Nash slapped my shoulder. “This has to be a pain in the ass for you. You going to promote from within?”
I shook my head. “No, no one is ready. Katie might have been if she hadn’t left for veterinary college. So, I’ll place an ad on the usual websites, maybe talk to Deacon. He usually knows a few people on the circuit looking for something.” I pointed at Wilder with my thumb. “So, he isn’t why she’s leaving, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t.”
“Damm it,” Wilder exclaimed. “I told you I didn’t.”
“What never?” I asked, surprised.
Wilder held his hands in the air. “No never I just liked you to think I did because it annoyed the shit out of you.”
“You really didn’t?” Nash seemed equally as shocked as I was that Wilder had never hooked up with Charlie.
“No, I didn’t.”
“What didn’t Uncle Wilder do?” Bertie asked, pushing her finger through the syrup residue on her plate.
“He didn’t do disgusting things like wipe his plate with his finger,” Nash grumbled, taking Bertie’s plate away from her. “You dirty little munchkin.” They grinned at each other, love shining through and that twinge momentarily came back in my chest.
“Go and wash up, baby,” Lily told her, giving my niece just as brilliant a smile as Nash had.
As Bertie made a song and dance about leaving the table to go to the bathroom, I looked over at Cassidy. She was staring out of the window. I wasn’t sure if she was distracted by the weather outside or deliberately ignoring the goings on at the table. I often found myself doing that, since Nash had gained his own little tribe. When they were together, loving each other and family time, I felt like an outsider, even if Wilder was there, too. Someone encroaching on their private time. Although, I knew for a fact if Nash or Lily knew I felt like that they’d be devastated. Maybe that was how Cassidy was feeling.
“You okay, Cassidy? Worried you might get stranded here another night?” I asked with a chuckle.
Her gaze swung to mine. “Not worried, but I was just wondering if I could get back to town. I have stuff I need to do ready for school tomorrow.”
Nash pulled out his phone and clicked on the screen. “Says the roads should be clear by noon. The plows out since dawn.”
“That’s good,” Cassidy replied, though she didn’t sound as enthusiastic as I’d have expected.
Funny because I didn’t feel it about her leaving either. “Before you go,” I said standing up a little too quickly, “we should finalize those camp permit applications that we started on yesterday. Make the most of being snowed in together.”
Lily shot me a glance, narrowed her eyes on me and then grinned. “Good idea. Then have some lunch here before you go back to town.”
“Okay, if you’re sure?”
“Absolutely,” Lily replied with a nod. “It’s chicken with all the trimmings.
“Don’t you think it’s weird we live on a cattle ranch and yet eat chicken?” Wilder asked, lifting his head from where it was resting on the table.
“No, because I don’t want any of you dying of a heart attack.” Lily patted his back. “You boys used to eat far too much red meat.”
“Well, it sounds good to me.” Cassidy stood up and started to collect dishes from the table. “I’ll do the dishes and then we can get started.”
“No way.” Lily waved her off. “You two go and work. Wilder can help me, can’t you sweetie?”
My brother groaned and with his head back on the table reached out for a plate and shoved it toward Lily. “There you go.”
Nash swatted him. “You are a waste of space. Just go and check on that heifer in the observation pen, the one with the septic tale. The fresh air will clear your head, and if that doesn’t then the stench inside there will.”
When we got to my office I slammed the door on the cold and snow outside and immediately the air felt charged. Cassidy stood by my desk, her fingers tracing the edge of it.
“So,” we both said at the same time, then laughing awkwardly.
“About last night,” I started.
“Yeah we should probably talk about that,” she agreed, tucking her hair behind her ear-the same spot where I’d touched her in the darkness of the night before.
I took a step closer. “I’m not good at this sort of thing.”
