Chapter 13 #3
Nothing had anything to do with Willa and the Wild Rose Inn and Saloon. Knowing she was still in his life, though…well, whatever. He wanted to talk to her. “What’s up?”
“Did you get the results yet?” Willa asked.
The power still hadn’t come back on in his dad’s house, and the open windows let in cool, dry summer air that carried the smell of wet earth and pine.
“Not yet. How’s your dad?” When he’d gotten the news on the way out of the inn, he’d wanted to drop everything and drive over there. But it didn’t make sense. They each had their own issues. He’d texted her instead and gotten the details.
“He’s so much better, but it was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. Seeing those numbers... That was crazy.”
“You with him now?” he asked.
“No, he told me to stop hovering, so I went shopping.”
“Shopping? Did you switch to a later flight?”
“I actually canceled it.” She paused. “I’m staying in town a little longer to help him out.”
“You have a meeting tomorrow morning.” Yeah, he heard what he’d just said. He was getting way too involved. Frustrated, he turned around to find his brothers and dad peering at him from the kitchen—shocked, confused. So, he kept his back to them. “I thought you said your dad will be fine.”
“He will be—if he has someone to help him. Remember, he forgot to take his medication. And now, he’s got all these new lifestyle changes.”
“So, you’ll work remotely?”
“Ah, no. My mom’s taken me off the case.”
“Damn.”
“No, it was expected. I get it. She had to do that.”
“That must’ve been tough.” He folded an arm across his chest, awash in the eerie stillness of a house without power.
“It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. But it’ll have the highest cost.”
“You okay?” he asked, lowering his voice so his family wouldn't hear.
“I don’t know.” She let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I’m shaking.”
“Where are you now?” Come here. Let me see you. Let me take care of you.
“I’m almost at the inn. I’m going to check on my dad, make sure he’s resting and not running things.”
He asked the question he knew held the greatest weight for her. “What did your mom say?”
“She said I could take as much time as I needed. It wouldn’t matter since I’m no longer on the partner track.”
His brain went into fix-it mode. He wanted to help her. He wanted to give her advice. But he kept his mouth shut. She knew the situation better than he did.
Until he blurted out, “Come here.”
“Where?”
“To my dad’s house. As long as you don’t mind hanging out with a bunch of eavesdropping losers—”
Deep, booming laughter exploded in the kitchen.
“It’s like middle school all over again,” Ava said. “Any time one of you boys called a girl, the others stood around listening.”
“Remember when Wyatt had a date at the diner, and we all showed up and sat in the booth behind them?” Boone cracked up.
“I’m not going to your dad’s house.” Willa paused. “Is Finlay there?”
“No. I don’t want to bother them.” His brother had offered to cut the stay short, but Decker had shut that down fast. There was nothing anyone could do at this point. Not until the results came in.
“Well, if she’s not there, I’ll pass.”
He said the words before he could stop himself. “I want you here.” And regretted them instantly. She’d take it the wrong way. She’d think he meant he wanted more than he could give.
“Let me see how my dad’s doing first.”
But he knew what she was really saying. What was the point of keeping this thing between them going when it wasn’t just friendship but couldn’t be anything more? “Cool.” He disconnected before he could say anything stupid.
Just as he turned toward the kitchen, he saw the light.
A thin beam hit the tablecloth from under the dining room table, sweeping slowly back and forth.
It threw him back to his childhood. The blanket forts they’d made that always came crashing down because the four of them inevitably wound up roughhousing.
He crouched and lifted the edge of the cloth.
Birdie sat cross-legged in the dim space, flashlight in one hand, his dad’s rock collection spread out around her. She didn’t even look surprised to see him.
Where was Cady? Shouldn’t she be watching the girl?
“Dat hairy guy maked me hot shocklet,” Birdie said, showing him a rock.
“Yeah?” He couldn’t wait to tell his dad he was “hairy.”
“You want one?”
What he wanted was to get back to his family, but it wasn’t like he could deny her. He ducked under the table and sat down, stretching his leg out so the boot was hidden by the tablecloth. “Uh, can I get a water?”
“Water for fishies. You not fishy.” She held the flashlight at her chin, turning her ghoulish.
He fought a smile. Until she burst out laughing, and he couldn’t help but join her.
“I scawy.”
“You’re terrifying.” He tipped his chin to the pile of rocks. “I’ll take milk, please.”
“Here go.” She tapped the piece of raw agate. “Hot shocklet.” She held out a striped pebble.
“Thanks. I see my dad initiated you into his obsession for hot cocoa.” Not knowing what else to do, he pretended to sip the rock. “So, what else does this store sell?”
She grabbed a jagged shard of obsidian, the black glass gleaming in the beam of her flashlight. “Dinosaurs. Dey big and scawy.” She pointed to the sharp, jagged edges. “Dey gone bite your face off.”
“That’s pretty aggressive.” He touched a small chunk of granite. “What kind of dinosaur’s this one?”
“Dat not a dinosaur. Dat a tortle.”
Kid logic was making his head spin. “Maybe I’ll just drink my cocoa.” He tipped the rock back and slurped.
She grinned, showing her adorable chicklet teeth. She handed him the flashlight. “You do it now.”
He held the beam under his chin and wagged his tongue.
She clapped both hands over her mouth and shrieked. “You scawy.”
From outside the table, Boone’s voice drifted in. “Yep. She’s a McKenna.”
Decker flipped up the tablecloth to find them all standing there, looking at them.
Wyatt dropped to a crouch. “This is a cool fort you made. We used to make them all the time when we were kids.”
“You was kids?” Birdie asked with total sincerity.
“Hard to imagine,” Decker said, “but yeah, we were.” He reached out for a hand. “Get me out of here.”
Boone and Wyatt got a strong grip on him and eased him up carefully.
“I think she’s yours,” Boone said quietly in his ear.
“Because she’s under a table?” he snapped.
“She’s got your eyes,” Wyatt said. “Same shade.”
“She looks just like you,” Ava said.
He didn’t need guesses. He needed facts. “Where’s Cady?”
“She’s talking to her OB/GYN,” Ava said. “She’s not feeling right, and I told her not to take any chances.”
Right then, Cady came in from the yard, crossing the kitchen with a hand on her belly. “Can I talk to you?”
He didn’t like her expression.