Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
WESTON
“Yes Ms. Patty. I promise. I’ll make sure I pick that up.”
“You do that. And then I want to make sure there’s photos. And not just the photos that you’re going to put on your social media. Because you know we follow you there.”
I held back a groan because I hadn’t realized Ms. Patty followed me on social media. Not that I posted anything. In fact, I wasn’t sure the last time I had logged in.
“I also want you to make sure that you take good care of Ms. Isabella. Because we love her so much. I’m not going to ask how you feel.” Ms. Patty stood there with her hands up, looking innocent as she waited for me to tell her exactly how I felt about Bella. That wasn’t going to happen.
“I’ll take good care of her.” Even though I still didn’t know why I was going down to Denver.
“Anyway, we would love her to stay. I know, I know, it’s way too soon,” Ms. Patty continued.
“Well I don’t know about that, kids these days either move too quickly or not quickly enough,” Ms. Janice, one of Ms. Patty’s friends, said.
“And before you know it, the twins are going to be out and married before you even settle down,” Ms. Faith added, and I had to wonder exactly how I had been cornered by these three older women on Main Street.
It had been an innocent walk to begin with.
I had just needed to pick up a few things at the market before we drove down to Denver for Sophia’s wedding.
Again, I didn’t know how I had been invited, nor how Sydney, Sam, and Lance were also invited.
It just snowballed into the fact that the girls had senior week, so instead of going on a random road trip with their friends for the entire time, they did a smaller trip, and now would be going to Bella’s sister’s wedding.
Lance was still finishing up his internship but would join us as well.
The entire Caldwell family would be there.
Hell, even Joshua and Harper were coming because Dorian had somehow ended up with a plus three.
He was bringing his girlfriend, his best friend, and his best friend’s sister.
I had a feeling that Ms. Patty and the other women were kind of wondering why they didn’t get an invite even though I wasn’t even sure they had met Sophia. Yes, Sophia was a Cage just like Bella, but not everyone had been ingrained in the town yet.
I wasn’t even sure that Bella was comfortable with the idea of being ingrained.
I pushed that thought away once again, because the more I thought about the future the more I wanted to punch something. Things were going well between Bella and I because we did our best not talking about it.
“Do you know what her plans are once they find that man? Because they will find that man,” Ms. Patty asked, and my hands fisted at my sides.
“I don’t know anything other than I have to head out and get ready for the wedding. If I’m late, I’m going to have to deal with Bella. And I will blame all of you.”
I wasn’t exactly lying with that pointed comment, and all three women tittered before Ms. Patty reached out and cupped my cheek. I froze, since the woman didn’t tend to touch me.
“You are doing such a good job, Weston. I know we joke, and we prod, but we do adore you. Those girls of yours are bright and shiny, and just true pillars of this community. They are going to go off to college, start new lives, and thrive. And it’s because you helped with that foundation.
Your parents did so much, and you helped provide the comfort they needed. The same with Lance.”
My throat tightened, not wanting this conversation especially when people we knew kept milling about, either listening in or nodding as they said their hellos.
“Ms. Patty’s right,” Ms. Faith added when Ms. Patty took a step back.
“I know Lance had to take time off for a while, but we’ve loved watching all four of you grow up.
And now you’re here, going to a wedding with a woman we adore.
She was so frightened of all of us when she first got here, and now we see her working at a little table in the café or coming into Cage Italiano just to get a tiramisu and talk with us.
She doesn’t shy away from us anymore. I hope she stays.
Even if it’s just to build or buy a home with the other Cages. She makes you smile, Weston.”
“She truly does,” Ms. Janice put in, and I wanted to be anywhere but here. “We’ll stop pressuring you, but we are so proud of you, Weston.”
Ms. Patty reached forward and squeezed my hand again, my fist finally relaxing. “We’d like to think of us three as your honorary aunties. Even though you wouldn’t want to call us that.”
“And we’re far too young for that,” Ms. Faith added, and my lips twitched.
“Far too young,” I added, my voice gruff.
“When the children are off finding their new paths, I hope you know that while Cage Lake is your home and we never want you to leave, you’re allowed to follow your heart too.”
I stood stunned at Ms. Patty’s words as they each said their goodbyes and left me.
Ms. Patty and her husband were pillars of Cage Lake. Her husband was the mayor, and one of the only people not a Cage who held strength and lineage to the community.
