Grier
Waffles was up and walking when I made it to the barn later that morning. He moved slowly, but his tail swished happily as he walked up to me. I dropped to my knees, hugging my boy. Pressing my face into his neck, I finally accepted that he was really going to be okay.
He butted his nose to my shoulder, and I pulled back. “No more adventures for you, sir. You stay on the farm from now on. I don’t care how much you miss me.”
His snort was definitely an argument.
I gave him a stern glare. “None of that. There will be no more risks. If I lost you, I don’t know what I would do.”
Another snort that I interpreted as “But, Mom!”
“Enough arguing. Let’s get our day started.
” Standing, I dusted off my jeans and got an update from Leo.
Waffles was doing better than he’d expected, and all his blood work looked good.
He still needed to get regular labs to make sure that didn’t change.
Thankfully, Leo didn’t anticipate anything drastic.
As requested, Leo had invited the two owners of the cats who had eaten some of the rodenticide to bring their pets to him. They both accepted his help, and the cats were in the lab getting treatment. My only wish was that we could have also saved the dog.
Forcing back tears at the thought of the little guy, I focused on work that would keep me busy on the farm. By lunchtime, I had parked my booty in the mini Highland cow pasture and was meticulously grooming any who wanted extra love. Which tended to be all of them.
Waffles stretched out on his side napping while I brushed the hair of Marshmallow, the oldest Highlander in the herd.
She was solid white, making her look more like a fluffy cloud with eyes and a nose.
Love Bug had named her when the cow first arrived.
Marshmallow had been rescued from a hoarder who liked to collect animals but didn’t possess the funds to care for them.
When she came to the farm, she was sick from malnutrition and a plethora of other illnesses.
None of the cows had had enough space to move, let alone enough grass to eat.
She’d barely been a hundred pounds when the authorities had stepped in.
We’d kept her quarantined for two months before she could leave the barn. Since she’d been released into the pasture, she’d been living her best life.
“I knew I’d find you out here.” Love Bug dropped onto the blanket beside me and stole my water bottle. Wiping sweat from her face, she scowled up at the sky. “You always cuddle the Highlanders when you’re sad.”
I stared at her for a long moment, absorbing the presence of my best friend. She shouldn’t be home, not yet, at least. Her goals were within reach, and she was doing amazing things all on her own, without the help of her dad’s name.
Love looked tired. Her eyes, that beautiful shade of purple swirled together with blue, weren’t as bright as they should have been.
I couldn’t remember a time when they’d ever been so dim.
In a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra, she’d obviously been out for a run, which she only did when she was trying to get out of her own head.
“What happened?” I asked when she kept her gaze on the sky.
She stayed silent for a bit, her jaw clenching and unclenching.
When she finally looked at me, I felt her pain in my chest as if it lived inside me as much as it did her.
“I’m not ready to talk about it. But when I am, I promise you will be the first person I come to.
Right now, I…” She swallowed hard. “I’m still absorbing, I guess. ”
“What can I do to help you?” I whispered.
Grabbing my hand, she linked our fingers together. “You’re already doing it.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon brushing the cows.
My love for animals had started when our moms had decided we needed to learn what responsibility looked like.
We’d lived in Tennessee on a smaller farm more often than in California back then.
It began with just a single mini Highlander, a goat, and a few chickens.
Love Bug and I would take care of them ourselves when we were home, but staff was always there to make sure the animals got all the extra care they needed.
Around that time, she and I decided we were going to be vegetarians. Meals became war zones for our parents. Anyone who dared to eat meat in front of us became enemy number one.
Eventually, Love missed the taste of hamburgers and diverted from the vegetarian lifestyle. I remained steady, and while I hadn’t eaten a piece of meat since I was five, I accepted that no one should have to change their entire diet just to please me.
“So you and the sheriff are finally official,” Love commented as we walked back to the barn later that afternoon, Waffles between us.
I couldn’t stop the smile that thinking about Finn caused. “Officially official. Dad knows now. It doesn’t get more official than that, in my opinion.”
“About fucking time.”
“How does Uncle Luca not know you curse like a sailor?”
“Because I’m his perfect little princess,” she said with a smirk, then dramatically clutched her hands to her stomach. “Ugh. I’m starving. And my period is about to start. I need fries. And chocolate cake. Lots of both.”
“Fine. Just let me get Waffles comfortable first.”
“He’s not coming with us?” She pouted.
My stomach knotted just thinking about him wandering alone through town. I was serious about his having no more adventures. Not without me there to protect him. Not when Hilary could do something to hurt him so easily.
“He’s still recovering.”
She scratched behind his ears as we continued walking. “Don’t worry, buddy. That bad lady is going to get a visit from karma soon enough, and you’ll be back to living all the fun baby donkey adventures.”
