Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
MAGNOLIA
The very same day James and Sage showed up in the office, Charlie texted.
Charlie
You’re in town and you didn’t tell me?!
I had to find out from James!
The fact that Bowen hadn’t told his family I was in town only proved my suspicions: he hadn’t changed. Not really. It was one thing to be in the fake dating trenches on the down-low, but that didn’t make us friends. And I would not let myself forget it.
Surprise?
Charlie
You’re coming over.
To have lunch with me and Cash.
On Saturday. It’s not an invitation, Maggie. It’s an order!
Yes, ma’am.
Charlie
GURL. I’ve missed you!
I’ve missed you too! How’s Sage?
Dr. Adams had informed me begrudgingly that my suspicions were correct.
Sage indeed had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The good news: knowledge meant power here.
The cardiologist felt confident that with the right meds, Willow could stay put a few more weeks.
After delivery, though, Sage would need a septal myectomy—open-heart surgery to remove the thickened tissue blocking her blood flow.
Saturday afternoon, my racing heart kept time with the blinker as I waited for a slew of cars to pass. A text came through from my dad.
Commanding Officer
Why does it look like you’re driving over to Dupree Ranch right now?
Stupid location tracker app. My dad was currently living his best life, bossing people around by day, feasting on pasta and gelato by night. All while keeping an eye on his only daughter from the comforts of his Italian villa in Vicenza’s old town—complete with cobblestone streets.
Commanding Officer
You better not be going over there to see that boy who broke your heart.
I ignored his text, turned left, and crossed onto the back road that led to Clean Slate, Ford and Peyton’s Ranch.
Just then, my phone rang. Abilene. I pressed the green check to accept the call and put it on speakerphone.
“Mags,” she said. “Why is your dad texting me, saying you’re heading to Dupree Ranch?”
“Well, hello to you too,” I sang.
“Girl. Answer the question so he’ll stop blowing up my phone.”
“I’m not heading to Dupree Ranch."
“Phew. Thank goodness for that. Where are you headed then?”
“Clean Slate Ranch,” I mumbled.
“Same thing!”
“Charlie invited me for a late lunch. Basically demanded.”
“For all you know, they might be eating you for lunch.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said.
Abilene said nothing, which was very un-Abilene-like.
“You think this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, don’t you?” I asked.
“That goes without saying. Quick! Turn around before it’s too late.”
“Can’t. Charlie made lots of food. She even sent pics.” Made enough for an army. “And she’s excited for me to see the RV she and Cash have been living in.”
“She’s excited about a used RV,” Abilene said, sounding dumbfounded. “Sounds like a setup.”
“Charlie wouldn’t do that?”
Abilene snorted. “Whatever you say. You know, those Duprees are notorious for overstepping when it comes to people they care about. Maybe she’s trying to get you with Bowen.”
“I’m not getting together with Bowen,” I said dryly. “Weren’t you the one telling me to tell Bowen about Topher?”
“Which worked, by the way. Enlisting him to help is one thing, but you keep your heart locked up tight. You hear me? Ain’t nobody got time for a broken heart right now. We have Shelf exams to worry about.”
“You don’t need to remind me. I’m aware.” I pulled up to the gate. “I gotta go, Abs.”
“What am I supposed to tell the Commander in Chief?” she asked.
“Just don’t respond. What’s he going to do? Hop on a plane and come stop me?”
“No. But he might have a stroke,” she said. “If your dad ends up with one half of his body paralyzed and you have to spend the rest of his life wiping drool from his mouth, don’t think you won’t be getting ‘I told you so’ texts from me every time you complain.”
“Fine.” I laughed. “You can send me ‘I told you so’ texts.”
“911 me if you need back up,” she said in her bossy voice.
“How are you going to help? You’re an hour away.”
“Forty-five minutes if I take back roads and pretend I’m in my Formula One era.” She added a vroom-vroom for effect.
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said. “It’s just lunch with Charlie and Cash.”
“Whatever you say.”