They had been there for us when our parents had died, and Ms. Patty had been at the forefront ensuring that I wasn’t alone trying to figure out how to braid hair and get Lance off to school. They had always been there for me. Even when I had thought they were too much.
And I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do now.
Was I supposed to leave once the kids left?
That dream was far gone. I wasn’t going to be opening up another shop or finding another job in the city. It wasn’t eight years ago anymore. I was comfortable here.
But Isabella wasn’t here.
I shoved that thought off, because no matter what happened later, I had to focus on the now. Namely a road trip with my siblings, Bella, and a wedding I still didn’t know how I was invited to.
“This house is amazing,” Sydney said as she bounced on her toes before throwing herself at Blakely.
Blakely laughed, hugging Sydney tight before doing the same to Sam.
“I know right? I have to pinch myself every time I look at it. I don’t know what Aston was thinking of living here alone. He obviously needed me here.” She fluttered her eyelashes at Aston, and the other man just snorted.
“Yes. Because you’ve added so many decorations and flares to the house. Totally making it your own and adding your style,” he replied dryly.
Blakely flushed. “Stop. I’m not that bad. I’ll figure out if I want to touch anything and break it later.”
Aston gave me a look as he tilted his beer toward me. “She refuses to add her personal touch to anything. As if it’s going to hurt the Cage ambience.”
“You have great style. I like the house as it is.”
“And you should make it yours too.”
The two continued on with what had to be a familiar refrain, and I just stood back as Lance and Bella came back from the hallway.
“I see you guys didn’t get lost,” I said as Lance just beamed at me.
“No, but I tried to go into the wrong room, but thankfully I didn’t use the coat closet instead of the bathroom.”
“You should ask Dorian sometime about when he found my bottle of Gavilan, and almost did that exact thing,” Aston put in.
“Dorian did that?” Sam asked, her voice far too soft.
I narrowed my gaze. “Hey, watch it.”
Sam beamed. “I really just like putting more lovesick into my voice whenever you’re around when I talk about Dorian. Because you get all growly.”
“I’m going to have to beat that man up now.” I sighed. “And he’s my friend.”
“Who are we beating up?” the man himself asked as he walked into the foyer. We were at Aston and Blakely’s house before the wedding, where the twins and Lance would be staying since they had the space and Bella didn’t.
In answer to Dorian’s question everybody burst out laughing, and he blinked.
“What? Is there something on my face?” When we only laughed harder, he waved us off.
“Anyway, I’m glad that we could finally get you down into our little area rather than up in the mountains. Though I do love the mountains.”
“Cage Lake is quite beautiful,” Amy added, and then that’s when I realized that Amy, Joshua, and Harper had joined them.
Harper immediately went to Blakely’s and Isabella’s sides, hugging them tightly. “Are you sure I’m supposed to be here?” Harper asked, looking around the large room.
“I keep asking myself that same question,” I murmured.
“Sophia wants you all here. We have the rehearsal tomorrow and the wedding the day after,” Bella added. “But she wanted people who made her smile there, and a lot of the dancers she used to dance with really didn’t fit that.”
“And I suppose she wanted people to outnumber the Cages at some point,” I added dryly. Bella grinned at me and I felt like I’d finally done something right.
“Anyway, tonight is the stag party, as well as the bachelorette party, but I realize that it’s not a huge event because Cale and Sophia wanted to go small,” Aston put in.
“Why do you call it a stag party? We’re not in Europe,” Dorian said.
“Because I like to annoy you,” Aston said with a grin.
Bella laughed at my side, and I wrapped my arm around her waist.
“Should I be worried?” I asked.
“Should I be worried that you’re going out into the big city all alone,” Sydney said with her eyes wide, making fun of me.
“And just for that, you’re grounded,” I said dryly.
“I’m an adult now. You can’t ground me.”
“Graduation isn’t here yet.”
“Seriously?” Sydney asked, and Sam burst out laughing.
“If you’re grounded, then somebody has to stay back and make sure you stay that way.”
“Oh, you two are with me this whole weekend.” Blakely clapped your hands. “So if somebody’s grounded, I’ll make sure it happens. As in no extra sprinkles on their mocktail chocolate martini.”
“There’s sprinkles?” the girls said at the same time, and I shook my head.
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle them?” I asked Blakely.