“You’re not evil at all,” Aspen said with an eye roll. “You’re good people, Sutton.”
Reagan reached across the table, giving my hand a quick squeeze. “The best, actually.”
She and her sister had gone through an ordeal over the summer, and I’d been there in the aftermath, making sure they were taking care of themselves. While I’d been avoiding Lane, I made frequent stops at Finn’s to check on Reagan and her twin, Lainey.
Before I could formulate a response, Aspen’s attention snapped to something over my shoulder.
“You have to be fucking kidding me.”
Reagan followed her gaze, eyes widening. “Speak of the fuckingdevil.”
“What is she doing here?” Aspen hissed.
I had a bad feeling I knew whoshewas.
Slowly, I turned my head, eyes probing in the general direction of where Reagan and Aspen were looking.
Sure enough, Addie Caldwell stood there, wrapping Birdie in a hug.
As if drawn like a magnet, Lane appeared at his mom’s side, but I noted with no small amount of satisfaction that he didn’t reach for Addie. His hands remained firmly in the pockets of his flannel jacket. His body language suggested he wasn’t happy about this development.
When I glanced back at Aspen and Reagan, the former was already getting to her feet.
“C’mon. Let’s go see what this is about.”
I was grateful she’d suggested it, because I’d been about to do that exact thing on my own.
After disposing of our plates in the trash, we made a quick detour to the bar for cans of beer before heading for Birdie, Lane, and Addie.
Undeterred by the awkwardness she was walking in on, Aspen shuffled into the center of the group and wrapped her arm around her mother-in-law’s waist.
Birdie turned her head and kissed Aspen’s temple.
“Hello, my girl.”
“Hey, Mama.” Her shrewd cinnamon gaze swung around the circle. “Lane.”
“Aspen.”
Reagan and I both coughed into our fists, fighting off laughter. Lane and Aspen got along exactly like a brother and sister—with healthy doses of loving animosity from both sides.
“Hello, Aspen,” another voice said, belonging to the one person I’d refused to look at until now. “Good to see you again.”
“Addie,” Aspen said with a fake sweetness all of us could see through. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, isn’t it just the funniest thing?” Birdie said, either oblivious or willfully ignorant to the tension in the air. “I ran into her at the store in Boise the other day, and we got to talking, so I invited her tonight.”
“That was nice of you, Mama,” Lane said diplomatically, though I wondered if anyone else noticed how tightly he clenched his jaw.
“Help yourself to some food, Addie. Don’t be a stranger.”
“Of course not, Mrs. Lawless.”
She chuckled. “Please, call me Birdie.”
Addie nodded with a small, self-satisfied smile, then glanced at Lane. “Come with me?”
“Uhh…sure?”
