Chapter 9 #2
“No. We’re all in the main house. Mom decided we needed a family night since I haven’t been home in a while.”
The lightness I’d been feeling since the phone call from Captain Hayes deflates just a little.
“Oh! Sorry. I can come by tomorrow.”
“Are you kidding me?” McKenna practically shouts. “Get over here. You’re family.” Then she says something into the room. “Mom, Carli’s family, right?”
“Yes! Of course,” Mrs. Lawson answers. “Tell that girl to come over and help us eat this popcorn.”
“Mom said …”
“I heard her,” I say through my smile. “I’m almost there.”
I had planned to share my news with McKenna, but in typical fashion, the Lawson family is all sitting around the living room together when I walk in.
“Carli!” Luke shouts from across the room.
“Hey, everyone,” I say, waving at each person and trying hard not to let my eyes linger on Cody, but failing.
He’s leaned back on the sectional, wearing a blue Waterford Fire T-shirt that’s stretched just right across his chest. His faded jeans look lived-in and his hair is mildly tousled, like he just came in from outside, maybe even a ride on Jasper.
He smiles warmly at me, then grabs a handful of popcorn and tosses a piece into his mouth.
“Have a seat,” McKenna says. “We’re in a deep debate over what movie we’re going to watch tonight.”
“I say The Proposal,” Carli’s mom says, lifting her brows and widening her eyes in my direction.
“And I’m pushing for Always Be My Maybe,” McKenna says. “They already watched Westley’s latest without me.” She plucks a piece of popcorn out of the nearest bowl and lobs it at Ethan.
He sends her a mock glare and plucks the popcorn off the seat of the couch where it landed and eats it.
“The guys all want to pick up where we left off in Yellowstone,” Garrett says. “Be our tiebreaker, Carli.”
“Me?” I ask, stepping into the living room and taking the only open seat on the couch between McKenna and Cody.
He smells good—like he just showered but sat by the fireplace to dry off.
His voice is low and almost private when he says, “You don’t have to let them pressure you, Chuck.”
“I haven’t watched Yellowstone in a while,” I say.
“Traitor!” McKenna screams, her laughter filling the room.
“How about an episode of Yellowstone followed by one of the other movies?” I suggest.
“Ever the diplomat,” Luke says with some evident pride in his tone.
“I don’t think my brother would agree with you there,” I say.
Cody chuckles softly next to me.
Ethan leans forward and grabs the remote off the coffee table.
“Something to drink, Carli?” Mrs. Lawson offers.
“No. I’m good … But …”
“What?” McKenna turns toward me.
Ethan presses mute. All eyes are on me.
“I uh … I got the job.”
The room erupts in cheers. Luke’s, “Woo hoo!” overshadows them all. He pumps his fist in the air and smiles proudly over at me.
“Yeah! That’s our girl!” Garrett says from the recliner across the living room.
“Good going, Carli,” Ethan says.
McKenna leans over and gives me a side hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
Her mom and dad smile at me like I’m their daughter and I just came home with straight As.
Everyone peppers me with questions.
“When do you start?”
“What’s the pay?”
“Do you get your own office?”
“What did Jace say?” That last one’s from Cody.
“He’s processing,” I say, honestly. “It’s going to be a change and we’re farrowing soon. I don’t intend to leave him holding more than his share of the weight.”
“That’s not your farm,” Mr. Lawson says, surprising me. “They’ll figure it out.”
I smile over at him. My ribs feel too small for my body.
I glance sideways at Cody as Ethan hits play.
“Proud of you, Chuck,” he says softly. “I knew you’d get it.”
“Thanks,” I tell him.
His smile is warm and genuine. He doesn’t shift his focus to the show either. We just hold one another’s gazes and I’d swear something passes between us, but it’s probably just my crush being loud enough for the both of us.
I nestle back into the couch, closer to McKenna than Cody, but when I pop my feet up onto the coffee table next to his, he kicks playfully at my foot and I nudge him back.
“Big stuff,” he says softly while Kevin Costner chews out a ranch hand on screen. “Really.”
“I’m nervous,” I say quietly to Cody.
“Don’t be. You’ll do great. They’ll teach you what you need to know. And if anyone can learn something fast and put a bunch of men to shame, it’s you.”
“Thanks,” I whisper.
He nudges my foot again.
“Stop playing footsies with my bestie,” McKenna says, leaning around me to scold Cody.
I’m pretty sure my face turns the color of a summer tomato.
We keep our feet to ourselves the rest of the night, all the way through an episode of Yellowstone and the entire movie of The Proposal. My foot still buzzes in the few spots where Cody tapped it.
I help Mrs. Lawson clear the popcorn bowls and drink glasses into the kitchen after the movie ends.
“It’s good to have you coming around again,” she says, dumping the popcorn kernels into the trash and rinsing the bowl in the sink.
“It’s good to be here.”
“When McKenna leaves, we lose you too,” she says with a soft smile.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Well, just know you’re always welcome.”
“Thanks.”
“And I think you’re going to be a wonderful addition to the fire department.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence. My family is still digesting the news.” I hand her the glasses and she rinses each one before setting it in the dishwasher.
“They’ll come around,” Mrs. Lawson assures me. “You and Jace have been on the farm since each of you were born. Mr. Lawson and I had to adjust when Cody decided to join the department. And—leave it to McKenna to stretch me to my limits—she really taught me about letting go.”
I smile. “She always comes back.”
“So far.”
“Yeah. So far.” I don’t even want to imagine a time when McKenna doesn’t come back to Tennessee.
“Well, thank you for celebrating me,” I say.
“You’re like a second daughter to me, Carli. I’ll always celebrate you.”
McKenna walks into the kitchen. “Are you two spilling tea without me?”
“No tea. Your mom’s just building me up, as usual.”
“As she should,” McKenna walks over and pulls me into a hug. “I’m so proud of you. You went for it and you got it.”
“I’m proud too,” I admit. “Just nervous now. But excited.”
“That’s normal,” McKenna assures me.
I hang around a little while longer. The guys start to take off for their cabins, so I take that as my natural cue to head out as well.
“Thanks for having me,” I tell Mr. and Mrs. Lawson.
“Don’t be a stranger, Carli,” Mr. Lawson says on a yawn.
“Call me tomorrow,” McKenna says.
“I will.” I step out onto the porch and slip my boots on. Cody’s in the driveway. I walk past him on the way to my truck.
“Thanks,” I say to him, a wave of shyness washing through me.
“For?”
“For what you said on the couch.”
“You’ll do great.” He smiles at me and I resist the urge to step closer to him.
“Well … I’ll see you.”
“Yeah. See you at work, probably,” he says with a soft chuckle.
“That will just be weird,” I say, smiling back at him.
“Not completely,” he assures me with a wink.
All the way home I picture him winking at me, the way his foot felt brushing against mine, and the private smiles he gave me through the darkened living room while the rest of the family fixed their eyes on the scenes on the big screen.
I tell myself he’s just being neighborly, even though my heart keeps trying to convince me it’s more.