“Something smells delicious,” I sigh when the smell of whatever Walter’s barbecuing hits my nose.
Grayson saddles up to my side, beer in hand. “I couldn’t agree more,” he replies, winking at me with a devilish smirk.
Is he flirting with me? Maybe Hunter was right earlier. He’s so hot and cold, it’s hard to keep tabs on him. I wasn’t sure how he was going to act after I dropped the kid bomb on him. My stomach does the flutter thing at the attention he’s giving me.
I smile into my cup. I can tell everyone is studying us, and I’m not in the mood to havethatconversation right now. Not that there’s even one really to be had, but still, I would like tonight to be low key, the attention off me.
“So, a little birdie told me you moved in with Grayson,” Chesney says with a twinkle in his eye.
Hunter spits the drink she just opened all over the deck. “You what?”
I glare at my cousin. Always the shit stirrer. So much for low key. “I didn’t have a choice,” I clarify. “The cabins are booked out for the summer, so I had to move out. I had nowhere else to go, trust me.”
“You could have stayed with me. I’m offended you didn’t even ask,” Hunter says, a downward tilt to her lips. “It could have been like an endless sleepover.”
Chesney tilts his head, looking confused, but before he can butt in, Grayson cuts him off. “It’s no bother. I insisted. I know how much Maisie likes to write here on the dock, and it’s easier for her to work if she's living on the ranch, since she doesn’t have a car.”
Hunter crosses her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. “I hate it when you make sense.”
“Waisie’s here,” Nova screams, barreling down the deck andlaunching herself into my arms. Grayson takes my drink from my hand just in time so I don’t spill it everywhere. I catch her, tumbling backwards until my back is pressed against a warm wall. I look up over my shoulder to find Grayson at my back, engulfing us like a protector. “And Uncle Gway,” Nova beams, throwing her arms around both of us so we are smashed like a sandwich.
“You would make a cute family,” Laine teases, snatching her daughter off me. Chesney gives Laine a longing look behind her back, one I find odd. “I thought I told you not everyone wants to be climbed like a tree, my little koala,” Laine scolds a smiling Nova.
“Well, you said if I wasweallyexcited, I could. And I’m weally excited all my favorite people are here, so actually, Icanact like a koala. You made the rules, silly, not me.”
A laugh bursts out of my mouth at how proud Nova is of herself. I once again envision what it would look like to have a little girl of my own. I think I would like that.
I squat, bringing myself eye level with her. “How have you been, sweet girl?” She has a little ketchup crusted on her lip, and I resist the urge to scoop it up with my finger.
“Sooo good,” she says, her eyes round saucers. Her pigtails bounce with excitement. “Chessy cat got me a new unicorn stuffy to add to my collection!” She looks up at him, and I don’t miss the love shining in his eyes when he looks at this little girl. It’s clear there’s some kind of deeper relationship there. Laine, on the other hand, is twiddling her thumbs, looking unsure of how to act.
“You’ll have to show me next time you're over. I bet it’s so cute.”
Her toothy smile sparkles in the sun. “Mhm, it is! Oh, your shoe is untied.” She points down at my feet, and, like the gullible idiot I am, I look down at mylace-lessboots. “Made you look,” she screams, flicking me on the nose before running off to go cause more mayhem.
Laine groans, helping me to my feet. “Sorry, that’s her new saying of the week. I won’t admit how many times she’s gotten me with it.”
“It’s cute,” I reply, brushing my dress off. A shadow creeps in at my side.Grayson. He’s like a silent assassin, always there but never heard. He’s been clinging to me all night. Usually, I would like my space, but with Grayson, it never feels suffocating. It feels kind of nice, honestly.
“Dinner’s ready,” Walter hollers from the grill. There’s already five cowboys lined up with plates before he’s even gotten the words out of his mouth. Cowboys and their food is sacred, I’ve come to learn. A fed cowboy is a happy cowboy.
“After you,” Grayson gestures, placing his palm at the base of my back.
“Thank you,” I mumble. I try to pretend it doesn’t affect me, but it does in so many ways. Chills run down my spine, and my stomach heats.
Everyone plates up their food and scatters around the large table Roxy and Walter set up on the deck. It’s a beautiful spring day, birds chirping and butterflies floating about. It’s magical, and I make sure to take it all in. The scenery, the welcoming company—it’s all perfect. I’m used to artificial lighting, car horns, and a man whose eyes were glued to his phone due to ‘work’ while eating dinner together.
This is the opposite of that.
I snap a few photos for inspiration for my book while everyone is getting settled. I can see Grayson studying me out of the corner of my eye, but he says nothing. He’s studying me as hard as I’m studying my surroundings. It’s a heady feeling.
“Beautiful,” he whispers, leaning into me.
“The views?” I stutter, dropping my phone to the table.
His hand brushes mine under the table, and I look over to him, finding his gaze on me. “Yeah, the view,” he rasps, dragging his finger down the back of my hand.
I full on blush and hide my face, pretending to look over myfood. I loaded my plate up with one of everything. It looks and smells delicious.
