Willow’s cheeks flushed. She was still getting used to the fact that people she’d never met knew her name and actually paid money to see her perform. She loved what she did, but she also appreciated places where she could separate herself from that person people only knew as a presence onstage… Places like Meadow Valley where she might get a knowing glance or two, but other than that—thanks to her brother being pretty damned beloved by the town he now called home—Willow could simplybe.
“I would be honored to give the Murphy Ranch a glowing first review,” she told Eli. “As long as there are no other surprise late-night guests.”
Eli nodded toward where Ash and Boone still stood at the grill, Ash’s back conveniently to the rest of them. “Thank goodness there’s only one of him, right?” he teased.
Willow crossed her arms and nodded. “But I’m guessing you and Boone are pretty happy to have him back for a bit, huh?”
The eldest Murphy scratched the back of his neck and nodded slowly. “Yeah,” he admitted, no hint of teasing left in his tone. “It’s about time we all stood on the same piece of land. Four years is too long.”
“Four years?” she asked, but Eli didn’t have a chance to respond as one by one, three women emerged from the sliding door leading into the home attached to the back of the Murphy Veterinary Clinic.
Casey carried what looked like a charcuterie board to end all charcuterie boards. Jenna held a pitcher of sweet tea. And the third woman—the one who had to be Beth—carried a six-month-old girl with fine dark curls, bright-blue eyes, and a four-toothed grin.
Casey blew Willow a kiss as she strode by. Jenna kissed her on the cheek before dropping the pitcher of tea off at the table. And Beth—a woman she’d never met before—handed her the baby.
“It’s the only way I can properly hug you,” Beth told her with a sheepish grin. “Plus my two other baby handlers had their hands full, and my back is killing me.”
And then Willow received her third hug in a matter of minutes…and a baby who seemed fascinated with Willow’s face, exploring it with her adorable, chubby, and mildly sticky fingers.
“She’s very tactile,” Beth explained. “I hope that’s okay.”
“Back still bothering you?” Eli asked, sliding his hand across the small of his wife’s back.
She wore a green camisole, dark skinny jeans, and black ballet flats that reminded Willow thatshe wasn’t the only performer in the group, Beth having danced with the Radio City Rockettes, even while pregnant with Maddie.
Beth nodded, and Eli kissed the top of her head. Then he held his arms out toward his daughter, and the young girl clapped when she saw her daddy, reaching for and grabbing hold of his beard. “Ow!” he said with a laugh as he situated Maddie in his arms. “I’ll take her to see the chickens and then get her ready for bed if you want to open the wine and take a load off.”
Beth beamed at what Willow could tell were the loves of her life. “Her bedtime bottle is all ready for you on the counter, and I am going to take you up on the wine and the sitting and everything else you just said.” She grabbed her daughter’s foot and kissed her toes. Then she raised herself on her own tippy toes and kissed her husband too.
“Finish up the burgers and dogs!” Eli called to his brothers as he strode off toward the chicken coop at the far end of the field. “I’ve got a date with one of my girls!”
“What about Boone and Casey’s little girl?” Willow asked.
“With my parents,” Casey announced, approaching the group with two glasses of wine and handing one to Willow.
“And we are in between fosters right now,” Jenna added, handing the third of four glasses of wine toBeth, her shoulders slightly sagging. “Christopher just left for college, but he’ll be home for the holidays, and we’ll hopefully have a houseful by then.”
Colt stepped behind Jenna, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to his chest. “Just means we’ll have to find somethingelseto keep us busy at home until the bedrooms are full again.” He dipped his head and kissed her neck, and Jenna’s cheeks flushed pink.
This was… Wow. Willow was surrounded by so much love. It felt like a fun house version of her current life where she was always surrounded by others—her band, tour manager, and the few roadies who dealt with the minimal equipment with which they traveled. And while on tour, everyone was her best friend. They were a family of sorts. But when there was no gig, they all went their separate ways, back to their lives outside of the show. It was like summer camp, but for grown-ups.
But everyone here was family in the truest sense of the word.
“You okay, Wills?” Colt asked, and Willow realized she’d gotten lost in her head with everyone else watching.
“Yeah,” she replied, holding up her glass. “It’s just really nice to be here.”
And as everyone seemed to settle into their roles of grillers, wine pourers—because of course there was more than the one bottle shebrought—appetizer passers, and storytellers, Willow forgot that she’d second-guessed her outfit or whether or not she’d been softening toward Ash. She just enjoyed existing among brothers and sisters-in-law and people who—at least for now—didn’t care who she was outside of this backyard.
“Thank you,” she leaned over and whispered to her brother once dinner got underway.
“For what?” Colt asked.
“For not going all Neanderthal when you found out Ash was going to be here.”
“I’m not going to ruin the night.” A muscle pulsed in his jaw. “Do you forgive him, Wills?”
Do you regret what happened four years ago?
