“Zero,” Evan confirmed, reaching for his beer.
“Emily.” Nate gestured at her. “Your turn.”
She straightened. “I have spent the last month fighting four separate contractors to get our house finished before fall. Four. And one of them had the audacity to call me insufferable.”
“You are insufferable,” Evan said.
“What? No, I'mthorough.”
Nate was already grinning. “Em. That's your job.”
She pointed at him. “It is absolutely not?—”
“You run a construction company.”
“That's not?—”
“You literally get paid to fight contractors.”
Her mouth opened. Closed. “That brownie is mine and I will hear no further argument.”
“Rosie.” Nate turned to me, still grinning. “Please save us.”
All eyes landed on me.
I looked at the brownie. Then back at them. Four faces, open and waiting, expecting something throwaway. A bad date story, maybe. A cancelled flight. Something light enough to make them groan and hand over the brownie and move on.
I opened my mouth.
“I don't know if I'll make enough money to keep the farm running. The tax bill alone almost wiped me out. And if I fail—” I stopped, laughed a little. “Walt gave me that farm because he believed I could do it. He drove away with a clear conscience, thinking he'd left it in good hands. If I have to pack up and go back to Seattle, I won't just lose the farm. I'll spend the rest of my life knowing I let him down.”
Silence.
Abby's smile softened. Emily sat very still. Even Evan had the decency to look slightly pained.
Why did I say all of that?
“So.” I cleared my throat. “That's mine, I think.”
Silence held for exactly one second longer than comfortable.
Then Abby reached across and slid the brownie toward me.
“You earned it,” she said.
I reached for it.
“Hold on.” Nate's hand came down gently on my wrist. He was looking past my shoulder toward the entrance, a slow grin spreading across his face. “I think we need to hear one more.”
“Who—”
I turned around.
Cal stood just inside the door, still in his work jacket, hair slightly disheveled, scanning the room. His eyes found our table. Found me.
One corner of his mouth moved. Just barely. Like he hadn't quite decided to let it happen yet.
Something in my chest went loose and warm all at once, the way a held breath finally releases, and every single thought of self-doubt I'd had dissolved completely.
