I t takes all day, especially once Parrish has to leave to get Gracie and I’m left to work on my own, but by the end of the evening, we’re finally able to rehang the exterior stable doors, and this time, they fit. Dad confirmed that the heated floors are working properly, and all of the interior stalls have been finished. All that is left is for the landscapers to come in and finish their work, and they promised they would be done in a day. That means the project is all but finished, which means it’s almost time for me to go home, back to Los Angeles .
And I can’t bring myself to even think about it .
I walk out of the stalls and over to the house, where I can already see my mother through the windows, nervously flitting around the living room. She’s been in a total panic over the party, and now that it’s only a few days away, she’s even more of a wreck. I take a deep breath and walk inside, and hear Anna trying to calm our mother down .
“Ma, the caterer is booked, the party planner has all of the tents ready, and the band is set. I don’t know what you are worried about,” Anna says with a sigh .
“Did we make the right decision with a fish fry? Should we have gone with burgers? Or fried chicken? I just don’t know .”
I saunter into the living room and plop down next to Anna. “Fish is fun. Anyone can do burgers or chicken. You want something unusual that people will remember. This is coming from Judy’s though, right? You ordered that amazing chocolate cake, right ?”
Mom rolls her eyes. “Have we ever used anyone but Judy’s for our events? And of course I ordered the cake. You’re here. I ordered the cake. Honestly, Hawk .”
Anna groans and flops her head backwards on to the couch. “Mom, take a pill or something. You’re stressing me out .”
I look around and notice that except for mom’s chattering, the house is really quiet. “Where are Parrish and Gracie ?”
Anna doesn’t look at me; she just keeps staring at the ceiling. “She took Gracie to buy a dress for the party. I think they’ll be back in time for dinner. Speaking of,” Anna says finally looking up, with a teasing smile on her face .
“What?” I ask, confused .
“Jason told Frank who told Sid who told me that he heard the reporter ask you to take her to the party .”
I squint my eyes and pop the side of my head with my palm, as if shaking something loose. “I don’t understand anything you just said, Anna .”
Anna chortles like a witch. “Simone asked you on a date. To the party specifically. And you tried to foist her off on one of the guys in town. Apparently, she’s been asking around to see if you have a girlfriend that no one knows about. She seems pretty intent on landing you before this whole thing is through .”
I moan and lean forward, dropping my head in my hands as I debate how I ended up in this situation. “You know, I’ve had my share of, I don’t know, whatever you want to call the women I’ve dated. And I’ve never had anyone pursue me like this. I woke up the other morning, and she’d slipped a note under my door .”
“You’re lucky that’s all she’s slipped you,” Anna mutters under her breath .
“That’s not funny, Anna. If I don’t let her down easy, she could write something terrible about the ranch. If I lead her on, that’s not fair. But she’s just so… pushy. And I’m not interested .”
My mother stops pacing, and looks at me intently. “Why ?”
I shake my head, confused. “Why what ?”
“Why aren’t you interested in her? She’s beautiful. She’s smart. She’s accomplished. She’s stylish. She seems like exactly the kind of woman you’d be anxious to date in Los Angeles .”
I can’t make eye contact with my mother, or Anna. “I just don’t feel anything for her, is all .”
“Maybe he has feelings for someone else, ma,” Anna answers, staring at me, her giant blue eyes wide and piercing into my soul. Oh, god. She knows. Anna knows everything and now I’m going to have to deal with it .
“I don’t… I can’t… I mean…” I am stumbling like a fool and I have no idea how to dig myself out of this hole. I open my mouth, and suddenly, the front door flies open .
“Family! I’m home !”
Everyone’s heads turn to the door in a flash, and there, standing in the open doorway, is Carter. He isn’t remotely the boy I remember; he’s almost as tall as I am, and handsome, and disheveled. His curly, shaggy black hair is swept back, and he has a black beard that almost makes him look like a pirate, or a fairy tale prince. He’s wearing round, silver-rimmed glasses that make our hereditary blue eyes look even bigger. He’s dressed for the summer in khaki shorts and a white linen button down, and he looks like he’s freezing .
I jump to my feet and cross over to him, and when he sees me, his eyes go even wider as he drops his bags on the foyer floor. “Hawk? Is that… really you ?”
I take off my sweater and hand it to him, which he slides on gratefully. “It sure is. Carter, I can’t believe… you’re so grown up .”
“Yeah, well, that tends to happen over the course of ten years.” For a second, I think I’m going to have to go through the same process with him I went through with everyone else. But before I realize what’s happening, Carter is crossing the hallway and throwing his arms around me, pulling me into a huge bearhug and kissing me on the cheek .
“No one told me you were here!” Carter says with a laugh as he pulls away .
Anna jumps on his back and squeezes him, and Carter spins her around until she laughs. “Yeah, well, it’s not like you answered your phone while you were away, anyway. I could have called you every day and it wouldn’t have mattered .”