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27
Gretchen smelled the evidence of something brown, something baked, and something bite-worthy as soon as she got out of her van. She saw the handsome, grumpy cowboy coming toward her, and she promptly forgot everything else.
“Sorry,” she said as Will enveloped her in a hug. “I had to go home and change. I couldn’t come meet your mama and daddy wearing chocolate-caramel clothes.” She giggled as Will swung her around, her feet coming off the ground.
“It’s fine,” he drawled as he put her down. “Rissa says the meatballs are just comin’ out, and she can hold the sauce as long as we need.”
“But we don’t want to,” a man yelled from somewhere inside the house. Gretchen looked past Will in surprise, expecting to see Travis on the porch, his arms folded. He wasn’t there. “So kiss her quick and let’s eat.”
The sliding sound of a window closing echoed through the farm stillness, and Will grumbled, “I’m going to kill him in his sleep, don’t worry.”
“That actually does worry me,” Gretchen said, though she knew he was kidding. “But you better do what he said.”
“Kiss you?”
“Yeah,” she said, walking her hands up the front of his shirt. He hadn’t been home to change since she’d seen him at the shop a few hours ago. “But don’t do it quick.”
“You want a mutiny on your hands,” he murmured right before he touched his lips to hers. No, Gretchen wanted to taste the strength in his mouth, and she wanted to feel the strands of his hair through her fingers, and she wanted to be enveloped in the warmth of his arms for a good, long while.
She kissed him back for several long moments, and then a dinner bell filled the air. Will pulled away, chuckling and saying, “You did want to meet them.”
“Who’s doing that?”
“That’s Rissa’s subtle way of saying dinner is ready, and I’ve been kissin’ you for long enough.” He took her hand and led her the rest of the way to the steps. “They’re nice people,” he said, as if he needed to explain before they went in. He paused just outside the closed front door. It could use a wreath, but Gretchen would excuse it’s nakedness for now.
He looked at her, helplessness in every inch of his face. “They’re just Coopers.”
“I like Coopers,” Gretchen said, squeezing his hand. “You don’t need to apologize for them.”
“All right.” He sighed as he opened the door, and Gretchen entered the farmhouse first. The foyer seemed like it belonged to people with money, and shock blipped through her. She’d never thought of Will as rich, but she probably should’ve.
“Howdy,” a man said, and Gretchen’s eyes flew toward the arched doorway that clearly led into the kitchen. A hallway branched off the foyer in the opposite direction too, but it sure felt like it didn’t get used very often.
“That’s Lee,” Will said, taking a step forward and bringing Gretchen with him. She moved, her legs feeling a bit wooden. “He’s the oldest brother. He’s got a son, but Ford’s with his mom tonight.”
“I’ve met Lee,” Gretchen said, smiling as she relaxed. Honestly, getting her voice to work was a major accomplishment. “Nice to see you again, Lee.”
“I’ve been sick on caramel for days,” he said with a grin, and he leaned in and kissed both of her cheeks when she arrived in front of him. There was no spark in his touch, not like there was with Will, and she beamed at him as Lee turned and went into the kitchen. “The crazy is in here.”
“Get out of here!” a woman yelled, and Gretchen suspected that was Clarissa, Will’s sister. “Travis, I swear, I’m going to chop off your hand in the night.”
“See?” Will said. “Killing him would be far more humane.”
Gretchen smiled and kept it on her face. She and Will stepped through the arch, and the house opened up on this side. The kitchen had been designed by someone who knew how to put the appliances, the sink, and the counter space in exactly the right place for a chef.
Rissa was currently waving a towel at Travis, who danced out of the kitchen area. “Get over here,” another woman said, and she wore a look of displeasure as she reached for Travis.
“That’s Shayla Nelson,” Will said. “Have you met her?”
“Yes,” Gretchen said. “She and Travis were at the New Year’s Beach Bash.” Shayla looked her way, and Gretchen could’ve sworn she looked relieved to find another non-Cooper. That was what streamed through Gretchen at the moment, and she lifted her free hand in a shoulder-high wave.
“Plus, I catered the tent reveal, don’t you remember?”
“Oh, right,” Will said. “Duh. I think that’s when I started thinkin’ about you day and night.” He grinned at her and leaned forward like he might kiss her.
“Don’t you dare come in here again,” Rissa said. “Lee, get Mama and Daddy. Will, go get Reggie. Travis, sit down.” Rissa gave him a final glare before she switched her gaze to Gretchen. Her bright green eyes took her in after a single breath, and then she softened.
“My,” she said, pressing one hand to her chest as the men mobilized.
