Blake shook his hand, held it like a lifeline. He blinked back tears as he spoke again. “Thanks.”
Seth exited the room and leaned on the door as it closed behind him. Emotions galloped through him as if they were racing.
Grief. Regret. Hope that Blake would get a break. More he couldn’t identify.
And then Mara was there, tears flowing down her cheeks. She didn’t say a word, simply wrapped her arms around him, rested her head on his chest and held on tight.
It was exactly what he needed, and he knew what he had to do next. “Let’s write that letter.”
She nodded into his chest. “We’ll get him all the help he needs.”
Chapter 26
You'll Never Walk Alone
Once they were back at the farm, Mara and Seth headed to the inn’s kitchen. Their happy place. Well, one of them, anyway.
Seth grabbed some cider from the fridge while she scrounged in the freezer for snacks. They’d grabbed Ginny’s cinnamon buns for the group while they were in town, but they’d save those for later. Maybe even for the morning because the kitchen smelled like heaven. Gray’s lasagna sauce simmered on the stove, and the scent nearly made her drool. There was also bread rising and the distinctive smell of genettis in the air. The delicious Italian cookies would be a welcome treat.
She sighed as she sat. “I need to call my dad and my brothers, let them in on what happened last night.”
“Good idea. How do you handle a video chat with that many people?”
She grinned. “The squares get very, very small when you’re using a phone. It’s better on a tablet.”
“Want me to grab yours from your room?”
She nodded her thanks. The meeting with Marcus had drained her more than she’d expected. Or maybe she still wasn’t quite over the previous night.
She texted Ford, letting him know she was talking to the group. He replied that he’d come to the inn to do the chat with her.
With a deep breath, she composed her text to the family chat. We had an incident last night I’d like to tell you all about. I’m fine, but it’s too complicated to text. Fifteen minutes in a video chat?
By the time Seth returned with her tablet in one hand and Fritter in the other, everyone had given her a thumbs-up on the phone. She rarely asked for a group chat, so she imagined she’d piqued their curiosity.
Fritter yowled and leapt into her lap, making her smile. Seth ran his hand down her hair and sat beside her. “Are they all in?”
She nodded. “Ford’s coming up to do it with us. I’m sorry it’ll be so many at once. We’re a lot.”
Seth grinned. “No problem.”
Ford and Jolie entered through the back door, while Amber, Gray, and Boomer came in from the dining area. Gray moved to the stove, while Amber smiled at them. “I’m glad you’re home. How was the visit with Marcus?”
Mara blew out a breath. “More emotional than I expected.”
Boomer sniffed at Fritter, and the cat snuggled his snout. Amber patted her dog’s head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Tears misted, but Mara blinked them back. She’d shed far too many recently. “I’m good. Thanks. We’re going to video call my family.”
Amber’s eyes softened. “Good idea. That’s going to be a very crowded screen.”
Gray turned from where he was assembling the lasagna. “I can leave this for a bit if you want privacy.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. We’re not used to much privacy in our house. If it’s okay with you, I’d like my family to see that everything here is okay. That we’re coping, and I’m surrounded by friends and my bonus family.”
Seth’s arm squeezed her. “Good idea.”
Amber smiled. “We’ll be mostly quiet for you, but if you need us to leave, please tell us.”