I pressed end, lowered my window, and typed the code that Charlie had sent. The gate opened, and then I was officially on Dupree Land.
I crept over the paved driveway, taking in the view. It was exactly how I remembered—rolling hills, horses’ tails flicking while they grazed. I swear the grass was greener here. Knowing Ford, he paid a ridiculous amount of money to have the fields fertilized.
My eyes focused back on the road ahead…and my heart tried to climb out of my throat.
Because off in the distance, I could clearly see Ford’s house up on the tallest hill.
And there were balloons. So many balloons.
A hundred at least. And a bouncy house? No, not a house.
A full-on castle. And…I squinted…a banner… that I couldn’t read.
Why would Charlie skip out on a family party to have lunch with me at her RV? Weird.
I turned left down the road that led to Cash and Charlie’s, only to slam my brakes. Why was a gate blocking my way? That hadn’t been here two years ago. A poster-board sign greeted me.
Hi Maggie!
We’re so happy you’re here! Change of plans. Head up to Ford’s.
Everyone’s so excited to see you. —Charlie
I stared at the sign, my pulse pounding in my ears.
I was just supposed to drive up to Ford’s for…
whatever celebration they were having, and face every single Dupree all at once?
Maybe if our last meeting didn’t include me practically devouring Bowen’s face in front of them.
There was no telling what kind of reception was waiting for me up there.
The balloons, banner, and blow-up castle might be a cover-up for a Dupree-style stoning.
Especially if Granny Dupree was involved.
“I should’ve suspected something was up when she told me to bring my swimsuit,” I hissed.
My swimsuit! Was a teeny, tiny, string bikini that I usually only wore when no guys would be around. It was strictly for tanning and kicking around with girlfriends. Because I looked good. Too good for just anybody to see—unless we shared the same last name and had matching gold bands.
“Oh, heck no.” I threw my car in reverse. But then I slammed my brakes. A side-by-side had pulled in behind me, blocking my escape.
I screamed when someone knocked on my window. “Sheesh!” My chest heaved in and out as Ford’s bodyguard, Jeff—whose hair had gone completely white in the last two years—stood outside my window, laughing.
He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. “Hey, Maggie. Long time, no see.”
I rolled the window down. “Hi, Jeff. Are you part of this evil plan, too?” He grinned wider. I pursed my lips. “Let me guess. You’re my escort, sent to make sure I don’t get lost between here and Ford’s house.”
He clicked his tongue. “Smart girl. Are you driving or am I?”
“To what?” I gestured at Ford’s house. “What’s going on up there?”
“A baby shower for James and Sage.”
“A baby shower?” I yelped. “Who rents the Neuschwanstein Castle for a baby shower?”
Jeff shrugged. “Ford bought it last year. He was tired of renting one for every occasion. Now, are you driving or am I?”
I sighed. “I am. I might need a getaway car if this goes south. Hop in.”
He quickly moved the Polaris just enough for me to get by, but not enough for me to be able to take off without him.
Then he walked around and slipped into my passenger seat.
Or he tried. His knees were up to his nose.
Former Navy Seals who are at least six four, two hundred and fifty pounds, and three percent body fat, are not meant to fit anywhere inside of a Mini Cooper.
“Sorry,” I said, as he fumbled to adjust his seat. “This car was designed for small girls with big sunglasses, not…literal Vikings.”
“You’re not kidding.” He slid back. Then he opened his arms. “How’s our Maggie?”
I threw myself into his embrace, a lump tight in my throat. “Honestly? About to burst into tears.” My voice quavered, backing me up. But with him and his beefy arms around me, I felt a little less terrified.
He squeezed me so tight, I felt a rib pop. “No need. They’re so excited to see you. Why else do you think they put all this effort into luring you over?”
I sat back and put my car in reverse. “So they could tie me up and burn me at the stake, the same way they’ve wanted to for the past two years.”
“Come on now.” He chuckled again. “Does that sound like the Duprees?”
