Page 29

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

The Belles

“Something is up.”

Hazel, Bea, and Maggie all look up from their stitching as Kitty lays hers down. She meets each of their gazes before sighing deeply. “I think the kids are hiding something from us.”

Maggie cocks a brow as Bea’s head tilts. It’s Hazel who says, “I think they’re shacking up. He’s smiling way too much not to be getting some.”

Bea cackles as Maggie winces. Kitty says, “No, I agree. I think they are, but it’s something else. I tried to come over earlier today, and Fable told me she was busy all day. So, I called Jett, and he told me the same thing. I am fine with them being together, but I’d like to hang out. I made this for her office.”

Kitty holds up a framed cross-stitch that reads: Home Is Where Those Fuckers Aren’t.

“I know she’d love it,” she says as the girls bark with laughter.

Bea nods. “That’s perfect.”

“She will,” Hazel gushes, and Maggie nods in agreement.

“I know. But I was told not to come by, and they did the same thing all week. They’re always ‘busy.’”

“It’s rather rude,” Bea says, shaking her head.

“They wouldn’t even be together if we hadn’t pushed them together,” Maggie complains, her brows tight, looking just like Jett used to before Fable got here.

Hazel mirrors her daughter’s face. “We raised them, and they blow us off?”

“For each other!” Kitty adds, and they all nod, their feathers ruffled.

There is a game going on, the Grizzly Goals, who have most of the park rangers on their team, and the Penalty Box Prophets battle it out for a chance in the finals. The Belles are playing the Thirsty Pine Frosted Mugs next. It’ll be a great game, and the Belles should pull it out with no issues, but it’ll get chippy. The rivalry between the two teams carries out into the community. Jasper Butler, the owner and captain of the Mugs, is a good man, but something about the ice brings out the nasty in him. He didn’t make it onto a college team, and he holds it against anyone who did. Especially Jett, when he didn’t go back after his injury.

When the rink doors open, all four women glance over to see their unloving family members, who are walking in together. Kitty doesn’t have to look hard to know that Fable isn’t wearing her grandfather’s jersey.

No, that girl has her man’s jersey on, and the proud look on her face fills Kitty with such excitement, her heart soars. Gone is all the women’s hostility, replaced by genuine happiness at the two coming toward them, hand in hand.

Jett looks down at Fable just as she glances up, and they share the purest of smiles. It takes Kitty’s breath away. “Oh, I remember when Phillip looked at me like that.”

Bea swallows hard. “I was thinking the same of my sweet Thomas.”

Hazel brushes a tear away. “He reminds me so much of Willie with that all-consuming expression.”

“Thank God he’s nothing like his deadbeat father,” Maggie says on a sigh. Then she grabs her mother’s and grandmother’s hands. “We did good.”

They all nod in agreement as the two approach the table. Fable bites her lip as Jett stands proudly beside her. “Ladies.” They all greet him as he pulls out a chair, and Fable drops into it. He wraps his arm around her and leans into her as she does the same. “So, how’s everyone doing?”

Bea smacks him with her cross-stitching ring, and he laughs as Fable snickers. “Ouch! Fine! Stop hitting me,” he says, trying to keep her from beating him. “Okay, okay!” he snaps, taking the ring from her, but she just glares. “We wanted you four to be the first to know that we are together.”

Maggie swoons, and Hazel beams smugly at him. Kitty takes Fable’s hand, while Bea takes her ring back and mutters, “About damn time.”

Hazel leans in. “This is serious? Not a sneaky link?”

Fable’s mouth drops as Jett chokes on his spit. “Nana! How do you know that?”

She waves him off. “Please, I have three.”

“Nana!”

“Hazel!”

“Lord help us all,” Bea mutters, shaking her head, but Hazel just giggles, her whole face bright. “But I need to know too. This is serious?”

Jett looks down at Fable, her eyes meeting his. He leans over, moves her hair behind her ear, and squints at her like he’s trying to decide. She just grins and then smacks him when he doesn’t answer. She leans into him, wrapping her arms around his chest. “It is. For me, at least.”

He side-eyes her. “It was for me first.”

“Sure, it was,” she teases, and the girls all beam when he whispers something into her ear that has her flushing scarlet.

Kitty always said that they were gorgeous together. His dark to her light, but it was more than that. She could see how his soul spoke to Fable’s, and Kitty always knew they’d end up together.

“I gotta head in. I’ll come back for my good-luck kiss.”

Fable’s eyes glint with playfulness. “You don’t need it.”

“No, but I want my kiss.”

She fights a smile. “Yours?”

He kisses her nose. “Mine.”

The love-sick fool winks at her, and Fable watches as he heads into the locker room. When she turns back to the four women, she sighs deeply, a wide smile turned up on her face. Her gaze moves across each of them, but it’s Hazel who speaks first. “It is looking like you aren’t going anywhere, sweet girl.”

Fable’s face flushes as she shrugs, “I will not confirm or deny that, Ms. Hazel.”

She waves her off. “Call me Nana, sweetie.”

Maggie nods. “Because we’ll be family soon enough.”

When all Fable can do is squirm in her seat, Kitty’s heart sings. This is all she wanted for her granddaughter. She leans over and hands her the frame. “I made this for your office.”

Fable glances at Kitty, and something flashes in her eyes before she laughs loudly. “Why isn’t it bigger? It’s perfect.”

Kitty’s heart swells, pleased she likes it. “I thought it was. Have you talked to them?”

Fable shakes her head. “Nope, but I’m sure we’ll see them at the charity event tomorrow, with Mom putting it on and all.”

Kitty nods. “Yeah. Are you going by yourself?”

“Nope. Jett is coming with me.” Fable smiles proudly, a little wiggle to her shoulders.

Bea waggles her brows. “Showing him off to the rich folks, huh?”

“No, I’m going to an event with my gorgeous boyfriend,” she corrects with a sly little grin. “It’ll be a plus to rub it in my parents’ faces that someone thinks I’m great the way I am.”

The look of pure bliss on Fable’s face almost has Kitty in tears. Fable sits so proudly, so confidently, and Kitty hopes it carries on to the event. She has it on good authority that, with Jett by her side, it will, but she fears Elena and Richie will do something to get into Jett’s head. Hopefully not. He looked so damn happy, and Kitty hoped that he wouldn’t let them ruin that.

“I have your blankets in the car.”

Fable looks up, then smiles shyly. “I don’t think I need them.”

Bea pats her hand. “Not when you have that man to keep you warm, huh?”

Fable burns red and then hides her face as the girls all laugh.

Kitty watches in amazement and hopes that nothing can touch the happiness that she believes Phillip made sure Jett and Fable found after his mistake twenty years ago.