Page 66 of WASP

Austin laughed, short and humorless. “Not even for a second. You couldn’t pay me enough money to live in Wellington Point again. I’m honestly surprised you’re still here.”

“Yeah, me too.” Annie sighed, turning her head to look out the window, watching the way life zoomed by as Austin navigated the back roads leading away from town. Her eyes followed the line of an old stone wall running parallel to the road that had to be older than the town itself. “Who knows, I might not be here much longer. Time will tell,” she followed quietly, the image of Max and her land in Michigan popping into her mind.

* * *

The Fourth of July brought record-breaking heat and thunderstorms on the forecast, making for one incredibly on-edge Colleen Dillinger. But as always, the show would go on, and if her mother had the final say, it would be perfect…even if the impending storms meant accelerating the evening’s timeline.

The party was in full swing by the time Max arrived with Jack. Annie spotted them across the backyard, taking a moment to hang back and observe before being seen. Max, for her part, had tried to stay on theme for the party at least, looking adorable in a crisp white shirt and black high-waisted pleated shorts that made her lean legs look longer than usual. But it was the way she tied the whole look together with a satin scarf Annie had given her as a gift for her birthday. The ornate red, white, black, and gold pattern—the perfect element to complete her look.

“All American Annie.” Jack saluted as Annie approached the pair waiting in line at the bar. Max’s wine red lips stretched in a grin, her gaze dropping the length of Annie’s figure before meeting her eyes.

She hugged Jack before slipping an arm around Max’s waist, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You look amazing,” she murmured, only for Max’s ears.

“And you look like Miss Americana.” Heat rose in Annie’s cheeks as she looked down at her white dress covered in large red patchwork stars. “I like the dress you ended up in,” Max added. “I’ll be honest, I’m surprised it’s not the blue one we talked about yesterday.”

“Not for this party, but I’m sure we can find a reason to wear it someday.”

Annie had spent over an hour the previous night trying on dress after dress, sending pictures to Max which had also included a few not-so-appropriate photos. The blue dress in question had been ruled out for questionably suggestive cutouts that Annie had ultimately deemed inappropriate for this setting.

“I’ve gotta say, Colleen’s outdone herself again,” Jack said, handing a wine glass first to Annie, then to Max, taking one for himself, looking around at the decorations set up around the yard. Weathered metal buckets filled with puffy white and blue hydrangea cuttings dotted the yard, each with an accompanying red, white, and blue flag. Patriotic bunting hung from the freshly painted porch railings, wrapping around the entire house. And lights outlined the tent ceiling where people were currently mingling, trying to stay out of the sun’s heat.

Annie slipped her hand into Max’s, instantly feeling reassured by her gentle squeeze, which said I’m here. “Come with me,” she whispered to Max, gently guiding her forward. “I want to introduce you to some people.”

Max, Annie had to admit, was a trooper. For the better part of two hours, the two of them moved around the party together, bobbing their way between groups of old family friends and faces of people Annie had known forever. While most of the partygoers were new faces to Max, Annie was surprised a handful of her parents’ friends recognized her from the winery or the club. They chatted easily, bypassing the stiff, awkward judgment that seemed unavoidable within her own family, and Annie couldn’t help but wonder if that was simply a symptom of being a Dillinger.

“Am I doing okay?” Max asked quietly as the two of them found themselves standing alone for the first time all evening.

Her question was timid, as if Max were unsure of all the ways she shone so brightly. And Annie didn’t like that. It was important to her that Max knew how much light she brought to her world. She set her empty wineglass down and stepped around the small table. Reaching out to straighten the silk scarf tied around her neck, she smoothed the ends, her hand coming to rest lightly on Max’s chest.

“You are absolutely perfect,” she said, her smile firmly in place as her gaze met Max’s clear blue eyes, something flickering behind them she couldn’t quite decipher. She was about to ask when the clinking sound of metal on glass began to echo across the backyard.

“Oh great, a speech,” Drew said dryly as he and Jack joined them at their cocktail table situated at the back of the small gathering.

Annie, who had surprisingly been having a good time that evening, hadn’t even noticed Caroline’s arrival. Let alone paid much attention to her. And she knew why. From the moment Max arrived at the party, it felt like everyone else had ceased to exist. But for a moment, her gaze found Caroline’s across the crowd, a ghost of sad defeat flashing across her face as her eyes shifted between Annie and Max, lingering on where they stood, shoulder to shoulder, Max’s arm hooked loosely around her waist.

“Friends, thank you.” Her father’s voice boomed out over the gaggle of people as a hush fell over the group, all eyes trained on Annie’s parents. “Every year I feel blessed that so many of you want to show up and mark the celebration of this fine country with us. Every year I swear there’s no way my wife can put together a better party. And every year I end up eating my words.” He turned to face his wife, wine glass in hand, but at the same moment, a large gust of wind picked up, ripping through the party. Her father laughed, steadying himself. “It looks like even Mother Nature agrees. Let’s all take a moment of appreciation for Colleen and everything it takes to make a party like this happen.”

A smattering of polite applause circled them before her mother spoke. “Thank you. Hosting has always been a joy of mine. It fills my heart to see all of my friends and family gathered in one place.” A broad smile unfurled across her mother’s lips. “As many of you know, Andrew and I take community very seriously.”

Annie had sat through a number of her mother’s impromptu speeches before, but this one already felt different. She leaned over, hissing in Drew’s ear, “What is she doing?”

“No idea,” he answered, shooting a glance at Jack, who shrugged.

“When the opportunity for change presents itself, we like to sit back and observe for a moment or two,” her mother continued, thriving under the weight of all eyes on her. “But there comes a few times in every person’s life where change comes knocking, and it’s clear as day that the only thing you can do is accept it.”

Annie stood beside Max, who still had her arm slung low around her waist, more confused than ever because what was her mom even talking about? A low rumble of thunder grumbled in the distance, still far enough away not to be considered a threat.

“We all know and love our dear friend Kent McHenry.” Her mom nodded in the direction of Caroline and her parents. Annie’s eyes darted to where Caroline stood, wondering where the hell her mother was going with this speech. More thunder echoed in the distance, the sky darkening with each minute. “He’s beyond what I would consider a staple of the Wellington Point community. Kent has served as our town’s commissioner for the past twelve years with honor and dignity and grace, and while he may be stepping away from his role, I can’t think of any better way to carry on his legacy than through his daughter, Caroline.”

“Oh shit,” Drew said, Annie meeting his eyes.

Max shifted uncomfortably beside her, still not removing her hand from where it was tracing small soothing circles over her hip. Annie’s pulse pounded in her ears and another clap of thunder, louder this time, pulled the attention of a few partygoers looking anxiously at the sky.

“As many of you know, our families have had the joy of connection for years through our children. Caroline is like another daughter to me,” her mother said fondly, her eyes meeting Caroline’s, who smiled politely and mouthed, Love you too, the sentiment immediately enraging Annie. Heat spiraled through her as she clenched her body, waiting to see where her mother was going with this while simultaneously wanting to scream.

Don’t make a scene, she told herself, reaching for Max’s glass of wine that still had a sip or two left. She downed the remaining liquid in one gulp.

Max leaned toward her, whispering softly in her ear, “C’mon, let’s go somewhere else. You don’t need to stay and listen to this.” But Annie’s mom was already talking again.