She shrugs. “Not sure, but I can text Jo and ask. Why?”
Warner looks at me. “It’s Tenley’s birthday tomorrow.”
I narrow my eyes at him. He chuckles.
“She thought she was going to keep it a secret, but her cover was blown, so—”
Dakota interrupts him by clapping her hands together. “Yes, I love it. Perfect idea.”
“I haven’t even told you what I’m thinking.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll take it from here.” Dakota beams at me and pulls her phone from her pocket. She types out a message and puts the phone down.
“I don’t usually do anything big for my birthday,” I tell her. “I’m really low-key about it.”
Dakota’s phone buzzes and she looks at it, then back up to Warner. “Bring Tenley to The Orchard tomorrow evening at seven.”
Warner’s eyes meet mine. “I can do that.”
“Good,” Dakota replies, taking a bite. “I’ll take care of everything else.”
* * *
It’s onlyseven in the morning and I’ve already fielded phone calls from my parents, my sister, and Gretchen. I haven’t left the bed yet. It’s too warm in my spot, I can’t get up. And there isn’t anything pressing to get out of bed for anyway. Warner has to do something with Wes so there won’t be any ranching lessons today. My phone, still warm from my most recent conversation, rings again.Morgan.
“Hello there,” I say as I press speaker.
Morgan’s off-key voice floats into the air, the ‘happy birthday’ tune bobbing up and down like it’s avoiding punches in a fight.
I thank her when she’s finished. “It was like the sweetest symphony.”
“So good, right?” Morgan laughs. “How’s the big three-oh?”
“Very much the same as two-nine and 364 days.”
“Do you have plans? I wish I were there.”
“You can be. Get on a plane to Phoenix, rent a car, and drive two hours. Boom.”
“I can’t…”
“Because…?”
“I met someone last weekend and tonight I’m meeting his mother. We might be in love. Me and Pax, not me and the mom.”
I sit up. “Wait, what?”
Morgan does this embarrassed giggle thing. “I know. It’s crazy.”
Throwing the comforter aside, I get out of bed and make it as far as the couch, Libby in tow. “Tell me all about him.”
“No. I don’t want to jinx it.”
“Telling me about him will jinx it?”
“Possibly.”
“You’re weird.”