“No,” I conceded. A glint of gold on his ring finger caught my eye. My mouth fell open. “You’re married?” I put the car in drive and pressed on the gas, driving toward my fate.
He grinned again. “Yep. Going on thirteen months now.”
“You weren’t dating anyone two years ago.” My phone vibrated with a text from my dad. I ignored it.
He chuckled. “It was a whirlwind romance, that’s for sure. Three months start to finish. Went from complete bachelorhood to having a wife, two adult kids, and four grandkids.”
I pressed my free hand to my heart. “Jeff, oh my gosh, I love that so much. Tell me all about your family.”
“I married Beth Ross?” he said, asking if I knew who she was.
I shook my head.
“That’s right, you moved here after you graduated. She’s an English teacher at the high school. About a decade younger than me. Tally says I have my own age-gap romance like her and Ashton.”
“Love that. So she was married before?”
“Yeah. To an idiot.” His fists balled in his lap. “Who decided he liked men better than his own gorgeous wife.” Then he laughed. “I actually like Ross. Thank him for being stupid every time I see him.”
I giggled, and it felt good to release some tension.
I tried to pay attention as Jeff went on about how beautiful his wife was and how happy he was—but the moment I put the car in park, my lungs seized, a phantom weight pressing against my ribs as if bracing for impact.
I looked up at the banner that said—Let the Adventure Begin, We Can’t Wait to Meet You, Willow! —and tried to swallow down the panic.
Jeff squeezed my hand. “Hey, no worries. I’ll stay right by your side until you’re comfortable.” He winked. “I gotchu.”
“Yeah. Okay.” As Jeff got out, I quickly found my phone. I flicked Dad’s messages away and sent a quick text to Abilene.
911! It’s a setup!
Jeff was standing by my door, waiting.
My nerves were so taut, it felt like I might have a mental breakdown if a fly landed on my arm.
When we crested the hill and the entire family came into view below—adults eating from the spread of food, laughing and chatting, half the kids swimming in the lake, the other half jumping on the water trampoline—two years of missing them hit me all at once.
“How’d you meet Beth?” I asked Jeff, the words sounding like they’d come from someone else. Was this what an out-of-body experience felt like? Had I had a heart attack back in the car, and now I was heading toward the light without realizing it, with Jeff as my guide?
Jeff beamed. “Christy set us up.”
Christy must’ve heard him say her name because she glanced up—the very first Dupree to see me. She reached over and tapped Charlie on the shoulder.
Charlie squealed. “My bestie for life is back!” she shouted, promptly alerting everyone to my arrival.
As their heads turned, I felt my shoulders curling in.
But I made myself keep going. Made myself look at Lemon, the woman who’d been my second mom.
She’d taught me how to make bread and arrange flowers.
How to fold a fitted sheet and how to set a boundary without burning bridges.
I’d let her down in the worst possible way.
With the single act of kissing Bowen, I’d burned more bridges than I had in all the previous years of my life combined.
In that moment, I finally acknowledged the painful truth I’d pushed to the edges of my heart since the Spartan Race: I’d missed Lemon the most, right behind Bowen and Griff.
Our eyes locked and I sucked in a breath. Her hand went to her heart and I tried to decipher what that meant. Charlie hurried up the hill toward me—but Lemon stepped out and caught her. Hands on Charlie’s shoulders, she said something too low for me to hear.
“Crap,” I mumbled, coming to a complete stop. “That can’t be good.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Jeff laughed, clearly not understanding the severity of my crimes.
Lemon speed-walked toward me, determination in her eyes.
I stumbled back, but Jeff put a hand on my shoulder, keeping me there.
When she was thirty feet away, I still couldn’t tell if she was happy to see me or coming to chase me off the premises—and my hands started to shake.
Twenty feet away, she broke into a jog—and I thought I might pass out, my heart was pounding so hard.
But ten feet away? Ten feet away is when everything changed.
Her face split into a massive grin and she threw her arms out. “Oh, Maggie.” She wrapped me in a tight hug. “You sweet girl. I’m so happy you’re here.”