Chapter 58
CHAPTER 58
CASSIDY
“ D o we have to?” Karen said with a sigh.
I laughed. “No, I suppose we don’t, but people are going to notice we’re gone.”
“I’m sure they have.”
“And Kenny is probably going to be bringing a woman back here soon.”
“I do not want to see that,” she said.
“Besides, you said you wanted to try another one of the desserts Bodie offered.”
“Oh, now you’re bribing the pregnant woman with dessert,” she said with a laugh.
“Yep.”
I climbed out of the warm cocoon and started to get dressed. I helped her into the dress, zipping it up for her. She went into the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup.
I let my thoughts wander back to what had just unfolded between us as I put on my boots. The weight of her decision to stay and build a life here with me on the ranch felt monumental. It was a commitment. Something that was very new to me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of disbelief mixed with fear and hope.
Karen emerged from the bathroom looking stunning, as usual. Her pregnancy glow was beautiful. “Ready?” I asked.
She nodded, giving me a quick smile that always managed to knock me a little breathless. “Ready.”
We walked hand in hand back toward the lodge where the party was still in full swing. Sounds of laughter poured out as a couple walked out of the hall.
I held Karen’s hand and led her back into the party that had dwindled to just a few guests and a handful of couples that were milking every last minute. They lingered on the dance floor, swaying to a slow, sentimental song. Someone had unplugged a few strands of lights, which made everything seem more intimate.
Across the room, Bodie was at one of the tables, chatting up a woman I recognized from town. When he caught my eye, he gave me a knowing grin and a wink. I bit back a smirk, grateful to see him so relaxed for once. A few hours out of the kitchen did wonders for him. I was sure he was celebrating his culinary success.
Ginny and Kenny were by the bar giggling like a couple of kids who had one too many sips of the spiked punch. They were both having a good time. Ginny was even snorting between laughs, which only set Kenny off more.
Don was sitting alone at a table, tapping his foot to the music. His gaze landed on us. He looked from Karen back to me and broke into a wide, toothy grin. He got up and walked over with a stiff gait that always snuck up on him at night.
“Cassidy!” he greeted, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads. It was clear he had a few glasses of whiskey in him. It was one of the few times I had seen him drunk. “And Karen! Where’ve you been?” He grinned, looking back and forth between us.
“We went out to see Rouge,” I said.
He frowned. “Why? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” I said.
That was when he noticed the way we were holding hands. “Well, I’ll be. Is this what I think it is?”
I couldn’t help but smile as I tightened my grip on Karen’s hand. “Yep. Karen’s staying. We’re making this work. Here on the ranch.”
For a moment, Don just stared, his face full of disbelief and joy. Then he let out a bark of laughter and pulled me in for a big bear hug, slapping my back with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of me. “Cassidy, this is the best damn news I’ve heard all year!” He pulled back and grinned at Karen, his eyes shining. “And you, my favorite niece. You’ll be part of this ranch’s future now. Couldn’t have picked a better woman, Cassidy.”
Karen blushed. “Thank you, Uncle Don. I’m excited to be here and make a life at Rocking Horse. It feels right.”
Don chuckled, clearly pleased. “Folks! Raise a glass—we’ve got a bit of news to celebrate!” He reached for a bottle of wine that hadn’t yet been put away and poured a round for everyone.
“I’ll get a glass of cider,” Karen said.
“What are we celebrating?” Ginny asked.
I wrapped my arm around Karen’s shoulders. “Karen is going to be staying at the ranch. We are going to be raising our baby here.”
Ginny looked at me with surprise. “Does this mean you’ve pulled your head out of your ass?”
“So eloquent,” I said dryly.
Kenny sidled up next to Ginny, throwing an arm around her shoulders with a grin as wide as the Montana sky. Clearly, he was a little drunk. “Well, it’s about time, Cassidy! You finally did something right.”
Bodie approached us. He gave Karen a gentle hug. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Bodie,” she said. “Hey, do you happen to have any?—”
“Way ahead of you,” Bodie said. “I saved you a portion of peach cobbler. It’s in the kitchen.”
“You’re my favorite person here on this ranch,” Karen said.
“Hey,” I protested.
“Sorry, but me and Bodie are going to become very close friends over the next eight months,” she said. “We can go ahead and scrap my health food. I’m going all in on biscuits and gravy and fried chicken and whatever else you want to throw at me.”
“Your wish is my command,” Bodie said.
Karen laughed and playfully nudged me with her elbow. “Don’t look so heartbroken. There’s room in my heart for both of you. But he might be my hero, especially when the cravings kick in.”
“Well, as long as I’m still in the top two,” I joked.
As we walked over to the kitchen to fetch that peach cobbler, the music changed to a faster beat and some folks retook the dance floor. Kenny and Ginny were among them, the alcohol seemingly having turned their movements into something free and wildly uncoordinated—yet apparently hilarious judging by their laughter.
In the kitchen, Bodie was putting the finishing touches on some midnight snacks for the lingering guests. He pointed Karen toward a small table where he’d placed her dessert.
“Thank you, Bodie,” she said, taking a seat and patting the one next to her for me.
