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“Ugh. You’re such a mother hen.” But Liv settled down in the chair anyway. Cadence was officially impressed with his gallantry. He treated the people in his life so differently from the player that he was at that party. Clearly, he cherished his loved ones. Liv gave him an exhausted, but pleased, smile. “Be sure to aim some of that water my way. I’m dying from this heat.”
“I’ll help you, Momma!” Charlie vowed.
“I’m sure you will,” Liv said with an amused grimace.
“Look! Look!” Pip pointed a trembling finger at the first float coming down the street. This one was a purple dragon with brightly colored streaming ribbons. The school marching band followed that. The dancing tots were next with their hair in pigtails with an overexcited adult zealously performing the dance moves that they mostly forgot to mirror. The Harvest Ranch Queen and her entourage trailed after them, wearing silky dresses and waving in synchronized precision.
“Mommy was the Pumpkin Princess,” Charlie proudly announced to Cadence.
Liv’s hand went to his hair, and she ruffled it affectionately. “He’ll never let me live that one down,” she said with a smile.
Pip jumped up and down when he saw the go carts. The teenagers driving them were dressed as clowns. They threw out Smarties and salt water taffies. Charlie and Pip went running, collecting as many as they could. Pip returned with his toothless grin and a handful of candy. He passed on a green salt water taffy to his mother. She made a face. Clearly they weren’t her favorite. “I got Dad one!” he shouted.
Charlie’s forehead creased at the reminder. “Where’s Dad?” He’s missing the–the…”—he glanced up at the rodeo cowboys—“… the horses.”
“He’s taking care of some last-minute business,” Liv said, “and then he’ll be over. He won’t miss the water fight, baby.”
Cadence guessed that the children were referring to their stepfather. Porter glanced over at Liv. “I’m surprised he let you out here with how wild this is going to get.”
Liv smirked at the reference to her husband’s protectiveness. “Believe me, he tried! It was a surprise he let me drive. He took me to my last OBGYN appointment, said he didn’t want me having the baby on my way out there.”
Cadence felt a stirring of momentary jealousy. What would it be like to have a husband who was not only committed to her, but also worried about her and their baby? Porter, as kind as he was, wasn’t urging her to take it easy today, but then again, he was trying to keep her secret like she’d asked him to do. A good thing, too, because what would happen if the people of this community found out that she would be an unwed mother?Would these church-going people treat her with as much hospitality as they were now?
Where had that thought come from?
She sighed. Why did she always have such a hard time thinking the best of people? She’d been constantly misjudging everyone, starting with Porter when they’d met in Nashville, and now she was casting aspersions on these sweet folk here at Harvest Ranch, all because of her own fears and insecurities. Instinct and habit said to reject them before they could reject her, but she’d already learned the error of those ways. She wasn’t going to repeat her mistakes from before. It was time to throw those suspicions away and give these people a chance.
“Who’s your doctor?” she asked Liv, hoping that it sounded off hand.
“Oh, Dr. Arogyasami in Charleston. She’s great—she’s Martha’s niece and Hilary’s cousin, and she comes highly recommended.”
“Anyone closer than Charleston?” Cadence asked. She didn’t trust her car.
“Hmm, Dr. Motaoka Santana is our general practitioner. She can do the basics—ultrasounds, women’s general wellness. Why? Do you know anyone who’s expecting?”
That caught Cadence off guard. “Yes… a friend.”
Before Liv could ask any more pointed questions, Pip cried out with jittery excitement when the blown-up dinosaurs swept past. Cadence shook her head. Those costumes just seemed like they would be so hot. She was already dying in this heat. She noticed a hideous brown bunny strutting behind the group. A water cannon was tucked under his bulky arm, and he dragged along a wagon that seemed to be covered in plastic Easter eggs. The wind blew up the side of a blanket, and she caught a glimpse of pastel-colored water balloons inside.
Pip pointed at the ferocious bunny creature. “It’th Uncle Grey!” He still seemed a bit uneasy at the sight of the monster.
Porter put a finger to his curving lips. “Shhh.”
Now Cadence understood who his water gun supplier would be. And this was another uncle? Obviously from the other side of the family. Her eyes narrowed on Liv as she began to see the similarities between her and Grey. The fact that Grey was still friends with Porter after his sister’s divorce spoke volumes. This was a family who forgave.
“Really? This is how it’s going down?” A young stranger with dirty blond hair sidled between Cadence and Porter. After one glance, she knew he was another Slade. He was the same one who’d been sitting next to Porter at church. He wasn’t as tall, but he was a walking muscle—not that Porter wasn’t athletic, but he wasn’t a Thor like this brother. “Grey said if we win, he’s treating us all to dinner.”
Porter crossed his arms across his chest. “What was all that talk about not getting involved?”
“That was before Grey bribed me with fried chicken steak at Cash’s.” The Slade brother seemed to notice Cadence with a double take. “Hey, uh… Angel?”
“Hello.” She stuck out a hand, trying to do the math and figure out which of Porter’s brothers that she hadn’t met yet. Was this Liv’s ex? “Which Slade are you?” she asked.
“Cole.” He took her hand in his larger one. “The youngest in the family.”
And the most serious by the looks of things, though he cast Liv a friendly smile. Not Liv’s ex either. “Okay, so who am I missing then?” she asked.
Cole’s eyes slid to Porter’s. “West is in Nashville.”
