“Where is everyone?” I asked her.
She pointed toward the dining room. “They’re all in there. We’re getting ready to eat.”
“Is there space for me?” Chance asked as loud laugher came from the other room.
Mom nodded. “Of course, there’s always room for you.”
Cooking meat smells filtered out as the noise grew when someone opened the door.
I knocked my elbow into his stomach and nodded. “See, they left you a spot.”
Chance rolled his eyes. “Way to be subtle.”
My mother narrowed her eyes and slapped a dishtowel over her shoulder. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” I said way too quickly. We were totally up to something. “Is that pie I smell?”
“Yes, I made the cherry pie, but first there’s a roast on the table. You guys should eat up while there’s still some left.”
She turned, and then it was only Chance and me in the living room. “You want to sneak off to my room and hide?”
Chance chuckled, but it sounded forced. “No. We have to tell them eventually.”
“Fine.” I stomped off toward the dining room with Chance right behind me.
Holston walked in as I entered. “Don’t eat all the food. Ember isn’t here yet.”
I pushed past him, throwing out my shoulder. “Yeah, because I’m the one who can eat an entire medium pizza alone.”
“That was one time because I was hungry,” he yelled after me.
I stopped two feet into the room, and Chance plowed into my back. “Shit.” It wasn’t only Holston here.
My dad sat at the other end of the table and my brother Haden and his girlfriend Molly were across from Holston’s spot. Beside them, Holly and her boyfriend Will were secretively passing bits of food to Will’s dog, Bacon. The whole family had gathered to watch a show, but they didn’t even know they had front row seats for the performance.
“Mom! Hope swore,” Haden yelled from his seat on the other side of the table.
“Grow up,” I said and led Chance to a seat as far away from my brothers as possible. Sadly, it put us next to my father.
He stood up from his chair and draped me up in a deep hug. “I missed you.”
“You too, Dad. I hope you had a great cruise. I want to see the pictures.”
Dad laughed. “Your mother has hundreds. I’m sure she’d love to show them to you. Multiple times.”
“How was Michigan?” Holston asked as he took a seat at the table next to an empty space.
I glanced at the floor. “Well, um.”
Dogs barked in the other room, and a few seconds later, the dining-room door opened again. Hale walked through, and right behind him was Adele, the farm’s county inspector. Oh shit. Did we fail another inspection?
My brother might pass out if something threatened to close the farm again. Although, then my Vegas marriage may not be the big news.
Holston jumped up from the table as my mother propped the door open and walked into the room. “Shit, Ms. Flowers. We never did our annual inspection last year. I completely forgot about it with the holidays and our vacation.”
Adele held up her hand to silence him.
Mom cut into the roast and scooped Chance and me a big helping on each of our plates. The scent made my stomach twist with nerves.
