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Archer gave Kennedy another boardroom smile. “Nice to meet you both. Delaney talks about you a lot.”
“Did you eat?” Enough with the niceties. Curiosity was murdering me. What had happened? Did the whole crew break early? Archer was upset, but was it about the mysterious family rift or me or something else entirely?
“I had a bite,” was all he said. The teenaged server stopped by.
Archer looked at my White Claw can like he was about to say he’d have what I was having but changed his mind. “Water, please.”
When the server left, I said, “I can drive if you want to have a beer.” He could walk to get his car in the morning. Nothing in Coal Haven was farther than walking distance.
“I don’t drink beer.”
I’d seen him have one when we’d met a client for supper. “You don’t like it?”
“I just don’t drink it.” He flung a casual arm that was anything but relaxed behind me. Tension radiated from the man. “When I’m selling a forty-million-dollar piece of land, clients feel better if I drink, have something they expect a guy in a suit to have, or a drink that makes me just like them.”
There was something he wasn’t saying, but I wasn’t going to press him. I was close to Liam and Kennedy; he wasn’t.
I inspected him. “How’d it go? Really? If you don’t want to talk about it here, I understand. Just know that Liam and Kennedy probably understand even more.”
His expression remained passive. “Weird. Just…really weird. A whole houseful of strangers and a couple of people who spoke as if…” He shook his head.
Liam pushed his plate away. The last bite wasn’t as interesting to him as my husband was. “Let me guess. You got introduced to everyone. They maybe showed you their spread, told you how much of the county they owned, then they—Cameron most likely—asked you about Laney. Told you it would be in your best interest—he probably hinted it would be in everyone else’s best interest as well—for you to pursue the divorce or the annulment or whatever.”
“Close enough.” Archer glanced at me like he wanted to see how I was handling the conversation. I hadn’t expected it to go any differently.
“I’ve gotten that talk a time or two.” Kennedy elbowed Liam.
Liam shot her an adorable grin, and a spear of envy stabbed my chest. The two were a united front. Kennedy had been warned away from being Liam’s friend in high school, but she smiled and nodded her way through ignoring that advice. And when they’d started dating last year, the shit had hit the fan. Yet here they were. Bruce still adored her. He was even nicer to Liam. Cameron was a different story, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t touch Liam and Kennedy’s relationship, and that probably rubbed him raw under the collar.
Could Archer and I be like that? He was here. That meant something.
Archer peppered Liam with questions about his work at the mine outside of Washburn. The subject turned to growing up in Coal Haven and then to Derek. The three of us regaled Archer with stories about his late cousin. It was the first time I’d walked down memory lane about my ex, and to do it with Kennedy and Liam was special. We’d mentioned Derek, but we hadn’t dived into the past like this. We each had our memories and several of them overlapped. And through Kennedy, I was able to hear about Derek’s college years and their marriage.
I’d missed so much. On purpose. Back then, I’d had no idea that these two people would be cornerstones of my life. I had assumed they’d dismiss me like everyone else, but really, being here right now, was because of Derek. A parting gift that meant so much more than being able to think about our high school relationship without resentment.
After Liam told Archer how a four-wheeler really ended up in the river, his smile faded and his stare was directed at the door. “I hate to make this about me, but if your choice of wife doesn’t make your family happy, sitting here with me is going to piss them off. Stetson just walked in.”
My heart dropped. The family dinner had been tenser than Archer let on. I gave him a squeeze back. I understood being on the outs with the Barrons of Coal Haven.
“He’ll probably sit in the bar like he usually does,” Kennedy murmured.
Stetson was friends with Remington. And women interested in either one knew to find them at the big table in the bar.
“Nope,” Liam said under his breath and shifted. Kennedy’s arm moved like she was rubbing Liam’s leg to reassure him.
Stetson cast a big shadow over the table. His T-shirt was tight enough to look sprayed on. His jeans weren’t his usual tattered pair he wore around town, and he’d combed his wavy hair instead of stuffing a ball cap on his head.
His deep brown gaze touched on me, over to Liam and Kennedy, and to my husband. “Archer.”
“Stetson. Look, if you’re here to reaffirm the message of who I should or shouldn’t acquaint myself with, I’ll have to politely ask you to keep walking.”
My breath stalled. This was how I wanted Archer to act around his friends. I wanted him to demand better—for himself and for me. I wanted to go back in time and do it myself.
Stetson’s eyes narrowed, but I didn’t sense hostility. He was thinking about Archer’s request. He finally nodded. “My dad said it should be up to us whether we’re going to continue the silent treatment. I reckon I’ve been told enough who I should and shouldn’t talk to.” His gaze flicked to Liam. “Figure it’s time I decide for myself.”
“Appreciate it.” Archer gestured to the space in the booth next to him. “Care to join us?”
The corner of Stetson’s mouth kicked up. “Ain’t no one ready for that level of drama. Just wanted to stop and say no hard feelings you lit outta there before dessert. Holden’s idea of dessert is to grill more shit anyway. Have a good evening.” He knocked at the edge of the table before he walked away.
