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“This morning,” Liam answered.
She turned away from them, shoving a hand out behind her. “Just give me a second,” she said, knowing they were following her. “I just need a second to think.”
Her first impulse was to run.
Go get in her car and start driving. They knew she’d been on I-80. That interstate led in almost a straight shot across the country to Wyoming. She could go south. Bleach her hair blonde. Cut it short. Head to Mexico.
What if you’re not running away from the bad but are actually running towards something good?
If she ran now, she wouldn’t be running toward anything good. All the good was here. The good was Hunter. And Mel. And Liam and Mack and Nicholas and the twins and Xavier and the boys. It was the animals she got to work with every day. It was this tiny nowhere spot on the map that had embraced her.
She stopped pacing.
No more running.
All along she’d been looking for what she’d found here. A place to belong. Family who loved her unconditionally. People who built her up instead of tearing her down.
When Hunter got back tonight, she’d tell him everything. Whatever repercussions she had to face from her past mistakes, they’d face them together.
And if it was too much for him? Her heart hurt at the thought. But it was better to know that he couldn’t handle all her baggage before she got even more of her heart invested in him. She was stronger now. Every day built her confidence. She’d do her damnedest to handle whatever life threw at her.
And in the meantime?
She took a deep, cleansing breath in. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy the hell out of her party.
She turned back to Mack and Liam with a bright smile. “How about this? I promise I’ll tell you all about it—tomorrow. Tonight, can we just kick back and have a great time? Can you guys do that for me?”
Mack and Liam exchanged a glance. Mack was the first one to speak up, stepping forward and offering her a quick embrace. “Whatever you need, beautiful. You just let us know.”
She pulled back, laughing as she looked at the two of them. “Wow.” She glanced over their shoulder. “Did I miss the flying pigs?”
“What?” Liam frowned like he was questioning her mental stability.
“The two of you.” She gestured between them, laughing. “I thought the two of you would only get along when pigs flew.”
“Ha. Ha,” Mack said, completely straight faced, muscled arms crossed over his chest.
Liam laughed and pointed at Mack. “What, me get on with this tatted up bastard? You off your nut?”
“What are you guys doing over here in the corner hogging the birthday girl?” Reece came up and took Isobel’s hand, then bowed over it and brought it to his lips. “May I have this dance, oh ye fair maiden?”
Isobel put a hand to her chest. “Why I would be honored, sir.”
“I call dibs next,” Liam said as Reece pulled her toward the area in the middle of the bar where people had gathered and started dancing to the music—country, naturally. But like Liam had said earlier today, when in Rome.
She spent the next half hour laughing, dancing, and mingling. She could really get used to this taking-life-as-it-came thing. Why did she spend so much of her life so damn worried all the time?
She took a break from dancing as the twanging notes of steel guitar faded. Her, actual enjoying country music. It was definitely a night of firsts.
She fanned herself as she headed toward the bar where Jeremiah and Nicholas were sitting together. She dropped to an empty barstool beside them.
“It’s hot in here. Do you guys feel hot? God, I’m so hot.”
“Well I could have told you that, love,” Liam said, coming over and handing Isobel a tall mug of beer. She took it gratefully and pressed it against her heated cheek. Then she took a deep swallow. But she only felt more thirsty and hot afterward. She set the mug down on the table, sloshing beer over the sides. She barely noticed though, she was so busy fanning herself again.
She looked around the busy bar. “Where’s Hunter? He said he’d hurry back.”
“He’s not coming back.”
