Olli lingered several paces behind him, but he didn’t let the door close in her face. He held it for her as a couple of people answered his question.
“I’ll see if I can find him,” Trey said. “This place is kind of a zoo sometimes.” He kept his smile in place and indicated she follow him again. He led her down a hall past a laundry room on one side and what looked to be a mud room with lots of storage, cowboy boots, jackets, hats, and other supplies on the other.
The hallway opened up into a massive kitchen and attached dining room. The ceiling stretched for two stories, and Olli’s neck wouldn’t bend back far enough to see everything. “Wow,” she said.
“Looks like there’s some dinner here,” Trey said. “Help yourself. I’ll be right back.” He walked through the space and through a wide, arched doorway, where he began talking to a couple of the other Chappell brothers.
They all looked at her, and Olli had the distinct feeling she shouldn’t be there. She certainly wasn’t going to eat anything, though the meatballs and mashed potatoes didn’t look half bad. Someone in this family could cook, and Olli snuck a glance at the men still talking on the other side of the room.
She just wanted to talk to Spur for a few minutes. She pulled out her phone and texted him. Where are you? I just need five minutes to explain.
He didn’t answer, but Olli couldn’t look away from her phone. She knew the moment she did, he’d respond.
Trey lifted his phone to his ear too, and he moved further into the house so she couldn’t see him. He returned only a moment later and shook his head. At least she wasn’t the only one he was ignoring.
Trey came back toward her. “No one knows where he is,” he said. “I called him, but he didn’t answer. Our best guess is he’s in the stables. Did you want me to take you out there?”
Indecision raged through her. She did want to go out to the stables, and she didn’t. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll call me back.” She tried to put a smile on her face, but it didn’t quite fit.
“…is what I’m saying,” someone said behind her. It wasn’t Spur, but Olli turned anyway. “You just can’t—oh.” Blaine stopped at the end of the hallway, a pretty blonde woman behind him.
“Have you seen Spur?” Trey asked.
Blaine held Olli’s gaze for another moment and then looked at his brother. “Yes,” he said slowly.
“Olli here needs ‘im,” Trey said. “Where is he?”
Blaine looked at the woman he’d come in with. Neither of them said anything.
“It’s fine, guys,” Spur said in the next moment, walking up behind the woman. It was as if he was Moses parting the Red Sea. All the people moved out his way, and he continued straight toward her. He did not look happy to see her, but he said, “Let’s talk outside. You get five minutes.”