She smiled but then it dimmed. “Hey, if I admit something to you, will you promise not to hold it over me.”
“Of course,” I said.
“I’m insanely jealous of you.”
“Jealous. Of me? Why?”
“Why? What do you meanwhy?You’re doing something so cool. So unique. Your eyes lit up in a way I’ve never seen from you. Not even when you started the publishing gig and thought it was going to be this great, majestic thing. I think you quitting that job was the best thing ever.”
I laughed. “Yeah. I think you might be right.”
“I’m jealous of the cowboy thing too,” she said wistfully. “All three of you are living a different life. Just don’t forget about me. Okay?”
“Impossible,” I said, my throat constricting. “It’s still the four of us. It will always be the four of us.”
“It’s hard to be the four of us when three of you are there and I’m here,” she pointed out.
“You’ll be out here soon,” I reminded her. “And everything will be the same.”
“It’ll never be the same.” She sighed. “Fucking love. Ruins everything.”
“Love you, Viking.”
“Love you too, fairy princess.”
I smiled and then I hung up with her. Despite my joy and excitement, it was tarnished with the tiniest bit of sadness.
Wyn was right; we’d never have those random nights where the four of us were all at home at the same time. Where we’d crack open a bottle of Prosecco and make a charcuterie board and read tarot cards and talk about our dreams.
But here I was. An honorary family member about to have dinner with the Powells, with my cowboy boyfriend who’d sit beside me.
My New York life already felt like it belonged to someone else. How was that possible?
I went to the bathroom to wash my face and pull myself together. And then I went downstairs for dinner.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Ranch
“Poet!” Declan greeted the moment I came downstairs.
I smiled at Hadley’s husband and then gave him a hug. “Hi Declan.”
“How are things?”
“Things are good,” I said. “Surprisingly.”
He nodded and took a sip from his bottle of beer.
“And you?” I asked, glancing at the silicone wedding band around his finger. “How’s married life?”
“Fun.”
I grinned. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“What else is he going to say with me around?” Hadley asked, with a raise of her eyebrow at her husband and a smile on her face.
We wandered into the kitchen where Salem and Cas were standing in a corner. They looked like two peas in a love pod who’d forgotten there was an entire world going on outside of them.
