Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
The Ranch
It was so quiet you could hear the horses nicker in the barn. Everyone seemed frozen for a moment, and then it was like a director yelled cut and all the actors started moving again.
“That’s it,” Wyn snapped. “I’ve had enough out of you and your trouble-making ass.” Wyn set down her half-drunk cocktail on the edge of the cake table and stalked in Amber’s direction.
Amber must’ve seen the look of determination in Wyn’s eyes because she backed up a few steps.
Unfortunately, she plowed into Eloise and Lucy, who’d been going drink for drink with Muddy, and they were in no mood. Each of them grasped one of Amber’s arms.
“We’ll hold her for you,” Eloise offered.
“Let her go,” Wyn said, and cracked her knuckles. “I want to see her run.”
Amber let out a squeak and attempted to burrow herself deeper into Eloise and Lucy’s grip, but they flung her away.
“I’ll give you a five second head start,” Wyn murmured. “But fair warning, I was on the track and field team in high school, so choose your direction wisely.”
Amber dashed from the party, heading for the hills.
Literally.
“One, two . . .” Wyn counted to five. “I’m coming for you!”
Wyn ran after Amber.
Declan glared at Cas. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“What?” Cas demanded.
“You got Salem pregnant?”
I moaned. “Can we not do this now? It’s your wedding day.”
“Oh, we’re doing this now,” Declan said, grabbing the remainder of Wyn’s drink and downing it in one swig. “I told you to stay away from her.”
“Yeah, you did. And you also told Salem I wasn’t a family man.” Cas’s cheeks heated with anger and alcohol. “What the fuck was that about?”
“Keep cutting the cake,” Poet said to Gracie as she picked up a few slices and began to hand them out to guests.
“Got it,” Gracie said, but her gaze strayed to me.
I noticed, but my attention bounced to Hadley who hadn’t shown an ounce of emotion yet, and then to Cas and Declan.
Liquor and emotions were running high.
“You knocked up my wife’s sister!” Declan yelled as he stepped toward Cas.
“Aww, he called you his wife,” Poet said to Hadley, a dopey, boozy grin on her face.
“So what?” Cas yelled back. “I’m not sorry it happened! I love her.”
The guests collectively gasped.
Declan pulled back his arm and made a fist, clearly preparing to punch Cas.
And Cas did nothing except stand there, ready to take whatever Declan doled out.
The two of them stared at each other.
“Declan,” Hadley said softly.
Her words penetrated Declan’s haze of anger and he slowly lowered his arm.
She went to him and cradled his cheeks in her hands.
He stared down at her as she whispered something no one else could hear.
Declan turned his head and kissed her palm before extracting himself from her and stalking out of the wedding tent.
She turned and pointed at me. “You. With me. Now.”
Without waiting to see if I would follow, Hadley hiked up her wedding dress and headed toward the barn.
“Did she just leave her own wedding?” Poet asked.
“Yes,” I said, hiding my head in shame.
Muddy shoved a slice of wedding cake into my hands, along with a fork. “Bring her this. She might be in a better mood with some sugar.”
I gestured to the wedding guests. “What about them?”
“I’ve got it,” Muddy said. “Go.”
I looked at Cas, our eyes meeting for a moment, and then I ran after Hadley to the barn. She was stroking Goldie’s nose when I arrived.
“You’re not thinking of going for a ride, are you?” I asked.
“No. I just need a minute. Or ten. Is that for me?” She dipped her head at the piece of wedding cake I was holding.
Wincing, I handed it to her. “Hadley, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your wedding.”
She sliced a bite of cake with her fork, but didn’t eat it. “You didn’t ruin my wedding. Amber did. I should’ve known she couldn’t bury the hatchet.”
“Except in my back.” I sighed. “Cas was right. I should’ve told you I was pregnant. Then none of this mess would’ve ever happened.”
Hadley sighed. “Salem, I already knew you were pregnant.”
