Page 26 of Huckleberry Hill (Saddles & Spurs #1)
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Ranch
I set the basket of newly collected eggs onto the counter. My phone buzzed in the pocket of my overalls, and I pulled it out. I unlocked the screen and saw Wade’s selfie and a thumbs up.
“Nerd,” I muttered with a soft chuckle.
“Who’s a nerd?” Muddy asked as she came into the kitchen. She gestured with her chin to the basket. “Looks like a good haul.”
“Very good haul. We’ve got happy hens. And it’s Wade who I’m calling a nerd,” I replied. I shoved my phone into my pocket. “You and I need to have a wee chat.”
“Do we?” Muddy grinned cheekily.
“Why did you let Declan think I was on a date with Wade?” I demanded.
“I did no such thing,” she protested. “I told him where you were and who you were with. He drew his own conclusions.”
I cocked my head to the side. “And when Declan drove out of here like a bat out of hell? Do you know he came into the bar, picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and brought me back here? Oh, shoot, that reminds me—I need to go get the truck. I left it parked overnight. Can you drive me to the Wagon Wheel?”
“He what? He carried you over his shoulder?” Muddy’s grin was slow and devilish. “I’m loving this more and more.”
“I thought you didn’t want us together!”
“When did I say that?” Muddy demanded. “I never said that.”
“I think you have selective amnesia.”
“I think if you want a ride to the Wagon Wheel you’ll be nice to me.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Can we go now?”
“Sure. But I demand a stop at Sweet Teeth.”
She grabbed her keys and the two of us loaded into the truck. It was newer, black, shiny, with an automatic transmission. Muddy hated it. But Dad insisted she drive it because of all the new safety features. If I stayed, no doubt he’d insist on getting me a new truck too.
“So, tell me how it went last night,” Muddy said.
I’d been staring out the passenger window and swiveled my head to look at her. “I already told you what happened.”
“No, you told me he picked you up and hauled you out of there. I want to know what made Declan have a personality transplant. He’s normally so good-natured. Unflappable.”
“Well, he was flapped last night.”
“Clearly.” She fell silent, obviously waiting for me to talk.
I sighed. “Two nights ago, we kind of got into a fight. Not a fight, but a disagreement, and I left his cabin and slept in my own bed.”
“Hmm? What was the fight about?”
“I think it was about feelings,” I said.
“And that you’re feeling them?”
My gaze narrowed. “You think I’m catching feelings?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I am.” I groaned. “I don’t want to, though.”
“There’s what we want and then there’s reality.”
“You’re a regular fortune cookie.”
“Just for that, you get to buy me a cruller.”
Muddy drove us downtown and found a spot outside Sweet Teeth. She parked and we hopped out of the truck. I held the bakery door open for a couple who was exiting just as we were about to go inside, and then Muddy and I entered.
Gracie was behind the counter, and she waved when she saw me but then began tending to the people in front of us.
When we stepped up to order, Gracie said, “Good morning, ladies. How are you doing today?”
“We’re doing great,” Muddy said. “How’s Bella feeling?”
“She recovered quickly. Unfortunately, Cole got the crud and he’s at home,” Gracie said. She looked at me. “Sorry I bailed the other night.”
“Completely understandable,” I said.
“We need to go out and catch up. Really catch up. I think you have things to tell me,” she said with a wide grin.
I frowned. “Do I?”
“You do.” She nodded. “Didn’t Declan hoist you over his shoulder and cart you out of the Wagon Wheel last night?”
I blinked. “How did—did Wade go around telling everyone my business?”
“Wade? Why would Wade be the one to tell me that?” Gracie asked.
“Because he and I were hanging out when it happened.”
I glanced at Muddy, whose expression had gone completely blank. But I could see the gears turning in her head.
“If Wade wasn’t the one who told you, who did?” I asked.
“My egg delivery guy,” she said.
“Your egg delivery guy is from Silver Springs?”
She nodded. “He was at the Wagon Wheel last night. Said it was the most excitement he’d seen in a while.”
“How did he know it was me and Declan?” I demanded.
“He heard someone call you Hadley, so I asked him what the guy looked like who carried you out of the bar and sure enough, he described your new hotness.”
“Lovely.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Yeah, Larry likes to gossip,” she said, biting her lip and looking worried.
“What?” I demanded. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Larry delivers to several of the businesses in Huckleberry Hill. I wouldn’t be surprised if that story is making the rounds.”
I groaned and rubbed my temple.
“Can I get a latte?” Muddy asked. “With a few pumps of cinnamon? We’re actually on our way to the Wagon Wheel now to pick up the truck. She came home last night on Declan’s motorcycle.”
“Ohhh,” Gracie said.
“You’re fired,” I said to Muddy. “Why are you telling people my business?”
“Gracie isn’t people, she’s Gracie. And besides, this is girl talk. I miss girl talk.”
“You said you weren’t going to get involved in my love life.”
She grinned. “I lied. I like Declan.”
“I like him too,” Gracie said. “I don’t know him well, but everyone says he’s really nice and he helped Lucy pull some heavy boxes from the stockroom when he was in General Merc the other day.” She looked at the other barista, who was listening intently. “You got Muddy’s order, Abby?”
Abby nodded. “No wonder Declan turned me down when I asked him out. Sorry, Hadley. I didn’t know.”
“Nobody knew,” Muddy said with a cackle. “Guess they do now.”
“People are talking about Declan?” I asked, panic creeping into my chest.
“It’s the most action we’ve gotten in months,” Gracie said. “A hot new wrangler at Elk Ridge? Yeah, we’re going to talk about him.”
“That’s not the only action being got,” Muddy quipped, elbowing me in my side.
My cheeks heated.
“You do look . . .” Gracie cocked her head to the side. “I don’t know.”
