Still, when I rolled past Lila’s shop, my chest tightened. I told myself it was the smell of vanilla and sugar that carried even out to the street. But I knew better.
I was in deeper than I’d meant to be. Maggie needed me. The business needed me. And Lila Merrick’s bruised face wasn’t leaving my head anytime soon.
13
Easton
The farmhouse smelled amazing. The scent of roast chicken and garlic mashed potatoes hit me before I even stepped through the screen door. For years, this meal had always been the signal that everything was right with the world. Maggie had made it on Sundays for years, and we’d gathered around the table and hashed out our differences and made peace with each other around the table.
Voices carried from the kitchen before I even made it down the hall. Sage was laughing so loud she nearly drowned out Chloe, who was trying to scold Wade about something. Kipp’s low rumble came from somewhere near the oven, though it sounded like he was disagreeing with someone. And Maggie’s voice, lighter than it had been a week ago, was cutting through them all.
“East!” she called the second I walked in. She wasseated at the head of the table, her bum leg up on a footstool. Her smile was pure Maggie Holt. “There’s my boy.”
“Hey, Maggie.” I bent, kissed her temple, then glanced at her plate already loaded with food. Chloe must have done it for her. Maggie gave me a pointed look, like she knew what I was thinking. “Don’t fuss. These yahoos wouldn’t even let me make my own plate.”
“We did,” Chloe said from her seat, still in her scrubs, her blonde hair pulled up in a bun. “But it’s nice to let people help sometimes.”
“Let me live a little, Lo Lo,” Maggie teased. Chloe rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she poured gravy over mashed potatoes.
“Dinner’s hot,” Wade said from across the table. He was already halfway into his plate, still in his uniform with the badge clipped at his belt.
I slid into my usual spot, across from Sage. The old farmhouse table was scarred from years of elbows and spilled drinks, every dent and stain a memory of Levi’s steady hand guiding us, of Maggie’s voice corralling the chaos.
“Where’s Lila?” Maggie asked Sage as if it would be the most natural thing in the world for Lila to join our little circle. We’d never brought dates home. It had been an unspoken rule among us that home was a sacred space, not one we brought outsiders into.
“Where is Lila?” Putting Sage on the spot seemed to be the way to go here. She had been staying with Sage, and it was already late. I gave my sister my best frown.
She wasn’t offended, the brat. Instead, she stuck hertongue out at me, apparently learning bad habits from Lila. “I’ll have you know that I offered.”
“As you should have,” Maggie interjected.
“But she said she had things to get done for tomorrow at the store with Mia. Anyway, tell us about you, Kippers.”
My brother cringed. He hated that nickname. The kids at school used to call him that, but it didn’t stop Sage from using it every once in a while. “I got another cabin roof finished,” he said. He dropped chicken on his plate, followed by two heaping spoonfuls of potatoes.
Sage leaned forward, eyes sparking. “That makes four finished and one half framed. Are you planning actually to let people stay in them this century?”
“They’ll rent when they’re ready,” Kipp said calmly. “I’ve got work things to do anyway. Plus,” he shoved in some of his potatoes. “Six cabins now. I had Mr. Fix-It help me out.”
“Six. Uh-huh,” Wade cut in, smirking. “You’ve been saying you were going to rent them out for two years now. Pretty sure the only guests you’ve had out there are deer and an occasional raccoon.”
“They’re quality cabins,” Kipp said, stabbing his fork into the potatoes. “Someday …”
“Quality raccoon condos,” Sage said, giggling. “You could add a raccoon door. I’d love a trained raccoon.” She sighed dramatically, as if she were imagining it. “Like an assassin raccoon.”
“Better than living with twenty-seven potted plants in your bedroom,” Kipp shot back without looking at her, but he smiled a little into his potatoes.
“They have names, you monster,” Sage said, scandalized, which made Chloe choke on her sip of iced tea.
“Don’t encourage her,” Wade muttered, shaking his head. “Last week she tried to convince me her ficus was lonely.”
“Itwas,” Sage argued. “I brought it a fern friend, and now it’s thriving. Don’t roll your eyes at me. You’ll see it’ll perk right up.”
The table broke into laughter, Maggie included. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “You all give him grief, but Kipp’s cabins are beautiful. He’s been showing me pictures. Levi would’ve been proud.”
“They are impressive. The whole property is going to be a destination. He won’t have any problem renting them out when he’s ready.” I knew that the others were just teasing in that way of theirs, but I didn’t like to see Kipp not shouting from the rooftops about what an awesome thing he had turned that empty land into. “All of them have little kitchens, their own bathrooms. They’re fully plumbed. He has a central lodge too, with a larger joint kitchen. I think he’s got some bigger plans than he’s talking about.”
“Well, I’ve been hashing out some ideas. I’m planning on twelve total cabins. I just haven’t decided if I’ll rent them long-term or short-term. Maybe as a retreat or something. If I run activities, then I’ll need a manager, so I’d need extra space for that.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable. “It’s just a side hustle. I like the quiet.”
