Jealousy pokes dead center in my chest. “Would you like me to arrange with Chef to provide you with garnishes and syrups?”
“I can do that.”
His phone buzzes again, and that little smile is back.
“Do you need to take that?” I’m being nosy and Idon’t care. A guy doesn’t get that look on his face for a text from his brother, and they’re all probably still driving to town.
“No.” He taps in a quick message.
It must be her. The spot on my sternum flares hotter. His girlfriend is across the country, and she gets that look? Jesus. “Natalie?”
His expression darkens for a quick second. “No. She’s getting ready to defend her thesis so she can graduate. This is Kacey. She’s bored and making your sister send me and Haven photos of her drawings.”
My heart softens, but it doesn’t negate the intimidation. I hated college, and his girlfriend is on her second PhD. I was late to class all the time, and I’m shit at taking tests. “PhD in what?”
I don’t know what would make me feel better, but it isn’t his answer of “Bioethics.”
“Oh, wow.” I summon a foggy memory. “What’s one of the jokes you sent her?”
“You remember that?”
I give him aduhlook, but I’m surprised myself.
He hesitates for a second. “I was going to tell you a joke about sodium, but nah.”
“Why not?” Doesn’t he think I’ll get it?
His gaze flickers, and he sits forward. “That’s, uh, the joke. The element symbol for sodium is N-A, Latin for natrium.”
“Right.” I let out a nervous laugh. I barely get it. I didn’t like the sciences. They made me feel stupid, and I had enough of that growing up.
He clears his throat, and yep, this moment is as mortifying as it feels. “What can we really expect withthis first dinner where it’s just his family? None of yours will be there?”
“January will.” My laugh is hollow, and he doesn’t crack a smile. Tough crowd. “His parents and maybe an aunt or uncle and some cousins will be at the family dinner. They are all too much like Stanford. You’ll instantly see why he is the way he is. As for the Hawthorne side, you met them all at Iverson and Jamison’s wedding, so no surprises there.” The small, intimate gathering at the ranch was where I earned my first scowl from Durban. “Which also happens to be where Stanford first met January.”
“Did they have a nice chat when you were tearing up the dance floor?”
I tense. Is that censure in his voice? “Probably, but you have to admit. I tore it up good.”
“And loud.”
“Line dances shouldn’t be quiet.” I exhale a gusty sigh. One of my goals today is to prove myself, not defend myself. “Don’t worry. There’s no rowdy country music allowed at the reception, but I’m the event planner, so I’m not allowed to dance anyway.”
His mouth forms a troubled line. “You’re still family.”
“Not to her anymore.” One of my alarms goes off. “Oh, sorry. I don’t mean to cut this short, but I have to meet with the band’s manager.”
He quirks a brow. “A live band?”
“Of course. Locals out of Billings. I don’t think they want to do some small wedding gig in a place like Huckleberry Springs. Fingers crossed meeting them in person will change their mind.”
“I used to foster with June Bee.”
“Shut up!” Hers was one of the songs I cut up the dance floor to during Jamison’s reception. “Jamison told me you guys fostered with the Copper Summit family when you were young. I hope that’s okay she said something.”
He nods, his expression revealing nothing. “It’s not a secret. In fact, I’m surprised it’s not talked about more.”
“Jamison would only tell me and Avery, and neither of us will say anything. As Hawthornes, we learned to keep it in the family.” We’re too prominent, and that makes it too easy to feed the gossip mill. “So, June Bee, huh? She talks a lot about her adoption story. Did you know she was going to be a star when you were fosters?”
