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“Being in a relationship.”

He frowned. “Do you think you can really call this a relationship? Don’t get me wrong, I’d like it to be. But…”

“But nothing. Okay, so you might have only known her for five minutes,” Ty said with a laugh. “But when it’s right, it’s right, and it seems to me that between you and Everly, it’s all kinds of right.”

“It sure seems that way.” His smile faded. “But she lives in Napa.”

“I know that might seem like an obstacle in the beginning – believe me, I do. I didn’t see how Shay and I would be able to get together. But look at us now.”

Tanner shook his head. “Yeah, but look what it took for her to move here.”

Ty looked more serious. “True. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, let alone on Everly. All I’m saying is that things can work out even when they look impossible.”

“I hope so. I’m going to run up and take a shower.”

“Take your time; there’s no hurry. We’re not going to eat until a bit later today. Trav and Retta are coming over, and Trip said that he might make it as well.”

“I might not be in a hurry to eat, but I am in a hurry to go pick Everly up again.”

He turned when he heard Ford speak behind him. “Have you spoken to her yet? She said that she’d drive herself back over.”

Tanner frowned. “I can go and get her.”

Ty laughed. “Don’t look so disappointed, Tan. You don’t need to chauffeur her around the whole time. I was like that with Shay at first, but she started to feel a whole lot happier and more at home when she started driving herself around.”

Ford nodded. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Just relaying what she told me.”

“What’s going on?” Ty asked. “Don’t tell me Ford’s making a move on your girl?”

“No. Ford did me a big favor this morning, taking care of her when I had to run out the door at six-thirty.”

Ford shrugged. “Not a problem. I like her. I have high hopes for the two of you.”

“Aww!” Shayna had come to join them at the grill, and she was smiling at Ford. “You’re the best,” she told him.

Ty slid his arm around her waist. “Excuse me, sweetheart. Aren’t I the best?”

She kissed him and rested her head against his shoulder. “You know you are. But you know what I mean, too. Ford’s awesome, and it doesn’t seem like the rest of you give him enough credit. I’m just making sure that he knows it.”

Ford chuckled and muttered something before he walked away. The slight flush of pink on his ears and neck amused Tanner to no end. Ford liked to come across as something of a grouch, but he was a soft touch when it came down to it.

Tanner went inside and hurried upstairs to take his shower. He was hoping that Everly would get straight back to him, and he didn’t want to miss her.

When he got out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and swiped a corner of it over the steamed-up screen of his phone. There was still nothing back from her.

As he got dried, he smiled at the sight of the hairdryer on the counter. It was a relic from the days when he’d first come home and tried wearing his hair much longer. He kept meaning to throw the damn thing out, but since it looked like Everly must have used it this morning, he was glad that he’d never gotten around to doing so.

Once he was dressed, he sat on the bed to pull his socks on, scowling at his phone as he debated whether he should call her again. He didn’t want to be too pushy, but he didn’t want to waste too much of the afternoon either – they’d already lost the whole morning.

~ ~ ~

A few miles up the road, in the lodge at Remington Ranch, Everly was scowling at her own phone. Just when she’d convinced herself that she might as well make the most of the rest of the week here with Tanner, it seemed that everything had been turned on its head.

Her mom had called just after she arrived back here. Joe’s mom had taken a turn for the worse, and he was flying back to Hawaii in the morning. Her mom said that it was fine, that Everly should still stay for the rest of the week, but Everly knew that if she were to go home, her mom would be able to follow Joe to Hawaii.

While she was still trying to digest that news and figure out what she was going to do, a text had come in from her dad.

She shook her head as she reread it.