She says she's just glad he's sleeping, otherwise he'd be a grumpasaurus tomorrow. Reese says it's going to be a long day. She asks if they'll get all the way to Tilikum. He says if they get on the road early.

They lapse into silence. She leans closer to the window to gaze at the stars, thick and twinkling away from civilization. She asks if Tilikum is where he grew up. He says yeah. She asks if he still has family there. He nods slowly and says pretty much all of them. She asks what they're like. He pauses before answering, readjusting his grip on the wheel. He says he comes from a big family, blended. His parents already had three boys each when they got married, then had his sister together. Her mouth drops open. Seven kids. She says she can't imagine, she doesn't have any siblings, or if she does, she doesn't know about them. He says it was loud. She asks if they got along. He says more or less, they fought sometimes,

Part 4 - Chapters 14 to 16

Reese returns to the motel relaxed, and Summer takes it as a sign his reunion with his parents went well. He tells her his mom is making breakfast and they need to head to his parents' place first. She doesn't argue, even though she wants to find somewhere to stay. Checking out feels ominous. She hates not knowing where they'll sleep. It makes sense to find a place in Tilikum, where she hopes to give Nate a stable home.

They head out to the highway. Summer watches the scenery in awe as the road follows a winding river with white water and mountain slopes dotted with pines. Her heart flutters when they pass the Welcome to Tilikum sign. The main road leads past a large wooden squirrel cutout, flowers bloom in hanging baskets, and storefronts look cheerful. They pass a park where people gather on street corners. Nate asks if it snows, and Reese tells him it snows a lot in winter. Nate breathes a wow. Summer thinks of everything they don't have. Warm coats, hats, gloves, boots. She tells herself, one thing at a time.

The road leads away from downtown. Reese approaches an intersection and doesn't slow down. Summer's foot presses against the floor. Before she can finish saying his name, he drives through the stop sign. Blue lights flash behind them. Reese mutters in disbelief, and Summer tells him there was a stop sign. He insists it didn't used to be there. Nate asks if they're in trouble, and Summer reassures him that Reese just didn't see it.

The officer approaches in aviator sunglasses and a Tilikum County Sheriff uniform. When Summer reads the name on his chest, she almost gasps. Haven. Garrett asks for license and registration. Reese takes off his sunglasses and greets him by name. The deputy's mouth drops open. For a second, no one moves as Reese's brother stares at him in shock. Then Garrett orders him out of the car with his hands visible. Reese protests that he only ran a stop sign, but Garrett insists. Reese complies. Summer wonders if his brother is a good cop or a bad cop, whether he'll arrest him, and what will happen to her and Nate if he does.

Garrett shakes his head and says it really is him. Then he does something unexpected. He steps forward and hugs him. After a moment's hesitation, Reese returns the hug. Summer's eyes mist with tears. It's clear this brother is ready to welcome him home. Nate whispers to ask what's going on, and she whispers back that she thinks it's his brother.

The two men step apart. Garrett asks if Reese has seen their mom, and Reese says he saw her that morning and they're headed there now. Garrett glances into the SUV and starts to ask about Summer and Nate. Reese cuts him off, saying she's a client, a friend, and that it's a long story. Garrett asks if he'll be in town for a while, and when Reese says it looks like it, Garrett lets him off with a warning. They shake hands, and Garrett says he'll see him around, adding that Reese has a lot of explaining to do. Reese agrees he knows. Garrett leans down to wish Summer a nice day, and she thanks him.

Reese gets back in and remarks that of course Garrett would pull him over on his first day back. Summer confirms it was one of his brothers. She says it's wild that he ran into him like that, and Reese admits he shouldn't be surprised. Tilikum is like that. She says Garrett seemed nice, and Reese agrees that Garrett is a good guy, that they all are. Summer bites back the question of why he was away so long. If he wanted to tell her, he would. It isn't her business.

Nate asks if he got a ticket, and Reese says he let him off with a warning because he's his brother. Nate says that's good, then admits that when Reese got out of the car, he thought the officer might take him to jail. Reese says he hasn't done anything to land himself in jail. Nate asks him to promise, his voice full of urgency. Reese twists in his seat to face Nate and tells him he's not going to jail, that he promises. Summer puts her hand over her heart, thinking of her poor little man.