My jaw dropped open. “What?”
She nodded. “You think I didn’t know? Of course I knew. Not drinking, not eating the cured meats while we were at the hot spring. And lying about having too much sugar as the reason you puked? Come on. Thin arguments. I saw right through them.”
“But—why didn’t you say anything?” I demanded.
“Why didn’t you?” she asked. “We’re twins. We tell each other everything.”
“I didn’t want this to happen. And by this, I mean the drama that I always seem to cause. And I didn’t want it to happen at your wedding.”
Hadley’s lips quivered. “A little late for that, don’t you think?”
I let out a loose chuckle. “I made Cas promise not to say anything until after your wedding. I wanted this day to be all about you and Declan.”
“Oh, Salem.” She sighed and shook her head. “I wish you’d have told me. So then we could’ve had double the reason to celebrate.”
“You’re really not mad at me, are you?” I asked in confusion.
“Mad?” Her eyes brightened and her smile widened. “How the hell could I be mad? You’re moving home! We’re having babies together. They’re going to be best friends. This is all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Hadley,” I whispered, tears gathering in my eyes.
“But it’s not all you’ve ever wanted,” she said, her tone gentling.
“Oh, so that’s what yesterday’s talk was really about?”
She nodded. “I was hoping you were going to admit it to me then . . . that you were pregnant. But nothing I seemed to do would get you to spill the beans.”
I narrowed my gaze at her. “You did the rare steak thing on purpose, didn’t you?”
She bit her lip to stifle a grin. “I can be evil, too, if I’m trying to get you to admit something.”
I laughed again, but then sobered. “For what it’s worth, I decided to stay before I even found out I was pregnant.”
“You did?”
I nodded. “It’s what I wanted.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. The baby just . . .” I put my hand to my belly. “Was just the icing on the cake. Can you imagine me bunking with Poet and Wyn in a shared apartment? With one bathroom and a screaming newborn?”
“Well, you’d have built-in help. Wyn being a nanny and all. But then, what about Bowman? Would he go with you to New York? How could he, really? So, what’s happening with all that? He said he loved you. In front of God and guests,” she quipped.
“Yeah, that was a pretty public declaration, wasn’t it?” I shook my head in surprise. “We’re together, Hadley. And we’re going to be a family.”
She was quiet for a moment, and then asked, “What does that mean for his career? And yours?”
“I’m not sure about what he plans to do,” I said with a frown. “We haven’t talked about it, actually. As for my career, I don’t really have one. I mean, I had the start of one. But I wasn’t established. Not yet.”
“But you love your job,” she said. “How can you give up that potential?”
I smiled and shook my head.
“What?”
“You of all people are asking about a job over a family?”
“I’m me and you’re you,” she said. “Life here is simple. You never wanted a simple life.”
“Meaningful,” I said quietly. “And if, at some point, I want something more, then I’ll start my own firm. I have the contacts. And my future husband is a legendary rodeo star. You don’t think he has connections too?”
“Future husband. Does that mean a wedding is imminent?”
“Not imminent. But maybe in the distant, near future.”
“That’s an oxymoron. And Dad won’t stand for it, you know. He’ll want you to get married ASAP.”
“Cas will be glad to hear that,” I muttered. “But this is my choice and I won’t be roped into it before I’m ready.”
“Hmm. Just to make sure, we’d better ask Muddy to hide Dad’s shotgun.”
“You’re really not mad at me?” I asked.
“I’m really not mad at you.” She took my hands in hers. “And I love you so much for not wanting to steal my thunder on my wedding day.”
“Even though I did it anyway . . .”
“Hmm. No, Amber did that. When she dropped the secret baby bomb.” She frowned.
“What?”
“How did she know? About you and Cas?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted.
“We should probably get back to my wedding and face the music.”
“Or at least see how bad Wyn kicked Amber’s ass.”
Hadley laughed. “And they say nothing happens in small towns.”