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The door jangles and Grinny walks in, her eyes zeroing in on Theo and me. She waves, her smile as radiant as the sun. She walks over and Pappy straightens even taller, nodding at her as she moves past him and sits down next to me.
She puts her hand on top of mine and Theo’s.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” she says.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
DAY TERROR
THEO
By the time our food arrives, Scarlett and Jamison have shown up, Wyatt has called three times, there’s a text and voice mail from Sutton saying he’s leaving the courthouse and expects to hear from me tonight, and Callum has texted twice.
My phone lights up again and it’s a text from Owen.
“My nephew is asking when we’re having that pie you talked about.” I hold my phone up and wave it to Sofie. “Owen’s stamp of approval…although I think you had that the moment he met you.”
She looks overwhelmed but happy. Scarlett has squeezed in next to Grinny, and Jamison is sitting next to me and Pappy. The booth is way too small for this and it’s not exactly the date night I had in mind, but I shouldn’t have expected anything less. And truthfully, I love being right here with our family.
“I can make one right away,” she says. “Should we have—” She swallows and looks shy all of a sudden.
I squeeze her hand, leaning in, and it feels like it’s just the two of us for a second, even though I still feel the eyes of every single person in the town of Landmark on us right now.
“What?” I ask.
She whispers, “I just almost invited the family over for a barbecue or something, but…at your place.” She cringes and when I laugh, she relaxes a little.
“I love that idea.” I look around and then bring Sofie’s hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “Come to our place this week,” I say loud enough for Grinny and Scarlett to hear, but my eyes don’t veer from Sofie’s.
Sofie’s cheeks lift as she smiles, the sun coming through the window illuminating her red hair and pale blue eyes until it’s blinding. I only see her.
“Our place, huh?” Scarlett says with a smile in her voice.
“Yeah, if I can talk Sofie into it, I’m going to build a stable for her horses.”
I see a flicker of something cross over Sofie’s face that makes me pause, and I suddenly want to get out of here. Take her hand and bolt to where we’re alone again and where no one can touch us.
But Grinny says something, and I look at her, barely able to focus.
“What?” My voice is hoarse.
“A barbecue sounds lovely,” Grinny says.
I nod.
Slow down. You’re moving too fast.
“Right. First things first, a barbecue. This weekend maybe?” I ask. “Pappy, how long are you in town?”
“Oh, now that the snow is long gone, I think I might like to stay a bit,” he says.
“Excellent.” I take a big bite of my burger and when my phone lights up, I pick it up. “I think I’ll take this.”
Jamison and Pappy let me out, and I rush out of Sunny Side, taking a deep breath.
My phone stops ringing and when it starts again, I answer.
“Hey,” I say.
