Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
A s they all sat down for the meal, Chance felt grateful to be at this table with these people.
He realized he had isolated himself the last few years, pouring heart and soul into Blackstone Ranch.
Especially now that his dad was gone, Chance felt the heavy mantle of responsibility on his shoulders.
He knew, though, that he had put his personal life on hold for too long for the ranch. As Tammy had told him, it was running smoothly now. Maybe he could aim for more of a balance in his life, working and seeing friends and family. Even doing a few things for himself.
He looked to Kelby, who was telling a story about an Instagram account she was handling for her social media and marketing business.
He was proud of his sister for all that she had accomplished, but even more for what she had survived.
She and Darby had been the best of friends forever, the same as he and West. The four of them had been a tight foursome in high school.
Gazing around the table, he saw the newcomers who had been added to their circle.
Darby’s husband, Jace. Jace’s brother, Eli.
He wanted to get to know these two men better.
The same was true for Sawyer. Sawyer Montgomery had been two years ahead of Chance in school and a first-class athlete.
He had been an All-State basketball player and had won an athletic scholarship to the University of North Texas.
Chance believed Sawyer could have gone to the NBA and made his mark there, but a devastating injury had brought his college basketball days to a close.
Sawyer had turned all his passion for basketball toward law school, graduating at the top of his class.
Chance wasn’t certain why Sawyer had left Dallas since he’d had a promising career there in the district attorney’s office. Then again, he looked at how many around this table had returned to Hawthorne after a decade or more away. Something about this town brought people back to it.
Autumn was speaking, so he focused on her for a moment. While she and her twin favored one another in the face and both possessed the same, unique turquoise eyes which West also had, Autumn was petite and curvy, with long auburn hair.
His eyes flicked to Summer, who was listening carefully to her sister’s story. Again, Chance was struck by Summer’s natural beauty. She must be about five-eight, with a willowy frame, her honey blond hair falling in long, soft waves below her shoulders.
The fact that she would be residing now in Hawthorne made him all the more determined to get to know her better.
Their coffee date on Monday would be a start.
That is, if you could call it a date. He wasn’t quite ready to put a label on what he wanted with Summer.
Chance just knew they were both aware of the spark between them.
They owed it to themselves to explore it.
Summer said, “I can’t thank you enough for coming and having dinner here tonight.
I’ve missed so much about Hawthorne over the years.
Despite being happy during the years I worked in the New York publishing world, I’ve felt the pull back to Hawthorne.
Apparently, a lot of you felt the same. At least those who grew up here. ”
“Let’s catch each other up on where we’ve been and what we’ve done,” Kelby suggested. “Not in a boring way, though.” She paused, thinking, and then added, “Why don’t we talk about our favorite meal in the place we’ve lived? Darby, will you start us off?”
Darby smiled widely. “I think all of you know that I worked for Cheer USA for over ten years before I came back to teach in Hawthorne. I was able to travel to all of the lower forty-eight states, conducting cheer workshops. I was based out of Kansas City, which is known for its barbeque.”
Her nose crinkled. “It is not Texas barbeque. Instead, I think my favorite meal in all those years was one in Charleston, a town I highly recommend people visit, not only for the food, but the great architecture and history. The best meal I got there was in a restaurant which used to be an old church. The stained-glass windows are impressive. I’ll never forget the mussels.
They came with andouille sausage, roasted peppers, and a smoked cream sauce on sourdough bread.
And that was just the appetizer. I split my entrée of crab cakes with a friend who got steak so we could try both items. I don’t remember what the dessert was, only that it was divine. ”
Darby turned to her husband. “What about you? With all your fancy meals in Dallas and beyond?”
Jace threaded his fingers through hers. “I’ve been a sports agent ever since I graduated from Texas A&M.
I’ve represented clients all across the country and have definitely taken them to some of the best restaurants, including several with a Michelin star.
Even in Dallas, I only dined at the finest places for years. ”
Jace lifted their joined hands and kissed Darby’s fingers tenderly.
