“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?”
Andrew caught the tail end of my question and gave me a look. Pure panic and fear bubbled in my stomach, hoping he wouldn’t bring up what I told him earlier. Of course, it was my fault for saying anything in the first place, and now I couldn’t back out.
I wasn’t overly religious, but a guardian angel must have been on my side during the exchange of looks, because suddenly Owen’s phone rang, and he left the room to answer, explaining it was his trainer.
With whatever spare minutes I was granted, I gave Dad the lowdown about how Owen was in the dark about all of it.
“You need to tell him,” Andrew reiterated from our first conversation about the subject.
“I will if I have to, but again, I don’t think it’s my responsibility.”
“Do you want me to talk to Beverly?” Dad asked, but I could tell he was wary about it.
I couldn’t understand why she held back. Were there deeper secrets that forced her to withhold the information? Either way, Owen was going to find out soon, and I felt like I was going to take the brunt of the blame.
“No, I’ll talk to her and give her a deadline. But if I end up having to break the news, then it might help to have you there.”
“Okay, I can do that for you. And I think your data, along with the budget proposals, are solid. I’ll have Andrew look them over, and we’ll work up some of the contracting changes.”
“The goal is to get the fencing in before the first snowfall, then, in the spring, lease the land.”
