Chapter 10
Alexis
I’m a nervous wreck. What should one wear to her boss’s parents’ lunch? The last time someone invited me was… well, my dad was still alive.
The thought lingers longer than I want it to.
For a second, I can almost hear him, see the way he’d lean against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, watching me overthink something exactly like this.
Something tight pulls in my chest.
This feels like something I lost.
Should I bring something? A cake? Oh God, I can’t make a cake!
Marvel stares up at me, his tiny head following my every move from the floor. His round blue eyes track me as I pace back and forth across my room.
I sigh. It’s not like I have much choice.
“I’ll wear jeans and a sweater,” I mutter to myself.
I leave my hair down, brushing the soft waves over my shoulders, and put on light makeup, just mascara and a little lip gloss so I don’t look like I’m about to pass out from nerves.
“You be a good boy and use the litter box, okay?” I tell him.
Marvel cocks his head like he wants to tell me he knows pretty damn well where to pee.
“Okay, I’ll be back in the afternoon and we’ll cuddle, I promise.”
I kiss his soft little head and put on my coat.
A knock sounds at the door.
My stomach flips.
When I open it, Dex is standing in the hallway, wearing jeans and a dark blue button-down that hugs his muscles a little too well. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, exposing tan, muscled forearms.
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod.
“Let’s go.”
He steps aside so I can grab my purse and turn off the lights. When I walk out into the hallway, Dex reaches past me and pulls the apartment door closed before locking it.
Then he opens the building door and holds it, gesturing for me to go first.
You can do this, Lexy. It’s just lunch.
I step outside, the cold air hitting my face, sharp and grounding, but it doesn’t do much to settle the mess inside my chest.
I follow him to his truck. It’s black, big, and so… well, Dex . A massive lifted pickup with rugged tires, a little dusty from country roads, and a bed that looks like it’s actually used for work instead of just show.
He opens the passenger door for me, and I stop, staring.
“What?” he asks.
“You don’t need to do that.” I shake my head.
“My mama taught me well, so suck it up and let me open doors for you, will you?” He raises one eyebrow.
“Okay, boss,” I grumble as I climb in.
He chuckles as he closes my door.
A moment later, the driver’s door opens and he climbs in, the truck dipping slightly under his weight. His scent fills the cab.
It settles around me, grounding in a way I don’t want to think about too much.
The engine rumbles to life.
For a few minutes, we drive in silence while I stare out the window, trying to calm the storm of nerves in my stomach.
“You’re awfully quiet,” he says finally.
“I’m mentally preparing for interrogation.”
He snorts. “It’s lunch, Lexy. Not a police interview.”
“That’s easy for you to say. They’re your parents.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see his lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile.
“Relax,” he says. “My mama already likes you.”
My head snaps toward him. “She’s never met me.”
He glances at me briefly before looking back at the road.
“She doesn’t need to.”
My heart does a strange little flip at that.
I don’t understand why.
The truck slows as he turns onto a long dirt road, and the sunlight pouring through the windshield catches the tattoos running along his forearm as he steers with one hand. Dark ink moves with the flex of his muscles, disappearing beneath the rolled sleeve of his shirt.
I look away quickly before he catches me staring.
After a few minutes, we leave town behind and turn onto a long dirt road that cuts through miles of open fields. Winter-yellow grass stretches on both sides, flattened in places by old snow and wind, broken only by wooden fences and the occasional group of horses grazing lazily.
Bare cottonwood trees line the gravel road leading deeper into the property, their tall gray branches rattling softly in the cold breeze, waiting for spring to wake them again.
In the distance, mountains rise against the wide Wyoming sky, their peaks dusted with snow.
Something in my chest tightens as the land stretches out around us.
Open. Quiet. Endless.
Eventually we reach a large wooden sign that reads:
Hawthorne Ranch & B&B
My jaw drops.
The ranch spreads out in front of us like something out of a movie. A massive stretch of land dotted with white fences, red barns, and wide pastures where dozens of horses roam freely, their breath fogging in the chilly air.
Several cozy guest cabins sit scattered across the land, little wooden houses with porches and rocking chairs, thin curls of smoke rising from a few chimneys.
Farther ahead stands the main house.
Several trucks are parked in front of a huge southern-style ranch home with a wide wraparound porch, white columns, and a roof that seems to stretch forever.
Hanging lanterns sway gently in the cold breeze, and two wooden rocking chairs sit near the front door like they’ve seen decades of slow afternoons and sweet tea.
