But they’re also right.
“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. Once again, I’m pissed off at myself. “I’ll wait.”
Pops’s laughter is loud and obnoxious. “Like he had any other choice.”
That fucking dark sedan rolls slowly past, instantly causing my shoulder muscles to bunch. It’s the same one whose plates I ran not that long ago, but even knowing who it is, thanks to that damn text tree, does nothing to erase the memory of the fear that old bastard caused with his late-night donut runs.
Old instincts are hard to extinguish.
My brow twitches as Monty, the new neighbor, waves on his way by. One of these days, I just might tell his wife that he sits inhis car eating donuts in the middle of the night to repay him for nearly giving me a heart attack.
Not every shadow is a threat, I remind myself. Some are just annoying neighbors.
Agnes’s guffaw could power a small city, and I cringe when I look down to find her laughing at me. “Leave Monty be—he didn’t know he was causing you anxiety. Now go on inside. Betty’ll make you a plate.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She hooks her arm through mine with surprising strength and ushers me toward the inn. “Wasn’t asking. You look like you haven’t had a proper meal in days, and we’re going to fix that. Now.”
I look to Moose for help over my shoulder.
He shrugs. “Resistance is futile, son. Trust me. We’ve all tried.”
“Where is everyone else?” I ask. I don’t need backup, but I was hoping to see my cousins. They might have to carry my sorry ass out of here later if Clover doesn’t forgive me.
“Well, damnedest thing,” Agnes says. “Braxton offered to drive, but Madi and Savvy wanted to go check on Clover, which meant Greyson had to go too. Then Grant said he should go to make sure the commentary stayed…fair, on the drive home. Somehow, Chase called shotgun, but Roman was already in the passenger seat, and Sterling didn’t want to be left out.”
“Eight adults went to pick up Clover? There won’t even be a seat left for her,” I say.
Moose laughs. It’s loud and boisterous. “That’s when the real chaos began. It was like watching monkeys in a clown car. Luckily, one of your guys rolled up with the RV just this morning.”
That goddamn mobile command center is still the bane of my existence. But if it brings Clover home to me, I’ll never say a bad word about it again.
“Come on.” Agnes shoves me into the inn, and five minutes later, I’m sitting at Madi’s kitchen island, surrounded by more food than even a small army could consume.
Apparently, Betty from the diner commandeered the inn’s kitchen the moment she heard about our star-crossed lovers' moment.
Laid out before me is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans that have been cooked with enough bacon to give a cardiologist nightmares, three different casseroles, and an apple pie that’s still steaming from the oven.
“Eat,” Betty commands.
My hunger pangs grow claws with my first bite, and begrudgingly, I smile at her. I was starving under all that heartache.
Pops settles into the chair across from me, glaring while I shovel food into my mouth. “You came back.”
“I came back,” I confirm around a mouthful of potatoes that taste like buttery heaven.
“Didn’t think ya would. Bet Chief that you’d run all the way to Mexico.” He squints at me. “Chief didn’t think ya were the running type, though. Said you’re a brooder who needed space to get his head out of his ass. You cost me twenty bucks, pal.”
I’d laugh if I didn’t think he was actually sour about losing the money.
“I fucked up. I’m here to fix it.”
“Good.” Pops nods once and then relaxes as though being a hard-ass was taking all his strength. “’Cause that girl’s been through enough. She doesn’t need a man who can’t figure out what he wants. What she needs is someone willing to adaptto the life she’s built. Someone who’ll help her grow without holding her back.”
I set down my fork. “I’ve always known what I want.”
“Do you?” he challenges. “Because wanting Clover means wanting all this too.” He gestures at the kitchen and the town beyond the window. “She’s not just a woman, son. She’s a package deal. You want her, you get all of us too.”
