He took my hands away from my face and brought them to his lips that pulled up into a smile. “I won’t let him.”
“You think this is funny.”
“Kind of.”
“Why?” I demanded.
“Because you’re panicking and I get to calm you down.”
“You’re not doing a good job. And you think this isn’t something to be worried about, but you haven’t met my grandfather. Don’t let the elbow patches and tweed fool you.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
The Ranch
“I brought a fruit salad and I’m not speaking to Brooks,” I announced when I walked into the ranch house kitchen.
Hadley and Salem were both wearing matching strawberry-print aprons. Salem was chopping a cucumber on the wooden cutting board and Hadley was at the stove, stirring what smelled like tomato sauce.
Salem looked behind me. “Where is your fiancé? Hiding from you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you really think that six-foot-something man is hiding fromme?”
“Uh, yeah?” Hadley said. “You sound pissed.”
“I sound pissed because Iampissed,” I seethed.
Hadley walked to the refrigerator. She pulled out a ginger beer and popped it open and brought it to me. “These bubbles are dangerous, so don’t drink and drive.”
I took the bottle from her and sipped. Crisp ginger hit my tongue and settled my belly.
“Brooks went to talk to Archer,” I said. “Where are your husbands?”
“Out at the build site,” Hadley said. “Did you know Stella and John’s daughter came for a visit with her husband?”
Cold terror enveloped me. “Oh. Uh. Yeah. I met them on the sidewalk outside of Sweet Teeth.”
“Really?” Salem asked.
I nodded. Now was not the time to get distracted. Mostly because if I told them that, then I’d have to tell them the truth about why I’d been out in the woods by myself. And I’d never been good at hiding my feelings from them. Hadley and Salem pulled stuff out of me before I even realized I was spilling my guts.
“It was a quick hi and goodbye. I was with Archer, and he was congratulating me on the engagement. But can we get back to why I’m pissed at Brooks?”
“Sure,” Salem said. “Carry on, wayward Poet.”
I arched a brow. “He called Grampy.”
“When?” Hadley asked.
“When I was in the hospital,” I said.
“Well, don’t you think Grampy has the right to know?” Salem asked. “Even being across an ocean, I’d want to know?—”
“Brooks told him who he was to me,” I interrupted.
“Ah,” Hadley said. “And you’re worried about getting a phone call from Grampy about whyyoudidn’t tell him you were engaged.”
“No. I’m worried about Grampy showing up here and finding a shotgun along the way,” I stated. “He’s on a flight now.”
