AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How hard it would be to slip up the stairs to the room where she was staying, avoiding Tina altogether? There was only one problem. Tina was in the kitchen with the rest of the Reese women. And Katrina.
“I know it’s not ideal, but we’re going to have to postpone until they get back with the rest of the horses.” Katrina’s tired voice was just as loud.
Becca stiffened. Just hearing how weary her friend sounded got her hackles up. She marched toward the sound of the voices and ended up standing in the middle of the kitchen doorway as Katrina continued.
She stood by the stove near her mother. They were both working on breakfast while Tina stood nearby, arms crossed and toe tapping.
“There will be plenty of time to go riding this summer. I only thought we might like to go today because the guys were busy with fieldwork and didn’t need the horses.”
“I got all ready for a sunrise ride, and we don’t even get to go.”
“Knock it off, Tina. This isn’t her fault. You heard them—the cattle got out. This is their livelihood. You can’t expect them to drop everything and take you on a tour.”
Becca’s tone was sharper than she intended, drawing not only the attention of the woman who was whining, but everyone else in the kitchen. Gabrielle and Emily were seated at the table, cutting fruit. Jennifer and Katrina were at the stove, working on the eggs. Julia and Megan were standing behind the island, doing something else.
And yet all of them were staring at her.
Becca flushed, turning her focus on Katrina. She couldn’t deny just how relieved she was that the ride was canceled. She hadn’t even realized they had planned to go for a ride this morning. If she’d been made aware, she might have made herself scarce the second she’d woken up.
She offered Katrina an apologetic smile. “I’m sure there’s something else we could do today to keep busy. We don’t have to spend time riding. What else is there?”
Katrina smiled wide. “You know what? We should go to the aviary. It’s a special place Simon and I like to go to.”
Tina wrinkled her nose. “Birds? I came all the way out here and you?—”
“Sounds great,” Becca interrupted. What was wrong with this woman? She was a guest here and she was acting like she deserved the royal treatment. Ignoring Tina’s dark look, Becca made a mental note to ask Katrina what she had been thinking when she’d invited Tina to be part of the bridal party. If she could shed some light on the subject, then Becca might just be able to muster the strength to leave the woman alone.
When she glanced in Tina’s direction, she found her missing. Good riddance. She probably wouldn’t even be willing to help out with breakfast anyway. One less cook in the kitchen and one less complainer to drag down the whole mood.
Becca moved toward the rest of the group. “What can I do to help?”
Gabrielle waved her over to the table. “We’re making a fruit platter. You’d be surprised at how much these guys like their fruit.”
“It’s ’cause they like their sausage too, and they need the fiber.” Emily laughed out loud.
Her comment got the rest of the women laughing and the air in the room felt just a little bit lighter. Taking a seat beside Gabrielle, Becca picked up a paring knife. For the first little while, she listened to the two women talk about what was going on around the ranch and how busy their husbands were.
Then the topic shifted to the wedding. They were excited for the reception that was being planned, but also for the bachelorette party.
But it was when the conversation took a turn to the unexpected that Becca truly regretted joining the table.
“Do you remember the last person Ethan took on a date?”
Becca didn’t lift her head. She kept her eyes trained on the orange she was peeling, but her ears were practically burning as Emily spoke.
“I swear it was a girl from the next town over and she was definitely not his type. I don’t think I ever saw a skirt so short.”
Gabrielle snorted. “Yeah, can you imagine if she’d stuck around longer? There’s no way she would have been able to keep up with the horses. Ethan is a thoroughbred if I ever saw one. He’s gonna want a wife who can ride with the best of them.”
Becca didn’t know when it started, but her hands were shaking. Her ex hadn’t given her a specific reason for breaking things off. All he’d said was that they didn’t fit anymore. What did that even mean?
Why was this such a big deal, anyway? Ethan knew they weren’t going to end up together. It was everyone around him that thought this was his next step. They needed to mind their own business.
The heat in her face intensified as she attempted to pretend not to pay attention to their conversation, but it grew increasingly more difficult when Gabrielle mentioned her by name.
“I’m just glad Becca came into his life. She’s a perfect fit.”
Becca laughed, freezing when she realized she’d done so loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room once again. If she could have shrunk back into a shell like a turtle at that very moment, she would have done so gladly.
