That’s why he hired Lainey. I think she’s great. I also see a lot of the hatred Mollie and Cash had for each other in the dynamic between Lainey and Colt. They’re always arguing about something, but I don’t miss the way she’ll check him out when she thinks no one is looking, or how he refills her water bottle for her, grumbling all the while.
Kinda cute when you think about it.
“Thank you for the invite. The bartender at the Homestead Hen joked the other day that I should just sleep in one of the booths because I practically live there these days.”
Mrs. Wallace pulls her brows together. “You gotta come eat with us more often, then! It goes without saying the door is always open.”
Lainey smiles. “Thank you, Paige, that means a lot. Honestly, I end up getting a lot of work done while I eat at the restaurant, so it’s no biggie. Also, I think Colton might literally kill me if I bug him all day and show up to his family supper at night too.”
“Colt’s been in a grumpy mood lately. He’ll come around.” Mrs. Wallace crosses the kitchen to inspect the lasagna. “Looks done. Thank you for your help, Ryder.”
I take off the oven mitts and slip them in the drawer beside the stove. “No problem. And sorry about Colt’s grumpy mood, Lainey. That’s my fault.”
“How dare you treat his little sister with respect and adoration.” Mrs. Wallace clucks her tongue, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. “What a crime.”
Lainey leans her elbows on the counter. “He’s super protective of the people he loves, huh?”
“You have no idea.” Mrs. Wallace rolls her eyes as she heads for the freezer, pulling out a loaf of garlic bread.
“I got that.” Taking the loaf from her, I read the instructions on the package before opening it. “You made the lasagna and the salad. Go sit.”
But Mrs. Wallace just keeps on smiling. “Now you know that’s not gonna happen. You’re sweet to help.”
“Is he, though?” Tate walks into the kitchen with wet hair, wearing clean clothes. As the youngest of the Wallace clan, he’s stuck being on weekend duty caring for the horses, so he’s worked in the barns all day.
Billie is hot on his heels. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I came over to the house early to help Mrs. Wallace with dinner, so Billie could continue to work on the business plan for her program. It’s now a fifty-page document that includes more spreadsheets than I think I’ve ever seen in my life. In true Billie fashion, she’s leaving no stone unturned.
“Sweet as pie, in my opinion,” Lainey replies. “You got a good one, Billie. They’re few and far between.”
Billie grins, going up on her toes to peck my cheek. “That’s why I’ve been chasing this guy down for years. I knew he was a keeper.”
Tate glances at the lasagna. “You made Italian, Mom? Hell yes.”
“Smells good in here.” Mr. Wallace wipes his feet after walking in the back door. “Whatever that is, I’m about to put a hurtin’ on it. Lainey! Ryder! To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“Lainey needed a home-cooked meal,” Mrs. Wallace replies. “And the Lucky River Ranch crew was kind enough to let us borrow Ryder for the evening.”
“Give my regards to your people.” Mr. Wallace taps the brim of his Stetson before he takes it off, hanging it on the hat rack beside the door.
“Will do, sir.”
“It’s Dale.”
“Right. What can I get you to drink, Dale?”
A big old smile breaks out on his face. “Finally. I got a sixer in the fridge outside. Lemme grab it.”
Billie is the last to join us at the table in the dining room. Well, other than Colt and Dean, who haven’t attended Sunday supper since I started coming. Mrs. Wallace still sets a place for them at the table, but they never show.
We’re just toasting to Billie’s business plan, which she says is coming along swimmingly, when the front door opens.
“Mimi! Pawpaw! Are you here?”
My chest squeezes at the sound of Dean’s cute little voice. A second later he’s running into the dining room, his gap-toothed smile of pure delight making all of us laugh.
“We’re here! Oh, sweet boy, I’m so glad you were able to come.” Mrs. Wallace wraps her grandson in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you.”