Bodie delivered my own serving. I watched as she took her first bite. She moaned and closed her eyes. “Damn,” she sighed. “I’m going to be as big as a house if I keep eating like this. But it’s so good.”
“I’ll still love you if you’re as big as a house,” I assured her.
“You say that now.”
“I mean it,” I said. “You’re carrying our baby after all.”
Bodie chuckled as he squirted chocolate sauce on what looked like cheesecake. “Well, Cassidy, it sounds like you’re finally growing up.”
I laughed. “It seems like it. Better late than never.”
After enjoying peach cobbler, we drifted back into the hall. The guests had left or gone up to bed. Ginny and Kenny were sitting at a table, snacking on pretzels and drinking beer.
“Is it over?” Karen asked.
“We are officially done,” Ginny said with a nod.
“It was a success,” Kenny said and held up his beer. “Did we save the ranch?”
Karen chuckled. “We need to do some final number crunching. We’ll have to see.”
“Let’s clean this up,” Uncle Don said. “I’m exhausted and need a long nap.”
“Go to bed,” I told him. “We’ll take care of this.”
“No, no, I’ll stay.”
“Go, Uncle Don,” Karen said.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” I said.
He thanked each of us before taking himself to bed.
“Alright, guys, let’s get this place squared away,” I said. “I think we can leave the bulk of the decorations until tomorrow. Let’s just make it ready for breakfast in the morning.”
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” Bodie said.
The rest of us started picking up trash, pulling off tablecloths, and stacking chairs. Kenny and Ginny were having way too much fun in their alcohol-fueled state. Karen was tossing various paper plates and cups into the trash. I swept with the push broom.
Bodie was taking the dishes we carried in and putting them into the dishwasher. It wasn’t long before the hall had been stripped down and returned to almost normal. The lights and ceiling decorations would stay until tomorrow.
“Let’s call it a night,” I said.
Ginny and Kenny were all over each other. I had a feeling the red flag was going on the door of the bunkhouse.
“Hey,” I said, pulling Karen back a little with Ginny and Kenny ahead of us.
“What’s up?”
“So, uh, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
“If you’re referring to those two practically pawing each other, oh yeah.” She laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”
“I didn’t either. I suspected, but I think it’s new. I have a feeling I’m either going to be a spectator or voyeur depending on how you look at it. Do you mind if I bunk with you tonight?”
She smiled. “I think that would be a very good idea.”
Kenny opened the door with Ginny stepping behind him. Just as we reached the wide, main doors, a blinding flash of light cut through the hall windows, startling me so badly I nearly tripped over my own feet.
Before I could even register what was happening, I saw a sleek black luxury car barreling down the gravel drive, headed straight for the lodge. I didn’t think I had the gift of seeing the future, but in that moment, I saw what was coming.
“Watch out!” I shouted, grabbing Karen around the waist and hauling her backward just as the car crashed through one of the front windows. A wall of glass exploded inward, the wood of the cabin groaning and splintering as the car plowed through it. I curled my body over Karen as a cloud of dust, shards of wood, and glass rained down.
I held Karen close, shielding her as debris fell around us. I didn’t feel anything cutting, but I couldn’t say for sure. My ears rang, and for a second, everything was a blur of noise and lights.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my mouth close to her ear.
“I’m fine.”
The car’s horn was blaring. The obnoxious noise echoed through the stunned silence. I lifted my head to see the car sitting in the middle of the hall, headlights shining straight toward the kitchen, as if it had come in for a late-night snack.
Kenny had covered Ginny. “Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Shit.”
“Kenny! Are you hurt?”
“No.” He shook his head and looked down at himself.
“Ginny? You good?”
She was picking pieces of glass out of her hair, looking stunned. I noticed a few pinpricks of blood on her cheek. “I’m fine,” she said.
“Holy shit,” Kenny breathed, looking at the car in disbelief.
We all stared as the driver’s door creaked open. Earl Hoyt stumbled out. He was so drunk he could barely stand, let alone walk. He caught his balance against the door, looking around with a dazed expression that quickly soured into something ugly.
My jaw clenched, anger surging hot in my veins. He leaned against the hood. Insulation, glass, and wood covered his car and the floor. Earl was grinning like he’d just pulled off the funniest prank in town. “Well, well,” he slurred, glancing around with a smirk. “Didn’t mean to crash the party, folks.”
“You could have killed someone!” I shouted.
Earl just laughed, like he hadn’t just plowed through a wall. “Relax. You’re fine.”
I looked at Karen once again to make sure she was truly unharmed. Her and my unborn baby. Her eyes were wide, but I didn’t see any physical injuries.
“Call the police,” I said. “Now.”
She nodded, her eyes moving back to the car parked in the reception area. An area that had been filled with people just an hour ago.
Earl staggered toward us, waving a hand as if to shoo us off. “Come on now, no need to be dramatic. Just a little accident. Easy fix.”
I took a step forward, my hands balling into fists at my sides. “You could have killed someone, Earl,” I said, my voice barely more than a growl. “You’re lucky we were all out of the way.”
Earl rolled his eyes, like the whole thing was some big joke. “Relax, Cassidy. No one’s hurt, are they?” He looked at Karen, his gaze lingering in a way that made my blood boil. He was looking at her like she was something on a menu.
I saw red.