Something shifts inside me as I take it all in.
Warmth.
Life.
A place where people stay.
Where they belong.
I swallow hard and look away before the feeling settles too deep.
Dex parks the truck and turns off the engine.
He comes around and opens my door, offering his hand. When I raise mine, I notice I’m trembling, and so does he.
His eyes soften in an instant.
“Tinker.”
Dex brings both hands up to frame my face, steadying me, making me look at him.
“The only thing my parents, and especially my mama, want is to meet you and find out who’s living in my apartment.”
I nod, a little breathless under his touch. “Okay.”
He studies my eyes like he’s making sure I really mean it, then let's go, his hand sliding to the small of my back, warm and grounding as he guides me up the steps.
“Don’t worry, Tinker,” he adds with a wicked smile. “The only one who bites in this family is the man you’re living with.”
I laugh.
The wide wooden porch creaks softly beneath our boots. Two rocking chairs sway gently in the winter breeze beside a small table holding a lantern and a folded quilt. A wind chime somewhere near the corner of the house sings quietly in the cold air.
Across the pasture, a group of horses lifts their heads. White clouds puff from their nostrils as they breathe in the freezing air.
One of them stomps the ground, snorting softly.
“Your parents own all this?” I ask, still staring.
“Yeah,” Dex says casually, stepping beside me. “This and another thousand acres of land and lakes.”
A breeze cuts across the open land, making the bare cottonwood branches clatter together above us.
I pull my coat tighter around myself.
Dex notices immediately.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
Without another word, his palm presses lightly against my back again, guiding me forward, closer to the warmth waiting inside.
Before we reach the door, it swings open.
A beautiful woman steps outside, apron tied around her hips. Light brown hair frames a gorgeous face, green eyes, Dex’s eyes, warm and bright as they land on him.
“Come here, Dex. Give your mama a hug.”
His tall frame folds around hers, and something in my chest tightens at the way he holds her. Tight. Familiar. You can see how much he cares for her.
Then she lets him go and turns to me.
“You must be Lexy.”
She pulls me into a warm hug before I can even answer. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon surrounds me, and for a second, I freeze.
Then something inside me gives. Softens.
I didn’t realize how much I missed my mother’s hugs until right now, in Lily’s arms. A stranger reminding me what a mother feels like.
I hug her back. “Thank you for the hug.”
She lets go and looks at me. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
“I’m so happy to meet you, Mrs. Hawthorne… and thank you for the clothes and shoes. You didn’t have to.”
She steps back, lifting one eyebrow.
“Please call me Lily. And oh, aren’t you a gorgeous one.”
Her smiling eyes sweep over me before she turns to Dex.
“I like her.”
Dex shakes his head.
“Well, I’m glad you like my waitress, Mama. Now can we go inside? I’m freezing my balls off.”
Lily’s smile vanishes instantly.
“Dexter Hawthorne, you will not use that language in my house.”
Dex actually looks chastised.
“Sorry, Mama.”
She huffs, then turns back to me like nothing happened.
“Come on in, darling. Let me introduce you to part of our big family.”
I follow her inside, Dex right behind me.
Warmth wraps around me immediately. The house smells like roasted chicken, fresh bread, and something sweet baking somewhere deeper in the kitchen.
Voices drift down the hallway, overlapping laughter and conversation echoing through the high-ceilinged entryway.
Framed photographs line the walls, kids, horses, family gatherings, graduations, weddings. A whole life lived together.
Something shifts inside me.
I think I forgot what home felt like… until now.
When you live without a real family for years, you forget how wonderful and loud it can be. The Hawthornes move around each other like they’re all connected, in tune without even trying.
And I can’t help but wonder if Mason and I lost more than just a father… and then a mother.
We lost our home .
A small blur of movement rushes past me.
“Uncle Dex!”
I turn just in time to see Dex scoop up a little girl with dark hair and bright blue eyes, spinning her in the air while she giggles.
“Uncle Dex, who did you bring?”
She turns toward me immediately.
“She’s pretty!”
I laugh, the sound surprising me.
“This is Lexy,” Dex says, pointing at me before gesturing toward her. “And this is Mia.”
He tickles her, and she squeals.
“Nice to meet you, Mia.”
She smiles at me like we’re already friends, then leans close to Dex’s ear to whisper something. She tries to be quiet, but we all hear it clearly.
“Is she your girlfriend?”