4. Montana
ASPEN: Heard Ellison Mills is coming back to Blackstone Falls…
VIENNA: Uh-oh…
VIENNA: Do I need to book a ticket home?
MONTANA: Why would you need to book a ticket home?
ASPEN: We remember Ellison-gate big brother
VIENNA: It wasn’t pretty
MONTANA: What are you talking about? Nothing happened
VIENNA: (side-eye emoji)
ASPEN: (gif of woman making a faux surprised face)
MONTANA: Couldn’t y’all just come home because you love me and not because you think my life is about to implode?
VIENNA: It’s hard getting time off work right now–gotta spend that PTO wisely
MONTANA: I’m so proud of you but I still miss you
VIENNA: Awww
ASPEN: Focus people. Big brother, the girl of your dreams is moving home. What’s your status?
MONTANA: There is no status. Everything is fine.
Three dots appear and then disappear. Sighing, I take a sip of my sweet tea and try unsuccessfully to move my thoughts away from my best friend. I’d expected the interrogation from Archer but not my sisters. They should have been too young to understand what had gone down between Ellison and me.
More accurately, what hadn’t.
There was no us—just a friendship that we’d both let fade into the background. I hated thinking of it like that, but at the end of the day we’d left our relationship out in the rain. We’d rescued it from the elements worn and faded and in need of repair.
It was in rough shape, but it wasn’t broken.
Still, times like these had me forgetting my sisters were well into their twenties instead of the two hell-raising princesses with dark hair and green eyes.
VIENNA: We’re just worried about you big brother
ASPEN: We hated seeing you so upset when she left
MONTANA: Should have seen me when my baby sisters moved away never to return
ASPEN: (gif of woman looking annoyed)
VIENNA: Did he just…
ASPEN: He did
MONTANA: Love my girls
MONTANA: (gif of guy blowing a kiss)
VIENNA: Ugh we love you too
MONTANA: Then I don’t know why you need to gang up on me
ASPEN: Stop being so sensitive
ASPEN: Listen—I have to go to work but I’m going to need updates
VIENNA: Definitely updates. I’m friends with Ellison on social media—she’s still super pretty big brother…
MONTANA: I’m gonna say goodbye now
VIENNA: You’re no fun
MONTANA: Literally no one would agree with you
ASPEN: So you’re saying we get the serious, boring side of you?
MONTANA: Aren’t you supposed to be working?
VIENNA: (gif of woman cackling)
ASPEN: (kiss face emoji)
Tossingmy phone on the table, I’m relieved when the screen stays dark. No doubt, they’re having a side conversation about me right now, but that’s not something I can worry about.
Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back, thankful for the small reprieve of the quiet house.
“Oh, Lord. Montana, have you seen Hal?” Celeste says on a huff as she comes bustling into the kitchen, our silver Labrador, Hermie, hot on her heels, his nails clicking on the hardwood. I open my eyes slowly, my gaze finding the paneling on the ceiling as I swallow the sigh that wants to escape.
It’s been a day.
“I just got in the house,” I say as she studies me a beat longer, absentmindedly stroking Hermie’s head while his entire body wags and not just his tail. The three-legged brute is still very much a puppy and barely notices his missing limb. We’d taken him in from the shelter in Clementine Creek, Vetted Paws, after they’d rescued him from a hoarding situation.
Hermie had taken to Celeste immediately, and she never missed an opportunity to fuss over him.
“I swear, that man,” she mumbles under her breath. “I turn my back for two seconds and he…”
Her words die off as the sound of a pickup truck grows louder coming up the driveway. Dirt and rocks kick up behind it, and I roll my eyes as I realize I’ll have to tell Mason to slow down. I swear it wasn’t too long ago that Grandad was hollering at me for the same damn thing. Scrubbing my hand over my stubble-covered jaw, I try and remember when I got to be so old.
Mason hops out of the driver’s side and hustles over to where Grandad is already closing his door and waving Mason off. I can practically hear the grumbling from my grandfather that he doesn’t need help as he saunters toward the house.
He’s not even halfway up the porch steps before Celeste is throwing open the door, hands on her hips and a scowl that has Mason’s eyes going wide.
“Where have you been?” she snaps, and Grandad’s lips turn up at the corners.
“Can’t an old man go for a walk on a beautiful afternoon?” he asks as his head tilts to one side in question.
“He can,” Celeste draws the last word out but no one dares to speak, “if he tells people where he’s going so he doesn’t die of heat stroke out there.”
“Woman, I have been farmin’ these fields for?—”
“Don’t you woman me. Now get inside and take a seat,” she demands before smoothing her hands down the front of her apron. “There’s a drink and a snack on the table.”
Mason’s lips part, his eyes wide with wonder as he watches Grandad walk to where Celeste is still standing. He places a quick kiss on her cheek before whistling his way toward the kitchen.
She sighs before turning her attention to Mason. “Come on, there’s a plate in there for you too.”
Mason scuffs his worn boot against the dirt, looking even younger than he actually is. “Oh, I couldn’t?—”
“Inside,” she says again, shooing him with her hands this time. He barks out a laugh and hustles through the doorway. I follow because this falls under if you can’t beat ’em join ’em and I don’t need Mason getting roped into anymore of Grandad’s shenanigans.
Celeste closes the door behind us, and I’m almost to the table when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Wrestling it from the denim pocket of my jeans, my smile is immediate as the message lights up the screen.
ELLISON: Maybe we can put the cows on the Christmas card
MONTANA: What Christmas card?
ELLISON: Ours silly (eye roll emoji)
MONTANA: Do best friends send out joint Christmas cards?
ELLISON: Are you saying you don’t want to send out joint Christmas cards, Max?
ELLISON: I could always send the other ones…
ELLISON: I think I have like 500 or so left
MONTANA: 500??!! How many did you fucking order??
ELLISON: My finger slipped and it went from 100 to 1000
MONTANA: That’s a hell of a whoops
ELLISON: But so worth it
MONTANTA: Wait…
ELLISON: (angel emoji)
MONTANA: Who the hell did you send 500 Christmas cards to with me in my boxer shorts wearing cowboy boots and a Santa hat?
ELLISON: It’s hard to remember
MONTANA: Who would even WANT to see that?
ELLISON: The entire female population
ELLISON: Probably most of the men too
MONTANA: But seriously—you’ve sent 500 of those???
ELLISON: I think it’s a compliment honestly
ELLISON: You should be flattered
MONTANA: You’re in so much trouble when you get home
ELLISON: Can’t wait!
ELLISON: (kiss face emoji)
Swallowing a huff,I look up and meet three sets of eyes and matching grins, and dammit all to hell, I forgot I wasn’t alone.
“Anything you’d like to share?” Grandad asks as Mason snickers.
“Not even a little,” I grumble, dropping into the chair next to Mason and stealing a cookie off his plate. He’s about to protest when Celeste places another in front of him. He beams at her, and it’s so genuine I can’t be mad.
But I also can’t let him win, so I swipe that cookie too and shove it in my mouth. Celeste gasps, Mason pouts, and Grandad barks out a laugh, holding his stomach and drawing Hermie’s attention from his bed in the corner.
Leaning back, I smile and chew, feeling remarkably better than I have all day.