I found Leo and bribed him with dinner from Aggie’s if he made sure Waffles stayed out of trouble. And by out of trouble, I meant staying on the farm.
“You’re gonna buy me a burger?” he asked skeptically.
“Yes,” I said with a sad nod.
He cocked a brow. “One for Cody as well?”
“And dessert for both of you.” I sweetened the deal. “Just keep my boy busy. Don’t let him out of your sight until I get back.”
“Obviously, I’m getting the better end of the bargain. Hanging out with a donkey and getting takeout for my guy and me. Best Monday I’ve had in a while.”
I tossed my keys to the UTV to Love so she could drive as we passed the Jeep. No one had told me how it ended up back in my driveway. It was just there when I came outside that morning, looking unsuspectingly innocent after having been part of a crime twenty-four hours before.
“Give me all the details about your brush with the law yesterday,” Love Bug commanded as she hit reverse. “Bonus points if you can supply videos to go with it. I want to see Hilary’s face when she was arrested.”
Living in a small town was a hundred times better than living in a big city. Cleaner air, nicer roads, better neighbors, and all the gossip. Usually relayed by a gruff old man who might look grumpy but was actually the sweetest, goofiest soul on the planet.
Love Bug and I sat ourselves at the counter when we got to Aggie’s. It was almost dinnertime, and the place filled up quickly. From the moment we stepped through the door, all eyes shifted to us, and then we were greeted like family.
Two Diet Cokes were placed in front of us before we’d even fully sat down.
While Love ordered her fries and cake—“Please make sure they come out together. I need these carbs or I’m gonna commit a felony!
”—I was pulled into a conversation with the high school band director, who wanted help with an upcoming fundraiser.
“Are you sure it’s not too much trouble to have it on the soccer field?” Peter asked for the second time, his cheeks slightly pink.
“It’s not any trouble at all. I’ll let my director know.
What are you thinking? Maybe three performances from the band that evening.
And I’ll bring the babies in that morning.
Let’s do ten to two. That way, they get enough attention but don’t get grumpy from being overfed and tired.
Plus, they won’t do well once the band starts playing.
I’ll supply the feed that can be purchased by the cup, with all funds going to your band.
” I wrote myself notes in my phone as I talked, ready to send them to the recreation center director to have so I wouldn’t forget.
“Whatever foods you want to sell are acceptable as long as you have the correct permits, and since your band parents are the ones who run the concessions at football and basketball games, I know they do.”
“Thanks again, Grier,” he said, shaking my hand. His cheeks got even pinker. “Um, so by any chance, would you—”
“Sheriff!” one of the old men seated at the counter beside us called out, causing Peter to jump back from me at least a foot. “Come on over here, boy. Your future wife is just confirming the details for the upcoming band fundraiser.”
I quickly saved my notes before turning to look at Finn.
Everything inside me settled when I saw him.
The ache that still lingered after the events of the weekend eased just from his presence.
My man looked good in uniform, his utility belt sitting low on his hips, wearing that black polo with the TCSD on the left side and the stitched gold badge declaring him sheriff.
His blue gaze was glued to where Peter was still holding my hand, despite having nearly jumped out of his skin.
Whoops, I hadn’t realized I hadn’t gotten my hand back yet.
Face darkening, Finn stepped up beside Peter, slapping him on the back hard enough to send the poor man teetering forward. At least he’d finally released my hand, even if the dude had dropped it like my fingers might inject him with venom.
“Band fundraiser?” Finn asked Peter. “Tell me how the sheriff’s department can help out.”
While Peter stumbled through a response, I took a sip of my drink.
“Did he just say future wife?” Love whispered to me. “What the…fluff. I said fluff! You heard me. It was totally fluff.”
“You’re being weird,” I whispered back. “Uncle Luca isn’t even here.”
“No, but Ethan is right over there with Elijah, and they will totally narc on me.” She lifted her hand, waving at her brothers. “Hey, little bros. Whatcha doing… Wait, are you two on a date?”
“When did you get home?” Ethan demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ah, Christ on a cracker. What happened to a Bug-free summer? I knew we should have gone to Malibu with Fallon instead of staying home for break.”
Ignoring her, her brothers, and the girl the twins were with—okay, that was definitely something to file away and think about later, because what do you mean, they were on a date?
And also…one girl, not two? I needed very detailed answers.
Later. Maybe I should call my sister and find out if she knew anything.
Which was a stupid thing to question. Fallon would know every last detail, as usual—I leaned into Finn, lifting my face to accept a kiss.
“Do you have time for a break? Bug and I are carbing up.”
“I always have time for you, baby.”