“Yes,” he managed to croak. He cleared his throat. “Yes. I can’t believe it. If you and the kids are here…everyone I love will be right here.”
Charlie’s eyes filled, and so did mine. The idea had been a nebulous pocket of thought in the back of my brain since Thanksgiving Day, but after what happened tonight, it solidified with a vengeance. It wouldn’t be easy to make it happen in three and a half weeks, but I knew we could do it. The house would sell quickly and my kids were champions at making friends. I had no doubt they’d fit into a new school in no time.
“Let me talk to Caitlyn, then the kids, and Nic. And then I’ll let you know the plan. Okay?”
Charlie nodded emphatically. “I love you, Blue.”
“Love you too, Charlie.”
My brother was right about one thing; everyone we loved being together was the most important part. Moving to Fairville was exactly the move we needed to make.
Chapter 2
Oak
Istumbled out of my cabin, the one that’d been Charlie’s before he moved in with my Uncle Teague. At least the commute was shorter now that I lived on Nic and Dana’s property.
I was halfway down the little hill, when Cricket, one of their two gigantic dogs, burst through the brushes.
“Holy sh—” I cut myself off on instinct, feeling guilty about cursing as I pressed a hand over my heart. “Cricket, you’re going to give someone a heart attack one of these days.”
She gave me a doggy smile and shook some snow off her fur. We didn’t have that much of it yet, but the ground was white, and it was cold now. Not that I wasn’t used to that, being from Utah and all. We had real winters where my family lived.
I pulled my beanie down a little and smiled at the idea that I’d crocheted it myself. I’d had my twenty-first birthday two months before Thanksgiving, and I’d gotten some yarn and stuff from Charlie.
It felt weird to think that Charlie was my best friend. Not because there was something wrong with him, because theresowasn’t. I just hadn’t thought that this thirty-something guyabout my Uncle Teague’s age would actually turn out to be best friend material.
I walked across the parking lot, which made Cricket abandon me and go on her way. That told me that while I could see Charlie’s SUV in the parking lot, he hadn’t brought his cat son, Salem, with him to work. If Salem was on the premises, Cricket knew and wouldn’t go far just in case there was a chance to go on a walk with him, because they were best pals and she’d saved his life when they’d found him.
Stomping the snow off my boots, I opened the door and greeted Steve, the giant Cane Corso who still grumbled about having to sleep in the lobby instead of outside. He, unlike Cricket who was some sort of a shepherd mix, didn’t have long, warm fur.
I’d witnessed Nic showing Steve a dog bed and winter proof doggie overalls and told him to choose.
“Hey, Steve.” I bent down to give him some love, because he deserved it for being such a good boy.
He sighed hard, then closed his eyes and went to sleep. Poor doggo.
I went to the dining room. The Inn had twelve rooms, a dining room that held breakfast for the guests, a dinner service during weekdays, and lunch for employees every day. Us employees also got breakfast if we wanted it, and even though my cabin had a kitchenette, I preferred Dana’s professional chef cooking.
“Morning!” Charlie smiled at me brightly.
Suspiciously brightly.
“Hold that thought,” I told him and went to get my coffee and a plate of eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and grilled tomatoes. I also grabbed a croissant made by my Aunt Regan—they were nonbinary but didn’t mind the word Aunt—who owned the bakery in town.
I went to sit at the window table with Charlie who was still beaming.
“Okay, spill,” I told him. Then held up a hand. “No, wait. If it’s something to do about my uncle, then—”
“No!” Charlie’s eyes widened, and he looked scandalized. “No, that’s not….” He took in a deep breath, then sipped from his coffee to recenter himself, and sighed. The happy smile made a return. “Law and the kids are moving into the yellow house.”
“What?” I blinked at him. They’d just been here, right? There’d been no talk about the recently divorced yet still good friends with his ex-wife single dad and his three adorable kids moving here. “When did this happen?”
“He called last night. Well, he still needs to talk with Nic and Dana, of course, but Nic is giving him a call as we speak. And we know what they’re going to say anyway.”
I snatched a piece of perfectly crispy bacon off my plate. “What prompted this? It’s a big decision.”
Charlie’s expression turned sour. More than, really. He looked furious and resigned at the same time. “The woman who calls herself our mother fucked up big time.” Then he proceeded to tell me what had happened, and I vibrated with anger by the time he was done.