“But the best meal I ever ate in Dallas was the first one I shared with this beautiful lady. We went to Adelina’s, a mom-and-pop Mexican joint in a strip shopping center.
Hands down, it’s the best food I’ve ever eaten. And the best company.”
West asked, “What about you, Autumn? Houston has a lot of great restaurants.”
Autumn smiled shyly. “Houston may have a lot of terrific places to eat, but I was usually working double shifts at the hospital and didn’t get to go to any of them.
” Looking at West, she added, “I think my favorite meal is when we were in New Orleans last year for the Super Bowl. You took us to Brennan’s.
The bananas foster alone was worth the trip there, not to mention seeing you walk away as Co-MVP of the game. ”
Autumn looked at her husband. “What about you, Eli? You also lived in Houston a long time, even if we never crossed paths there.”
He shrugged. “I worked eighteen-hour days in the ER, so a lot of my meals came out of a vending machine. Peanut butter crackers were my go-to. If I had time, I would eat in the hospital cafeteria, and that was nothing to brag about.”
Eli grew thoughtful. “The best meals I have these days are the ones Autumn and I cook together. She started me out on the basics, such as spaghetti and fried chicken, and we’ve become a little more adventurous in our cooking.
Wait. I will say the best meal I’ve eaten in Hawthorne was the first day I came here for my interview regarding the Triple H job.
I went to Dizzy’s Diner, and Dizzy himself seated me.
Took my order. Chatted me up and brought me what was—up until then—the best meal of my life.
It was pure diner food, which I’d never had before.
I knew it, Dizzy, the diner, and this town were all something special.
I’m proud to be a resident of Hawthorne. ”
Kelby chuckled. “Maybe I should put that on the Chamber of Commerce’s website. The City of Hawthorne is one of my new clients at Social Synergy Creations. That’s a wonderful testament to your new hometown, Eli.”
“There’s just something about Hawthorne. The warmth of the people. Everyone so friendly and giving. I can’t imagine living anywhere else but here.” Eli glanced to Autumn. “Or raising a child anywhere else.”
Chance saw the look passing between them, with Autumn nodding slightly.
Eli looked around the table. “We’ve been keeping this under our hats, but it’s about time that we start sharing our news. Autumn and I are going to have a baby.”
The room grew festive with the announcement, people leaping to their feet and hugging both Autumn and Eli.
Chance shook hands with Eli. “You’re right. Hawthorne is the best place to raise a family. Your kids will be better for growing up in a small town, where everyone seems to know one another. They’ll have an entire town watching out for them.”
He then brushed a kiss along Autumn’s cheek. “You’re going to be a great mom, Autumn. Your mom is a shining example of what a mother should be to her kids. Just do everything Meg did, and this baby will turn out better than fine.”
They seated themselves again, and Kelby said, “Baby news is hard to top. But let’s get back to food.” She looked to her husband. “West, what about you?”
“I did travel a lot during my NFL days, but we never really got to know the cities we played in or see much of them. We would go straight from the plane to the practice field. Then check into a hotel and have a team meeting. Almost every meal was eaten in that hotel. Some of the guys would go out and grab a bite, but I was never interested in doing that. I concentrated on the game and playing my best. I knew my contributions on offense would be important, so that’s where my focus stayed. ”
West leaned back, crossing his hands behind his head.
“But if we’re talking great food? I think it’s right here in Hawthorne.
You can’t get a better slice than at Pizza Palace.
Eli’s right in saying that Dizzy’s Diner has the best home-cooked meals.
If I never went anywhere else, I would be happy to stay in Hawthorne the rest of my life. ”
He looked to Kelby. “What about you, honey? You traveled around a lot yourself before coming back to Hawthorne.”
Sympathy filled Chance, knowing his sister had been a nomad because of her worthless first husband.
After being cut from one NFL team, Bax Porter would sign with another.
And then another, resulting in multiple moves across the country for him and Kelby.
His alcohol and drug use escalated, and Kelby had finally divorced him.
Bax had been murdered in jail while awaiting to be tried for a murder he himself had committed.
Chance now looked to Kelby with interest, wondering what she would say.