Reese calls it an interesting detour and pulls out onto the street. They drive farther and turn onto a long gravel driveway lined with pine trees. It curves up a hill, and at the top they emerge into a clearing with the cutest log home Summer has ever seen. It looks like something on a postcard, with a big front porch decorated with spring flowers, trees all around, and a side yard with a picnic table and a swing set. She asks, awestruck, if this is his parents' house, and if he grew up here. He says pretty much, and when she says it's so beautiful, he agrees as if the thought hadn't occurred to him before.

They get out, and Summer gazes at the trees rustling in the breeze, breathing in air that smells fresh and clean under a clear blue sky. Taller mountain peaks surround them. Nate and Summer follow Reese up the porch steps. He knocks and waits, then knocks again and opens the door, calling for his parents. A woman calls back that they're in the kitchen. Inside, Summer takes slow steps down the short hallway, gazing at dozens of framed photos on the wall. Some look old, pictures of Reese and his siblings when they were young. Others are newer, wedding photos and quite a few kids, the next generation of Havens. She thinks it's such a big family and it's going to be hard to remember everyone's names.

Reese's parents are busy in the kitchen. His mom looks up with a warm smile, her hair in a chin-length bob and her eyes bright behind blue-rimmed glasses. She introduces herself as Marlene and opens her arms to hug Summer, welcoming her. Summer steps into the hug and thanks her, introducing Nate. Marlene greets him and asks his age. He tells her ten, and that he'll be in fifth grade next year and eleven in October. She says her grandson Thomas isn't much older than him. Reese gestures to the man in the kitchen, introducing his dad, Paul Haven. Paul tips his chin. Summer notices similarities between Reese and Paul despite them not being biologically related, maybe in his size, his large frame, broad shoulders, and thick arms, dressed in plaid flannel like he'd be at home with an axe in his hands.

Marlene offers coffee before putting everything on the table. Summer accepts but asks if she can help first. Marlene pours her a cup and slides it across the island, saying they have everything in hand. She offers Nate hot cocoa or lemonade, and he chooses lemonade. Paul gets a pitcher from the fridge and pours it into a blue glass. Right as he hands it to Nate, the front door opens and a male voice carries down the hallway, asking who's in the driveway and what smells so good. Reese mutters "oh, no" under his breath.

A man who looks remarkably like Reese, only not as large, walks in holding a little girl, probably a year old, with pink clips in her brown hair and big blue eyes. A woman with thick dark hair in a stylish navy wrap dress follows. They both stop and stare at Reese. The little girl smiles. The man growls and demands to know what Reese is doing there. Reese greets him as Zachary and nods to the woman, Marigold. She gasps in surprise and says it is him. Zachary steps closer, his face contorted with rage, and tells Marigold to take Emily because he can't hit Reese while holding her. Marigold puts a hand on his arm and suggests maybe he should keep her.

Reese says it's okay, moving toward Zachary, and says he has it coming. Zachary tries to pass the little girl to Marigold, but Emily practically leaps out of his arms, right at Reese. Zachary watches Reese gather her into his arms and settle her on his hip, calling her a tiny traitor. Summer presses her lips together trying not to laugh. Reese looks as shocked as anyone to suddenly have a toddler in his arms. Emily touches the stubble on his jaw and giggles. Zachary says great, she likes him, which means he can't punch him in the face. Marigold slips her arm around his waist and tells Emily that's her uncle Reese.

Summer sighs, thinking Reese holding his little niece in those big tattooed arms is enough to make her ovaries explode. Zachary points at him and says he's lucky. Reese says nice to see him too. Emily giggles and touches his nose. Zachary demands to know if he's back, if he gets to waltz in here like he hasn't been gone for a million years. Their mom says decisively that yes, he does. Marigold suddenly realizes they're being rude and introduces herself, Zachary, and Emily to Summer. Summer introduces herself and Nate. Marigold asks if they're together. Summer gestures toward Reese, who is wholly occupied with Emily poking his tattoos, and explains they're not, that they're pretending to be together so she and Nate can hide from her ex, and it's kind of a long story.

Nate whispers to ask if they can know the secret. Summer says yes, this is Reese's family, they can know. Nate announces matter-of-factly that his real dad is in a gang and they're