Her sister’s curious glances—okay, not glances but stares—were making the process even more difficult. Jake, on the other hand, had refused to meet her gaze since she arrived two hours ago. Something was up with both of them. She was about to ask Jake to lend his muscle to the pineapple when the knife gave way. Today was Nikki and Jake’s annual Memorial Day cookout, and she was determined to keep her sister off her feet. So Nikki was sitting at the bar while Meredith put together side dishes and Jake prepared the hamburger patties with his special blend of spices. The party wouldn’t start for a few hours, so it was just the three of them. Her brother, Landon, and his boyfriend, Ty, would arrive soon. Nikki had arranged for the family to have a couple of hours alone before the party started. Nikki and Jake’s house was bright and optimistic like Nikki and big and expansive like Jake. For Meredith, it was a bit much. Too cheerful, too big.
