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“And he likes cookies,” Thad said.
Soren bit into one of the cookies in his hand and then made a face. “These are terrible. Where are the good ones?”
“They left with my pastry chef,” Caspian said. “But Elliot here will change that. If you want something sweet, come over to the kitchen. Elliot made flourless chocolate cake that’s better than—” He cut himself off. Most likely, the Moon family had gone through sensitivity training like most businesses these days. Kind of a pity, in this case. He’d been about to compare my cake to sex, which made me immensely happy.
“Is there enough for me?” Thad asked, turning toward me.
“Yes, there’s plenty,” I said.
“Great. I’ll come by later and grab a piece,” Thad said. “And welcome to Crescent Moon Ranch.”
“I haven’t gotten a formal offer yet,” I said. “But thank you.”
“If that cake’s as good as he says, then it sounds like you’re a shoo-in,” Thad said.
“I hope so.” I peeked at Caspian.
“Let’s go back to my office,” Caspian said. “We can negotiate there.”
I would accept an offer unless it was outrageously low, but I had a feeling Caspian Moon prided himself on fairness and integrity.
God help me. I was about to move to Bluefern, Montana.
4
SPRING
On a day in late March, I sat around the bonfire on my oldest brother’s patio. All five Moon brothers had taken the day off to fish and hang out. Drinking beer and talking about fishing and football with my favorite people, my brothers, was one of the best ways to spend an evening. Darn, it had been a good day, too. We’d fished the river that ran through our property that afternoon, hesitant spring sunshine warming our faces. Daffodils bloomed in Atticus’s flower boxes, their pretty yellow heads reminding us that spring had come at last. Scents of newly thawed dirt and fresh grasses wafted in the breeze.
I’d put together a lasagna for dinner. It was now in the oven, and Atticus had brought out a six pack and some chips to nibble on while it cooked. Scout, Atticus’s faithful dog, sat next to her master with her nose between her paws.
“I have an announcement.” Atticus idly scratched Scout’s ears. “I’m asking Annie to marry me.”
At the mention of Annie’s name, Scout raised her head and looked at Atticus expectedly.
“She’s coming tomorrow,” Atticus said to Scout. “Remember.”
Scout wagged her tail to let us know that she did indeed remember, before returning to her resting position.
“I thought you already did that,” Soren said.
“Not officially,” I said. “He wants her to have a moment.”
“Totally,” Thad said.
“Why are you all such romantics?” Soren asked. “It’s weird.”
“Believing in love is not weird,” Thad said. “Plus, how could we not want what Mama and Pop have?”
“Excellent point,” I said, clinking my bottle with Thad’s.
Atticus reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small box. “I picked up the ring when I was in LA last week. I’m proposing the minute she gets home from Canada.”
Annie had been filming a movie in British Columbia. Per their agreement to never be apart more than a week at a time, Atticus had joined her there. He’d come home a few days earlier, leaving her behind to finish the shoot. Scout went everywhere with them.
Atticus handed me the small jewelry box. I popped it open to gaze at the largest diamond I’d ever seen. “You think it’s good enough for my Annie?”
“Isn’t it kind of small?” I asked, teasing.
