Chapter 21
KADE
Grayson and Avery leave for their weekend away bright and early on Saturday morning, so family dinner this week is on Friday.
Tonight, Autumn and Olivia are busy working, so it’s just the six of us.
I’m the last to arrive after sitting in my car for far too long.
Chloe is having dinner with her parents later on tonight, and I can’t seem to shake the feeling that I should be there for her.
Especially given everything I’ve seen whenever her parents have been around.
Garlic butter assaults my nostrils when I walk into the kitchen.
The table is laid, and my mom is filling a serving plate with green beans.
Wyatt and Gracie are sitting at the table, picking at the bread rolls while darting sideways glances toward the kitchen island, where Grayson and Avery are helping Mom dish up.
Wyatt spots me first, teasingly calling, “Nice of you to join us, Kade.”
“He was probably too busy with his new woman,” Grayson replies without missing a beat.
I scowl at Wyatt, because he’s such a fucking gossip. Smirking at me—because he’s an ass—he waggles his brows, daring me to say something.
Gracie, with a soft look on her face, jumps to my defense and admonishes, “Come on, guys. Leave the poor guy alone.”
Mom tsks softly as she carries the dish of green beans to the table. “Your sister’s right. Leave him alone.” She sets the plate down and turns toward me. “Go and get washed up.”
Waving my hands in front of me, I head for the table. “Already done.” When I reach the table, I pull her into my side and drop a kiss on her head. “The food looks good as always, Mom.”
She squeezes an arm around my waist before pushing me away and pointing to my seat. “Let’s dive in.”
With everyone seated and our plates piled high with baked potatoes, steak and vegetables, we fall into a comfortable quiet, only the sound of cutlery scraping against china punctuating the quiet.
With most of the plates close to empty, Mom asks, “So, what are the plans for the wedding?”
Grayson holds up his hands, leaning back in his chair with his brows raised. “You’ll have to ask Ave. I’m only as involved as I’m allowed to be.”
Avery smacks him on the chest, shaking her head, but the smirk on her face tells me she’s not serious.
She addresses my mom when she says, “Gracie and I are working together to make this as stress-free as possible for everyone. We’ve got some time planned for next week, if you want to join us, Georgia? ”
My mom lights up, nodding as she chews a mouthful of food.
“I would ask you too, but you’re probably too busy,” Avery mutters, side-eyeing Grayson.
He pulls her into his arms, running his nose across her jaw as he says, “If you want me there, sunshine, then I’m there. You know I’d drop everything for you, especially if it’s something as big as planning our wedding.”
Wyatt makes a retching sound before Gracie slaps him on the back of his head. “Just because you’re not loved up, doesn’t mean you have to be a dick, Wy.”
Wyatt huffs, folding his arms over his chest before meeting my gaze. He opens his mouth to speak, but seeing as I’m done with my food, I push my chair back, the feet scraping across the tiled floor. “Leave me out of it, Wy.”
I’m not Wyatt’s target audience for making out like what Grayson and Avery have is gross.
Hell, I’m halfway to falling for a woman I’m fake dating for her family.
What’s worse is, she leaves on Tuesday, and I still haven’t figured out how to make this less about us fake dating and a little more permanent.
Sure, she’s meeting with Maddie on Sunday, but it’s not like it’ll take months or even years for whatever work Maddie has for her.
Eventually, Chloe will leave and what then? Do we try the long-distance thing? Do I move to Seattle even though I’ve never lived in a city, or am I supposed to just forget that I ever met her?
I busy myself with scraping off the dishes piled on the kitchen counter before stacking them in the dishwasher. It’s easier to lose myself in these kinds of tasks than it is to think about what next week will look like when she’s gone.
A hand lands on my shoulder, the touch one of reassurance as Grayson comes to stand beside me. I stare out of the kitchen window at the mountains beyond the pastures and the dark clouds. There’s a summer storm rolling in; it feels heavy in the sky, a lot like the weight sitting on my chest.
“You wanna talk about it?”
I don’t take my eyes off that view. It somehow feels like this conversation will be easier if I keep my focus on it. “About what?” I ask, even though I know full well what—or rather who—he’s talking about.
“About your mystery woman and her imminent departure?” Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Grayson turning to face the room, leaning against the counter as he folds his arms across his chest.
Shrugging, I ignore the painful ache in my chest. “There’s nothing I can do about it. You know that better than anyone.”
“There’s always choices in these things, Kade. I can’t say that I made the right one back when Avery left, but I let the weight of my responsibilities here shackle me to the ranch. And look how well that turned out for me. I was miserable for years. You don’t have to make the same mistake.”
I let the vulnerability seep through the cracks, soaking me until I can’t hide from it anymore.
“But what if she doesn’t want to stay? What if she doesn’t want me to follow her?
What if it’s all just been a vacation fling for her?
Hell, Gray, this is terrifying. I’ve known her for eight days, but something about this, about us, feels so different to anything I’ve ever felt before. ”
Shaking his head, Gray tugs the back of his neck before saying, “Following your heart and choosing to hand it over to someone else isn’t ever a mistake, Kade. It’s how we experience life, how we grow.”
As I think over what he’s said, I ask, “When did you know that you loved Avery?”
He looks over at her, where she fits in with our family like the twelve years of separation never occurred.
“Much like Mom and Dad, I was infatuated with her from the day I first laid eyes on her. There wasn’t ever a chance of me finding that with someone else.
” There’s no judgment on his face when Gray asks, “Do you want to go? To follow her?”
I don’t know. And isn’t that half of the problem?
I’ve had fun with Chloe, and it feels like I’ve known her for way longer than I actually have.
But can I leave my family behind? Leave everything I’ve ever known for a woman I’ve only just met?
The more I think about it, the more it becomes a possibility.
“Would you be mad if I left?”
I wait for Grayson to answer, almost afraid to breathe. It’s the one thing holding me back. In my mind, it’s either Chloe or my family and this ranch. It doesn’t feel like I can have them both.
The corner of Gray’s mouth kicks up, and he squeezes my shoulder reassuringly.
“Not at all, brother. We’d miss you like hell, but I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy.
That’s all we’ve ever wanted, and if it’s the thing holding you back from asking her if you can go with her, then take this as your permission to take the leap.
Besides, we’ll always be here for you, Kade.
This place will still tick on over, and they have these magical devices with cameras and shit on them now, so we can stay in touch. ”
I shove Grayson, a grin splitting my face in two as the weight I’ve been carrying the last couple of days lifts from my chest.
Grayson smirks, slapping me on the shoulder as he walks back to the table.
It’s decided. I’m going to ask Chloe what she thinks about staying in Coldwater, me going with her to Seattle if she’s set on leaving, or if she’d even be open to seeing where this thing between us goes.
With my mind made up, I duck out of the rest of dinner and jump in my truck, heading out of town to the restaurant Chloe told me she was going to for dinner.
By the time I get there, they’ll probably just be sitting down, but for her, I don’t mind waiting.
Whatever she needs from me I’ll do, and that’s how I know this is something worth fighting for.