“Hi, ladies,” Caroline greeted. “I didn’t expect you today.”
“Rebecca called us. It seems you’ve gotten yourself in a pickle. Damn, we all felt the chilly vibes yesterday, if I’m honest,” Rachel said. “What did you do?”
Caroline’s eyes filled with tears, and Riley rushed to hug her.
“We’ve all created a mess, one time or another. It can’t be all bad,” Riley soothed. “Take a deep breath, and we’ll figure it out together.”
“I need a bathroom first,” Delaney said, heading down the hall.
“I brought cookies. Before you ask, no, I didn’t make them. I bought them,” Rachel said defensively as Rebecca handed her and Riley a cup of coffee.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Caroline said under her breath. “I have enough food for a month.”
“It called for ‘let’s put our heads together and help our sister out’ kinda cookies. Not the ‘oh, sorry your dad passed away’ kind,” Rachel told her, earning an elbow to the ribs from Riley.
“Ow,” Rachel said, scowling. “I’m glad it’s not me this time.”
“You get in trouble enough for all five of us,” Delaney said, returning.
Rebecca smiled as she asked, “Do you want some tea? I’m afraid we only have caffeinated coffee?”
“No. It’ll only make me pee again. I swear I need a portable toilet to take with me,” Delaney grumbled, yet smiled down at her belly, rubbing it. “It’s a good thing I already love you to pieces,” she said to her stomach, forgetting the women around her.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “She belongs in a loony bin. Lately, she talks to it as if the kid understands everything she’s saying,” she whispered loudly.
“One of these days, you’ll be pregnant, and I’m riding your ass every single day,” Delaney warned her.
“I do it out of love,” Rachel argued as her eyes drifted to the pillow. “Did you sleep out here?”
Caroline’s cheeks felt on fire as she unconsciously rubbed her bottom. “No.”
Rachel sent her a wry grin as Caroline sat on it, while the others took their seats.
“What happened?” Rachel asked. “Rebecca called us at the crack of dawn to get our butts over here.”
“Caroline and Jameson got into a doozy of a fight,” Rebecca announced. “I’m hoping we can lend her advice before it’s too late.”
All eyes turned to Caroline, who sucked in her bottom lip and felt the heat of their stares.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Riley asked softly. “We’re good listeners, except for Rachel. She can’t stay quiet long enough.”
Rachel stuck out her tongue.
“Ladies,” Rebecca admonished. “Caroline’s grieving her father. Why don’t we see what she has to say.”
Caroline swallowed the lump forming in her throat. What if they hated her for hurting Jameson?
Riley took her hand. “It can’t be as bad as you’re making it out in your head. At least Garrett didn’t chase a bus down on a horse and stop it in the middle of an intersection to get you off.”
“Did you feel embarrassed?” Caroline asked in shock.
“Yup,” she replied.
“Matthew once tossed me in a watering tank after I called him a bunch of names for letting me fall in a pile of shit, and I ruined a good leather purse,” Rachel admitted.
“Why did you have a purse with you in the barn?” Caroline asked, confused.
Delaney held her stomach as laughter bubbled to the surface. “Oh, she was a hot mess back then. Rachel provided a ton of amusement. She thought Matthew worked in a fancy office. It turned out only half true because he works in the barns, too. She dressed up to shovel shit.” Delaney’s laughter grew louder as she wiped her eyes. “I’ll never forget when they returned, and she resembled a drowned rat,” she howled.
