Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Ranch
The den was decorated in dusty rose and sage green.
Gracie had baked individual cupcakes with frosting of the same colors.
Wrapped presents were stacked on the wooden, lace-covered table in the corner.
The two guests of honor had their feet propped up on ottomans and glasses of sparkling water mixed with orange juice in their champagne flutes.
“The room is gorgeous,” Salem said as she adjusted herself in her chair.
“This is exactly what I wanted,” Hadley said. “Intimate, people I love, with amazing food.”
“And no art projects,” Salem quipped. “I’d rather sit and talk.”
Muddy lifted her crochet hook. “What about this?”
“You get a pass,” Salem said as she reached for the pair of yellow booties she’d unwrapped earlier. “Because look at these.”
Hadley held up a pair of green booties. “I’m noticing a theme.”
Muddy laughed as she continued working on another project. “These are for Jane.”
Jane smiled and shook her head. “We’re keeping you busy.”
“I’m still bummed I missed the family dinner when all hell broke loose,” Wyn said as she sipped on her mimosa.
“That was quite a night,” Hadley said, reaching for Jane’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “But it took the heat off of Salem eloping.”
“I still think you should have a wedding reception,” Eloise said.
“You just want an excuse to eat cake,” Lucy told her friend.
“You can eat cake at Jane’s wedding,” Salem said. “When she and my dad finally get around to discussing the wedding date.”
A beautiful diamond engagement ring flashed on Jane’s ring finger. “We’ve discussed it, but don’t have definitive plans yet.” She looked at me. “And at the rate things are going, Poet might be having a wedding before me.”
All eyes turned toward me in eager curiosity.
“Let me open the bookstore first, will ya?” I asked with a wry smile.
“I’ve seen the way Brooks looks at you,” Hadley said.
“We all have,” Gracie said. “That man is doing everything in his power not to jump the gun and scare you off.”
“He already moved in with me,” I drawled. “I don’t think our timeline is what anyone would consider normal.”
“If you pull a Salem, I’ll kill you,” Wyn stated from her spot across the room. She was sitting on the fireplace hearth bench with Lucy next to her.
“I won’t pull a Salem,” I said with an eye roll.
“Good,” Wyn said.
“Are you going to tell us the sex of the baby?” Gracie asked, directing the question at Salem. “Or are we all going to be surprised?”
“It’s a girl,” Salem said with a wide smile.
“You and Hadley are both having girls,” Eloise squealed. “How fun!”
“Have names been discussed?” Lucy asked.
“Yes,” Hadley said, shooting a glance at her twin.
“What’s that look for?” Wyn demanded.
“We had to talk about some family name stuff. We worked it out,” Hadley explained. “And we’re all happy.”
“And your husbands?” Wyn asked. “Are they happy?”
“If we’re happy, they’re happy,” Salem said with a smirk. “But yeah, they’re happy with the name choices.”
Wyn looked at Muddy. “Do you know the names?”
“Why would you think I know?” Muddy asked.
“Uh, cause you’re Muddy and you know everything,” Wyn stated.
Muddy looked at me when she replied, “Yeah, I do.”
A ripple of unease went through me, but I couldn’t say why. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice Muddy’s pronouncement.
“You really don’t know?” Wyn asked.
“I have an idea,” Muddy said with a smile. “But nothing concrete.”
“That’s a first,” Wyn muttered.
“Who’s ready for cupcakes?” Salem asked. “And by who, I mean I’m ready for cupcakes.”
Gracie grinned and hopped up from her seat. “I’ll bring the platters.”
“I’ll help,” I said, needing a moment to compose myself.
I went to the kitchen with Gracie to help plate the cupcakes. I got on the step stool and reached for one of the platters on top of the cabinets, but I dropped my hand and pressed it to my back.
“You okay?” Gracie asked.
“Yeah,” I said as I rubbed the spot just off to the side of my spine. “Twinge. Sat too long in one spot.”
We brought the cupcakes back to the den. I set one platter on the end table between Hadley and Salem.
“Such service,” Hadley teased as she picked up a cupcake with green frosting.
“How’s the house construction coming along?” Eloise asked Hadley as she bit into a cupcake.
“Slow,” Hadley said.
“Costs twice as much and takes three times as long as you think,” Muddy said. “That’s the rule for construction.”
“I feel like that was for me, too,” I said with a smile.
“That’s right, the bookstore,” Eloise said. “When is that moving forward?”
“I have a meeting at the bank this coming Thursday,” I remarked. “So really, that will determine when I can start.”
“It’s going to be beautiful,” Hadley said. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“What are you naming the bookstore?” Eloise asked.
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted.
Nerves of anxiety boiled in my belly.
“So, what’s going on in town tonight?” Wyn asked with a glance at me.
Thank you, I mouthed.
She winked.
“Karaoke at the Copper Mule,” Salem said.
“We’re going, right?” Wyn asked. “We have to go.”
“Of course we have to go,” Salem said. “It’s the only time we can get Poet to do tequila shots.”
“Tequila shots are the only way I’d ever consider karaoke,” I replied.
“You have to sing!” Hadley said.
I shook my head. “I don’t have to sing.”
