Chapter 20: The Switch

Winston put his phone in my hand, and I read the screen over the top of it.

It was open to a recovery page.

Forgot your password? Send a code to your backup contact.

"There's always a backup," Winston said. "People set it up once and forget."

"Who is it?"

We both turned our heads toward the table beside the head table.

Melina was cutting a piece of chicken she wasn't going to eat.

"Vera made her the backup in March," I said slowly. "In case she lost her phone. She said Melina is the only one who never loses anything."

"Vera was right," said Winston. "Go sit down. Smile. I'll bring Melina to the desk."

I went back to my chair and put a pleasant look on my face.

Tyler leaned over and kissed my temple, warm and easy.

"You okay?"

"I'm great."

"Good, because I'm about to be a mess," he said, and grinned. "Vera put me down for a toast."

I looked across him.

Vera was watching me. She had put her fork down.

Her eyes went past me, over my shoulder, to the back of the barn.

She had seen Winston and Melina at the AV desk.

"Vera," I said, loud enough to carry. "Can you do me a favor? My mother needs help with her scarf."

"Her scarf?"

"She's cold. You always know what to do with scarves."

It was a stupid thing to say, and Vera was smart enough to know it.

But she had been called a generous friend for eleven years.