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Lydia looked at the bag. “I ran into Chet today.”

“Oh.” Wren waited, giving her a chance to say more.

“It was awkward.”

“I’m sorry.”

Rylee glanced in their direction momentarily before she continued chopping up tomatoes for the salad. “Would you rather talk about it or help me finish this?”

Lydia picked up a cucumber from beside the cutting board. “I can do both.”

“Then I’ll get you a knife.”

Wren slid the bread basket closer and began filling it. “Are you two still taking things slowly?”

Lydia lined the cucumber up on the board Rylee set in front of her. “We broke up.”

The bread basket stopped moving.

“What?” It was her brother. When she turned to face Tate, she found him standing with Jason and Cecelia. “Is that why Chet didn’t come when I invited him?”

No one had told her he’d been invited. For a moment, she pictured him in the chair he usually took, leaning back to let Wren squeeze past with a dish. Her hand settled against the counter.

Her family had become more to him than his own.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“He hasn’t said a darn thing to me. Not about you, not about your relationship. It’s been strictly professional out there at the barn.”

She found Jason’s eyes. He’d dropped his arms, and the surprise on his face was real. Chet had kept their conversation between them, even when Jason could’ve offered him someone to talk to.

“I didn’t ask him to stop coming,” she said.

“I know.” Tate glanced toward the table. “I’ll keep inviting him. I wanted you to know that.”

That caught at her. “That’s fine. He should come if he wants to.”

“And so should you,” Rylee said. “We’ll figure out any awkward parts.”

Cece moved past Jason and took a stack of plates from the cupboard. She offered Lydia a small smile before carrying them to the table. “Wren, where are we on bread?”

“Trying not to eat it before anyone sits down.”

“Try harder,” Tate said, reaching past her for a slice.

Wren pulled the basket out of his reach. “Lead by example.”

Lydia’s mouth lifted despite herself. She turned back to the cucumber, but Jason stayed near the counter.

“Did something happen?” he asked. “You seemed to be doing better.”

She stopped cutting. “Did you know he was part of the rodeo circuit?”

Wren looked up. Rylee paused with the salad bowl in her hands, but Jason nodded.

“That’s where we met.”

“I found out at the restaurant.” Lydia moved a slice of cucumber aside with the flat of the knife. “Some people he knew were there. They talked about him like he was someone completely different.”