“You’re singing,” Salem commanded. “You have the best voice out of all of us.”
“You sing?” Muddy asked me.
“Not on purpose,” I muttered. “And being the best voice out of all of us isn’t saying much.”
“Don’t be modest,” Wyn said. “You have a great voice.”
“Well, this, I have to hear,” Lucy said.
Eloise nodded. “Count me in.”
“Cole and I will definitely be there,” Gracie said.
“Jane?” Hadley asked, turning to her father’s fiancée.
She shook her head. “Wish I could, but I’m on duty tonight.”
“We’ll take a video and send it to you,” Salem said.
“I’m just sad I’m going to miss Poet on tequila,” Jane said with a wink. “Something tells me she’s a lot of fun on tequila.”
“How ya feeling there, sport?” Salem asked me.
I swayed in my chair. “I’m feeling okay. I think.”
“Good enough to sing?”
I smirked. “I’m not singing.”
Hadley’s face fell. “You promised!”
“Did I?” I raised a brow. “When?”
Hadley’s brow furrowed. “Okay, you didn’t promise, but it would make me happy.”
“And you think I do things to make you happy?” I quipped.
“Yes. Don’t you?” Hadley lifted her cranberry spritzer to her lips.
“I’ll put my name on the list,” I said with a sigh.
I stood up. Brooks looked at me in confusion, momentarily pulling his attention away from Declan and Cas.
I wove through the crowd and headed to the bar. There was a binder of songs and a sign-up sheet. I quickly filled in the slot and added the song selection.
“Remind me never to do this again,” Wade said with a grimace.
“What? You don’t like drunk customers singing off key?” I asked with amusement.
“Not that,” he said. “I got a crowd in here asking for frozen drinks. Who the fuck are these city slickers?”
I sniggered.
“So you’re going to sing tonight, huh?” he asked.
“For Hadley. It’ll make her happy.” I sighed.
“Another shot, then?”
I shook my head. “Better not. I’m at that perfect place of just tipsy enough to be bold.”
“Ah, the perfect place.”
A customer from the other end of the bar called to Wade and he smiled at me before he went to go tend to him.
I wove my way through the crowd again, but before I could return to my seat, Brooks grasped my hand and tugged me down onto his lap.
“Hi,” I said, looping my arms around his neck.
“Hi,” he replied. “I’ve barely seen you today.”
“Girl gang time,” I said with a grin.
He rested a large hand on my hip. “I’m happy you’re happy.”
“But?”
He grasped my chin and pulled my face close to his. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he turned his head and said low in my ear, “But I want to be inside you.”
I let out an involuntary squeak.
“You okay?” Salem asked from the other side of the table.
“Fine,” I said, hoping my cheeks weren’t flaming with heat.
I attempted to get off Brooks, but he tightened his arms around me.
Wyn’s eyes dropped, and her mouth flattened into a line. She scooted out of the booth. “I’m getting another drink. Anyone need anything?”
“Another Shirley Temple,” Gracie said, raising her near-empty soda glass.
Everyone else shook their heads, indicating that they were fine.
“Where’s Archer tonight?” I asked.
“Coeur d’Alene,” he said and didn’t expound.
I played with the hair at Brooks’ nape as I watched Wyn. As she headed to the bar, several interested male gazes followed her. While she waited for one of the three bartenders to have a free moment to serve her, a cowboy slid next to her and started chatting her up.
He was attractive, and whatever he said to Wyn made her laugh, which only drew more attention to her.
She shook her head and then turned her gaze to Wade, who’d sauntered up to the bar in front of her. He reached over and shook the cowboy’s hand.
I touched Hadley’s arm. She turned to look at me.
“Who is that?” I asked, gesturing with my chin toward the bar. “The cowboy Wade is talking to.”
“That’s Garrett Calhoun,” Hadley said, her eyes quickly surveying the scene. “Gideon’s older brother.”
“Gideon as in, Salem’s ex from high school? That Gideon?” I asked.
Hadley nodded. “Is he flirting with Wyn?”
“I think so,” I said, my focus not having left the bar.
“Huh.”
“Huh what?” I asked, finally looking at her.
“Tell ya later,” she said as Wyn grabbed the two drinks and made her way back to our group.
“Make a new friend?” I asked as Wyn sat down.
Wyn was about to reply when Wade’s voice came over the microphone.
“Next up on tonight’s line up: Poet and the Peabodies singing ‘Wannabe’ by the Spice Girls.”
Salem whipped her head around and stared at me. “Poet and the what?”
“Get up,” I said, wiggling off Brooks’ lap. “If I’m singing, so are you guys.”
“But I’m sober,” Salem complained. “And so is Hadley.”
“Up,” I said again.
Wyn laughed. “Poet one. The rest of us zero.”
I leaned down and said to Brooks, “After this, you and I are leaving.”
“Yeah?” he asked, raising his brows.
I nodded. “I brought home leftover cupcakes from the baby shower. You know what that means?”
His mouth flickered with amusement. “What?”
I brushed my lips against his ear when I said, “Frosting. I plan to get creative.”
When I pulled back, his eyes were burning bright. “Two can play that game.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.”