Page 123 of Second Chance Saloon

“Shit.” Jackie set aside the spice jars and covered the bowl back with foil. “Colt, can you take out the rest of the meats and vegetables from the fridge? They should all be seasoned. There’s also a potato salad and watermelon. Leave the brisket, though, Mitch can do with it whatever he wants when he gets back.”

Colt took a swig of beer before nodding. “Got it.”

Ali frowned. “I’ll help him. Not sure I trust him.”

“With transferrin’ dishes from one place to another? C’mon, Ali,” Colt said.

Jackie shook her head with a sigh, biting back a small smile. She’d missed them, even their bickering.

Mitch’s voice boomed through the empty open-plan space, interrupting her thoughts. “Well, I bet I’m going to beat your sad ass when we come to Scotland, especially now that I have a great golf partner again. No, Fred’s better than both of us put together.”

Jackie turned and inhaled deeply.

Mitch strolled in through the hallway, phone pressed between his ear and shoulder. He rested his golf bag against the wall. His gaze locked with Jackie’s. “Hunt, I gotta go. Speak later. Yes, we’re going to look at flights at some point this week. Bye!” He hung up and pushed his phone into his pocket.

“Good round?” She wrapped her arms around his waist.

He dropped a kiss to her forehead. “Your dad is like a pro. I forgot how good he is.”

Jackie chuckled into his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne. “How much did he beat you by?”

Mitch huffed a laugh, pulling back from her. “Ten strokes.”

“My, my … I assume a rematch is on the cards?”

He nodded, his face serious. “Next week.”

“Was it Hunter on the phone?”

“Yeah. Now that I suggested we’re going to visit them, he won’t shut up about it. Like a teenage girl with a crush.” His gaze raked over her. “I bet he wants to meet you. He’s so nosy, and after everything I told him about you … Well.”

Jackie grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the kitchen. “I’m looking forward to meeting him too. And Caroline.”

When Mitch asked her last week if she wanted to go on holiday to Scotland to visit his best friend, she agreed enthusiastically, without much thinking. She’d been to Scotland a couple of times, but never further than St Andrews and besides, she’d go anywhere with Mitch. She hoped, not so secretly, that he’d let her whisk him away to some of her favorite places. Because even though she’d seen so much in the past ten years, it’d be infinitely better with him by her side.

Once they finished the house, maybe they could sneak away for a couple of months. Mitch had kept his equine veterinary practice in Oklahoma but hired two new vets to work there. He joked that it was only possible because his practice manager was fantastic. He planned to open a new practice right here, at their ranch, next year. Until then, they had their hands full with the house and setting up one of the barns as the wedding venue—Jackie’s dream. They were also looking at acquiring some more adjacent land to build a few cabins, mainly as an overnight accommodation option for the weddings.

“Jacks almost ruined the ribs, dude. You need to keep an eye on the food if you’re hostin’ a barbecue, and not go off golfin’,” Colt remarked, draining his beer.

Jackie raised a brow. She pushed a bowl of salad into Colt’s hands. “Take this to the table, drama queen.”

Colt huffed, hugging the bowl to his chest. He walked out through the sliding door, shouting before he disappeared round the corner: “Drama king, I’ll have you know!”

Mitch snorted. “I did miss him.”

“You might change your mind in a month,” Ali said, closing the fridge. “Hi, Mitch, good to see you.”

“Ali.” He nodded to her, smiling from ear to ear. He turned to Jackie. “Is everyone here?”

“Lyla messaged me earlier saying they’re running a bit late. Apparently, Brian isn’t a fan of road trips,” Jackie replied. “I can call her and check on their ETA? Don’t really want to bring out the cake without them.”

She was a bit anxious about seeing Lyla and Nick. They were the only ones she hadn’t seen in person yet since, well, everything.

Before he left Mexican Jewel, Mitch gave her Lyla’s phone number. Jackie must’ve stared at her phone, pressed the digits and then promptly deleted them hundreds of times, before she’d finally gathered up enough courage to call her friend. There were a lot of tears—first happy, then confused, then angry; all of them were valid. They talked again, and again, started texting. It was less awkward every time they spoke, and by the time she’d reunited with Mitch, she felt like they were in a good place. So, it was a no-brainer to invite them over for Dustin’s birthday, with Mimi offering them a place to stay at Brooke’s Plains for a week.

Mitch looked at her like he could read her mind. He kissed her cheek and whispered: “Lyla loves you. It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Night wrapped their nameless, for now, ranch in a warm hug. Plates clanked, glasses clinked, bursts of laughter interrupted jovial conversations. Candles burned bright in the company of string lights that Rose had pulled out from Ali’s handbag as their housewarming gift. Kit and Mitch hung them up on the side of one of the barns, Colt barking orders at them from his seat and Dustin watching the whole thing with arms crossed, muttering under his moustache.