Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Let me just say goodbye to Jo and thank her,” Arden said after I helped her load up the SUV.
Nodding, I followed her into the house. As I walked in, I heard Jo and Stratton talking, along with a few other male voices.
Three strapping, large men were in the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets while Jo’s head was in the fridge.
I looked at Stratton in confusion.
He smiled. “Jo refused to let us go out for lunch. She’s feeding us here.”
“Oh, that’s nice of her,” I said.
“You must be the bride,” one of the men said.
My hand immediately went to my hair and then I remembered I’d forgotten to wipe off the heavy bridal makeup—and that my lipstick was smeared.
“I’m Maisie,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat.
Stratton grasped my hip and pulled me toward him so I was forced to sit on his lap.
The man raised his brows, a smirk appearing across his mouth at Stratton’s show of possession. “I’m Garrett.”
“I’m Griffin,” another man said.
“Gideon,” the last, and clearly youngest, introduced.
“How’s leftover roast?” Jo asked as she pulled out a covered plate from the fridge and handed it to Griffin.
“Fine by me.” I looked at Arden who was currently looking at Griffin. “Arden can’t stay. She has to get back to Coeur d’Alene.”
“You have to stay,” Jo insisted. “I’m not letting you drive back on an empty stomach.”
“Can I help with anything?” I asked. I made a move to get up, but Stratton’s arms tightened around me.
“No, the boys will help me,” Jo said with a smile.
Gideon went to the cupboard and began pulling out plates and Garrett opened a drawer to extract the silverware.
“Is Dad eating with us?” Griffin asked.
“No, he’s with Connor Powell,” Jo explained. “They’re penciling out the numbers for the next cattle auction.”
We all crowded around the table. It was boisterous and lively. The Calhoun brothers teased Stratton mercilessly, but I enjoyed watching him smile and give it right back.
Arden couldn’t take her eyes off Griffin, who unfortunately didn’t even look her way. Which was weird, because Arden was gorgeous and usually quippy and an excellent flirt. But ever since she stepped foot into the house, she appeared completely tongue tied.
My phone buzzed while we were in the middle of lunch. It was Ethan. I thought about taking the call and ripping off the Band-Aid, but I didn’t want to do it now. I needed some time to think about what I was going to say and how to let him down gently.
He wasn’t a bad guy, he was just the wrong guy. And even though I doubted he’d even be that torn up about it, I still wanted to handle our breakup with grace and aplomb.
I silenced his call and shoved my phone into my pocket.
“Everything okay?” Stratton asked.
Nodding, I picked up my fork and ate the rest of my meal with gusto I didn’t feel. When we finished, I helped clean up and walked Arden to her SUV.
“That was Ethan on the phone, wasn’t it?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Do you have any idea what you’re going to say?” she asked.
I shook my head.
She hugged me. “Call if you need me.”
“You’re the best.”
“You’re right, I’m totally the best.” She grinned and reached for the door handle. “You know the cool thing about our business?”
“What?”
“We work for ourselves,” she said. “Specifically, what you do—the booking, the payroll; making sure everything is organized—that can be done from anywhere.”
“What are you saying?” I asked.
“I’m saying, that should you wish to relocate, it wouldn’t be hard to still be in business together.”
“That’s jumping the gun, don’t you think?”
“I saw Stratton watching you all through lunch.” She shook her head. “I’ll make you a bet.”
“What’s that?”
“I bet when he drives you back to Coeur d’Alene to get your car, he’ll want to pack up the rest of your stuff and move you into his place.”
“You’re crazy.”
“So, you won’t even make the bet?”
“Of course I’ll make the bet.” I shook my head. “How much are we betting?”
She peered at me. “If I’m right, I’ll move to Huckleberry Hill with you.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
She grinned. “I’m not gonna be wrong.”
“You’d be willing to move your entire life here?” I asked.
“You’re my entire life,” she said with a laugh. “We’re roommates, we run a business together and we’re best friends. Besides, don’t you think this place is special?”
“Special,” I agreed. “Feels like coming home, yeah?”
“It kind of does.” She cocked her head to the side. “Good place to raise kids, for sure.”
“Okay, time for you to go,” I said, nudging her into the driver’s seat.
“Oh, like you haven’t been thinking about that.” She grinned. “I’d be a fun auntie.”
“The best auntie,” I said with a soft smile.
I shut the door to her car and waved as she drove off, her words resounding like a bell inside my head.