I pulled up to Ethan’s house, parked, and took a second to collect myself. The thought of seeing everyone after their fishing trip made me smile, but the whole situation with Claire and Luke was still swirling in my mind. Shaking my head, I grabbed my purse and headed up to the front door.
When I rang the bell, I expected to hear Theo’s excited voice or maybe see Ethan with that easy grin of his. Instead, the door swung open, and there stood Mrs. Abbott.
Immediately, I felt a weird shift. Something about her gave me chills—like she was sizing me up. Her lips were pressed into a polite but tight smile, and her eyes were sharp, almost too sharp, as they scanned me.
“Come in,” she said, stepping aside without much warmth.
“Thanks,” I replied, keeping my tone light, though the tension in h
