“Anything he sees worth in, he loves. Sad to hear about his wedding though, but in the end, everything works out, it seems.”

“You’re being awfully calm, knowing I have a boyfriend.”

He shrugged and chugged the rest of the beer. “Mom’s making chicken pot pie, and I don’t want to be late. You ready?”

“Yeah.”

When we arrived at the house, there was a slew of extra place settings, plus an extra table extended off our normal dining table. This wasn’t completely abnormal. We always fed the workers and their families during the harvest. And as the groups started to arrive, the space in the open-concept dining and living rooms dwindled into practically nothing.

The workers gathered in clusters. My siblings, their husbands, and the kids collected near the large fireplace, and my parents stood together in the kitchen, watching everyone mingle.

Andrew and I stood off to the side like the outcasts we were. Even though we were together, it felt… lonely.

Mom called out to everyone that dinner was ready. The groups started gathering around the tables. Once we were all settled, I noticed two extra seats, one of them being next to me. Andrew and I locked eyes across the way. I wasn’t sure who else we were expecting to dine with the family that evening.

“Sorry we’re late,” a gentle voice called out as she entered the dining area, Beverly’s eyes twinkling with happiness.

Quickly, I spun around in my chair to look at the main hallway. Owen walked in behind his mom, chin tucked toward his chest, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

“It’s nice to see you again, Owen,” my mom said as she gestured to the open seat next to me. “You can take the seat next to Aspen. Beverly, you can join me over here.”

Owen lifted his head, and our gazes locked as he walked toward the open chair and sat down. He greeted everyone in our area nicely, then leaned to whisper in my ear, “You’ve been ignoring me this week.”

I had been. Ever since our make-out session on Tuesday night, I made myself scarce. I avoided his calls, cringing whenever his name popped up on the screen. He even tried to track me down on the farm on Friday, but thankfully, I’d been away, negotiating the delivery and pickup schedule for the start of harvest this week.

“I have,” I whispered back, as Mom set out the rolls. Andrew snatched the basket off the table the second she stepped away and grabbed two handfuls of the homemade goodness.

“Why?”

Exasperated, I turn to face him, the tips of our noses nearly brushing against each other. “Because I was embarrassed, okay?”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about, cricket.”

Across the way, Andrew snickered. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Nah, all is good,” Owen replied before I could start verbally attacking my brother. He stretched his arm along the back of my chair, running his fingers along the exposed skin of my upper arm. My body immediately erupted in shivers.

“How’s your arm, dear?” Beverly asked from her spot six chairs down and on the other side. Her skin was no longer the ghostish pallor it had been a year ago when she began working for us. Her sunken features had plumped, and she looked the healthiest I’d ever seen her.

“It’s healing well. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I’m glad Owen thought to call me.”

The table erupted in chatter about Beverly’s prior nursing experience, and Dad even asked if she’d want to come assist as a medic on the farm. Owen’s mom lit up at the recognition.

Mom and Alex served the individual dishes of chicken pot pie. It was one of my favorite comfort foods. Alex had been toying with my mother’s recipe. Though I knew my sister’s tasted just as good, something about it wasn’t the same, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“This looks great, Mrs. Easterly. Thanks again for having me,” Owen said as my mother set his pie dish on his large plate.

“Thank you, dear, but this one was all Alexandra’s. I simply watched over.”

“Oh. Well, compliments, Alex.”

I could tell he was being sincere, but Alex narrowed her eyes quickly before thanking him.

Just as the dinner was served and a family prayer said, the door to the mudroom opened. From my seat, only my dad and I could see the person walking down the hall. Andrew’s back was to the new arrival, but I watched, fascinated, as he tensed before a single word was spoken.

“I hope there’s room for one more!”

Colton bounded from his seat and wrapped his half-sister in his arms. He’d been in foster care most of his life, never knowing he had a sister. Until she found him five years ago.

“There is always room for you, Sadie. Let me grab another chair.” Mom dashed out of the room and returned holding a wooden chair from the formal dining room. “Where’s Jacob?”

Andrew’s fork clattered on his plate at the mention of Sadie’s boyfriend. The two had met on a humanitarian project in South America last year and had been together ever since. She was there studying soils and teaching the civilians to make better use of their land to grow their crops. Jacob had been there providing dentistry services. Surprisingly, he recently moved to Nashville, and the two had been renting an apartment in the bustling city.

“He has poker night with his dad and brothers tonight. So I thought I’d make the trip. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is. We’re always happy to have you.”

Mom placed the chair at the other end, next to her brother. Colton looked as happy as he had the day Autumn told us of her pregnancy.

When Sadie reached across the table, I noticed a very large, sparkling diamond on her left ring finger. Just as I was about to ask, Rory beat me to it.

“Oh my gosh, are you engaged?”

The striking brunette nodded and held her hand out for all my family to “ooo” and “ahh” over, but Andrew was quiet. I knew he had a special relationship with Sadie. Though many people thought it was romantic, I knew it was nothing more than him seeing her as another sister to worry over.

Andrew always considered himself like a second father to us all. He’d had years to learn and perfect how to treat me and my three biological sisters, but when Sadie came along, she threw his world into a tizzy.

And though there may have been a crush on her end at some point, I knew Andrew would never act on it. He barely got over the age difference between my sisters and their significant others. He and Sadie had a sixteen-year age gap.

Nudging Andrew’s foot under the table, I whispered, “Everything all right?”

“Of course.” He smiled, but it was forced. Something was going on with my brother, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

During the meal, I tried to add to the conversation flowing around the table but was always ignored or spoken over. Something I was all too familiar with. Even Sadie and Owen were able to get a word in edgewise.

As I was pushing the peas, my least favorite vegetable, around my plate, Owen seemed to pick up on my dejection.

He reached under the table for my hand, intertwined our fingers, and rested them gently on his thigh. I looked up at him, but his face never steered away from the conversation he was having with my brother-in-law Talon.

I’d never had my hand held like that. Not even the date who took me to the movies for a matinee showing.

It felt foreign, strange, but I never wanted him to let me go. I squeezed his hand softly, letting him know I appreciated his attention, and he broke his discussion to face me and smile.

For the rest of the meal, Owen held my hand the entire time. I wasn’t sure if it was for his comfort or mine, but it was nice to have someone seemingly on my side. A few times, I caught Beverly’s eye, and I silently begged that she explain everything to her son. I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be, but I knew he’d approach me about it, regardless.

“Dad, have you given anymore thought to the data I gave you?”