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“I’m going to regret this,” I muttered, shutting her door and walking around to my side of the truck.

43

MAGNOLIA

We pulledup to the rodeo grounds and parked near the registration building. When we got out, we waited by the building for his family. I thought I would find Rhett’s billionaire brother stepping out of a Lamborghini or something equally flashy and expensive. Instead, when Rhett pointed them out, we saw them climbing out of a plain white minivan. So that was their vehicle at the farm Wednesday night.

The youngest girl, Cora, screamed, “UNCLE RHETT!” and came sprinting up to him.

Rhett didn’t wait for her to reach him, instead jogging toward them, picking her up, and spinning her in a circle. “Princess Cora.” He knelt in front of her. “So good to see your majesty.”

She giggled, pushing his shoulder. “I’m just Cora now.”

I glanced up, seeing Gage and Farrah grinning at me and then back at their children interacting with Rhett.

Andrew, their middle child, followed behind Cora, and Rhett said, “Drew, you’re getting so fuckin’ big. I swear you grew since a few days ago! Is it the green beans?”

“LANGUAGE,” Cora said.

Drew rolled his eyes, smiling. “Uh huh. Idefinitelydon’t feed them to our dog.”

Farrah laughed, shoving him slightly.

Standing beside Gage and his wife was their oldest, who chuckled.

Rhett grinned at him, sticking out his hand for Levi to shake. Then Rhett turned to me and lowered his voice to a whisper. “So everyone’s on board, we’re calling Gage, Shmage Shmiffen, in public.”

Gage took off his sunglasses and rolled his eyes at his brother. Then he said to me, “It’s good to see you again. We didn’t get to talk much with my family grilling you and Rhett hogging you.”

I chuckled. Gage and I had never been close since he was already out of the house when Rhett and I started dating, but I always felt like he was my big brother too all those years ago. “I never got to tell you that you have a beautiful family, Gage.”

The way he grinned at the kids and his wife, I could feel how much he loved them. “I’m lucky,” he said.

Farrah reached out to hug me too. Then she said, “Are these your friends?”

Rhett and I had almost forgotten Cam and Cooper were still there. Gage said, “This is Camryn Childers. She’s from Cottonwood Falls too, and I think you met Rhett’s friend Cooper last time we came to a rodeo.”

“Right!” Farrah said. “Gosh, I’m bad with faces.”

Cooper chuckled. “I probably was covered in dirt the last time you saw me. No worries.”

Rhett said, “We better go check in. We’ll catch up with y’all when it’s over?”

We agreed and started walking toward the stands. This rodeo was a lot bigger than the one in Cottonwood Falls. On the way, Farrah and the kids decided to get snacks, and Gage caught up with Cam and me. She told him all about nursing at the retirement home, and he told us what his life had been like since he’d stepped down as CEO at his business. It sounded like he had more of an advising roll now instead of being quite so hands on.

“What about you, Maggie?” Gage asked as we found a good chunk of open seats a few rows back from the arena.

I told him about my trial period at Rhonda’s and wanting to buy the salon.

“That’s amazing,” he said, his smile genuine. “If you ever want some business consulting, please reach out. I’ve been doing more to help small women- or minority-owned businesses lately.”

My eyebrows rose. “Seriously?” It wasn’t every day a literal billionaire offered to advise you. “I’m not sure I can afford your consulting fee, Gage.”

He tossed his head back, laughing. “Dealing with my brother is payment enough. He seems happier than I’ve seen him in a long time.”

My heart warmed. Even after the rough morning we had Thursday, it made me glad to know I was somehow making Rhett’s life better. He’d certainly shaken mine up since I’d moved home.

Farrah and the kids reached us then, carrying arms full of nachos and popcorn, and passed them around for everyone. Cam leaned in my ear and whispered, “Sounds like it’s more than Rhett that’s happy you’re home.”