“All right, no puking before ten, please,” Ellie says, her hand on my shoulder.
“Busted,” I say conspiratorially to Hadley.
I put her to rights and then sit at the table.
“What time will you guys be back?” Ellie asks, setting out a plate of bacon and another of pancakes.
“Later in the afternoon. I need to be victorious,” Connor informs her.
Ellie eyes him curiously. “Why?”
“Because I’m going to school my brother and have a day off.”
I scoff. “Please.”
“I don’t even want to know.”
Ellie sits and we all start to eat.
I can’t remember the last time I had anything this normal. Maybe when my mother was alive? She would make breakfast every Sunday and force us to sit as a family. I hated it as a kid and then as soon as it was gone and we no longer had her, I wished for those days again.
“What are your plans today, Ellie?” I ask.
She bites a piece of bacon and smiles warmly. “I’m going to see Sydney. We have to go dress shopping, drop by the florist, and do a few other things. I wanted to go earlier, but she sent a message that she wasn’t feeling so great and asked if we could push it back. So, you all get breakfast.”
“She seemed fine yesterday,” I say, not able to move past her saying Syd wasn’t well. “Do you want me to call her or go over there?”
Ellie’s brows knit together. “No, I’m sure she’s fine. She didn’t cancel or anything.”
Connor sits in his seat with a grin.
I’m going to kick his ass. “I’m just making sure Ellie doesn’t run the risk of catching whatever Syd has,” I try to excuse my slip up there.
“Sure you were.”
I rub my middle finger along the side of my nose and Connor laughs.
The rest of the meal passes with Hadley urging us to eat faster so we can go fishing. Ellie, who is a goddess and didn’t want us to forget to eat lunch later, hands us a basket filled with drinks and food. After kissing both Hadley and Connor, she calls my name, stopping me from following them.
“Yes?”
“Is everything okay? I know that you being back here is hard, and I just … I worry.”
I smile at my soon-to-be sister-in-law. “I’m good.”
“Really? Sydney mentioned that you and her are going to try to be friends and, well, it’s noble and great, but you guys have history.”
I nod. “We do, but I can’t be in this town and avoid her. I thought this would be a good compromise.”
Not to mention I’m fighting the urge to go to her constantly. At least now, I have a reason. If we’re friends, we can see each other, and I plan to do exactly that.
“Be careful with her, Dec. You both want very different things, and I worry that both of you will end up hurt.” She raises her hand when I open my mouth. “No, I don’t want to say anything else and I promise to stay out of it, but I love you both. You’re family, and Syd is like a sister to me.”
“Yo! Loser! Are you planning to go shopping or are you coming fishing?” Connor yells as he swings Hadley up into his arms.
Ellie sighs and then rolls her eyes. “You go, I’m sorry and I hope you don’t think I overstepped.”
I lean in and kiss her cheek. “I think we’re all very lucky you’re a part of our lives.”
She blushes and then shoos me away. I rush toward the barn, and Connor calls out, “I think we should take the quads.”
I let out a throaty laugh. “I haven’t ridden a quad since we were kids.”
“You think you suddenly forgot how in eight years?”
“No, and I’ll race you there.”
He looks down at Hadley. “If I didn’t have my daughter on my lap, I would take you up on that and kick your ass with a smile.”
Cocky asshole. “You forget who beats you at everything.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Name one thing.”
“Women.”
I cover Hadley’s eyes with my hand and flip him off with my other. “You wish.”
“I’m engaged, and you’re …”
“Going to kill you.”
He laughs and tosses me the keys to the quad. “You’d have to catch me first.”
We get to the creek, wind blowing and slightly cold, but there is a rush that I haven’t felt in so long humming in my veins. There were things about the country I loved. The clean air, trees, the night sky, and the fact that being outdoors was always preferable.
When I’m home, this is not my reality.
I work.
I work and work and work more in my office, stopping only to eat and drag my ass back to my apartment.
But I’ve been content, so I’ve let this part of myself go.
Seems the next six months will remind me of everything I used to love.
Once Hadley is set up with her pole and we all have our areas on the creek, Connor makes his way over.
“You really made her day by coming,” he says with a hint of appreciation in his voice.
“She’s my niece, and it’s my job to win my spot as the favorite.”
“You mean before Sean gets here and spoils her, knocking you down a peg?”
I nod. “Exactly.”
Sean is the sweet guy. Kids love him, girls fawn at his feet, and there’s not a woman alive he can’t charm. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be Hadley’s favorite.
“How is work going?” Connor asks.
“It’s fine, I’ll have to go into the city next week. There are a few meetings I can’t miss, and I need to see a guy for Sydney.”
He throws his line out. “What about Syd?”
“I figure she’ll tell everyone, but she’s selling the farm.”
The pole dropping from his hands tells me that’s a no. “She’ll never sell her farm.”
“Well, she is.”
“What the fuck did you do, Declan?” His voice is low and my name comes through his teeth.
Of course, it must be my fucking fault. Everything is my fault if you ask them. I step back,