“Like the stick from her butt went somewhere else,” Muddy quipped.
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked. “You’re extra sassy this morning.”
“Someone has to be.”
Abby handed Muddy her drink.
“Thanks, sugar,” Muddy said. “How about that cruller?”
“What can I get you to drink, Hadley?” Abby asked.
“Double shot latte, please.” I shook my head. “And a new grandmother.”
“This is the most fun I’ve had in ages,” Muddy stated.
“You need a hobby,” I muttered. “Join a book club or something.”
“That’s a good idea,” Muddy said. “But I don’t want to read any memoirs or non-fiction. Give me the spicy stuff.”
“Lord help me,” I said, glancing up at the ceiling.
“So really, when can we hang out?” Gracie asked.
“I’ll text you,” I said. “I’m not sure about my schedule.”
“Oh, I see how it is.” Gracie nodded.
“See how what is?” I demanded.
“This thing with Declan is new and all you want to do is wrap yourselves in a bubble. I remember new.”
Muddy sighed. “So do I.”
“How’s my drink coming, Abby?” I called out.
“Nearly finished,” the barista yelled back.
Gracie put the cruller into a brown pastry bag and looked at me, eyebrows raised.
“The chocolate eclair. Better make it two.” I sighed. “How much do I owe you?”
“On the house,” Gracie said with a wink. “You paid in gossip.”
I dropped a few bills into the tip jar for Abby. I took my drink and the bakery bag, and we left Sweet Teeth.
Muddy climbed into the truck and set her drink in the drink holder. “Give me that cruller. My mouth is watering.”
I dug it out of the bag and handed it to her, along with a paper napkin. We sat in the parking spot and devoured our sugar fix.
“Have you talked to Dad?” I asked after I polished off one eclair.
“Briefly,” she said. “But he’s busy. Hasn’t he called you?”
I shook my head. “Texts. Photos of goats. But that’s it.” I paused. “He took her with him, didn’t he?”
“Her who?”
“ Muddy . . .”
“Yes, he took the woman he’s dating with him,” she admitted and looked at me. “Are you mad?”
“That he’s dating someone? No.”
“Are you mad he hasn’t told you about her?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I know whoever she is, she won’t replace Mom. But I kind of wish . . . I kind of wish he wasn’t hiding it.”
“But you have no plans to tell him about Declan, do you?” she asked.
I frowned. “Why would I?”
“Because it’s serious.”
“It’s not serious,” I scoffed.
“Hadley,” she said softly, reaching over and taking my hand. “Be honest with yourself.”
“Oh no. Not you too.”
“Not me too what?”
I licked my lips. “Declan told me to be honest with myself just the other night. But it can’t be serious.”
“Why not? Everyone already knows you ended your engagement with Gianni?—”
“No, Muddy. No. I didn’t tell you the real reason why it didn’t work out with Gianni,” I said quietly.
I forced myself to look at my grandmother.
She was a pistol, a firecracker. Sass and brass, for sure.
But she loved me. And it was time to tell her the truth.
Because I needed perspective. As much as I loved Salem and my friends, they hadn’t lived seventy years on this planet.
With age came wisdom. Trauma did the same thing, but . . . it was different.
“I found out I have fertility issues,” I blurted out. “I went to another doctor to get a second opinion and it was confirmed. I—I can’t have children . . . and when I told Gianni . . .”
“He broke up with you?”
“Not right away,” I admitted. “He said it didn’t matter, that we’d adopt or it could just be the two of us.
And I . . . I believed him, Muddy. He gave me no reason not to.
And then right before the trip he said he wanted to go alone.
That he wasn’t sure he could have a life with me. So he went to Italy without me.”
I swallowed, tears forming in my eyes as my grandmother let me talk.
“I haven’t made my peace with it,” I stated. “Not even a little bit. I haven’t thought much about it, really. Because I’m not ready to mourn a life I didn’t even have—but could’ve. Does that make sense?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “It makes sense.”
“So, it can’t be serious with Declan. Because even if the feelings are real, they’ll go away when he realizes I can’t—that I can’t give him children.”
“You don’t know that,” she said. “Not unless you tell him. I know you think he’ll be just like Gianni, that he’ll react the same way, but Declan is different.”
“Different,” I said. “How can you possibly know that?”
“Honey, sometimes you just get a feeling about people. I don’t know how I know, but I do. Does Salem know?”
I nodded.
“And your friends?”
I shook my head. “No. I wasn’t ready to . . . Gianni’s cousin—Nico—he called the other day to ask what shifts I wanted when the renovation of the restaurant is over. His family knows Gianni and I split up, but they don’t know the reason why.”
“You sure they don’t know?”
“Yeah, he would’ve said something. Gianni’s mother would’ve called. His sisters. But so far it’s been radio silence. I’m mourning the loss of them too.”
“What did you tell Nico? About the shifts?”
“I quit over the phone.” I smiled, but it was bitter.
“I do have some pride and I wasn’t willing to work there and see everyone and stew in my own dirty laundry.
Nico offered to call other restaurants and get me a job, but I said not to bother because I didn’t know when I was coming back to New York. I told him I was home for a visit.”
“Do you want to go back to New York?”
“Not particularly.”
“But you’re not sure staying here is the right choice either,” she finished.
“You get it,” I said.
“I get it.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Do you want my advice or do you just want to vent?”
I raised my brows. “You’re asking for permission? Instead of offering it freely? That’s new.”
She tweaked my nose and smiled. “We all have opinions. Very few people actually want to hear the truth.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for the truth.” I sighed. “Lay it on me.”
“This is your home. In good times and bad. Sure, you might’ve come home to heal and maybe to hide a little.
But this thing you’re doing with Declan .
. . that shouldn’t be the reason you run back to New York.
It shouldn’t be the reason you stay, either.
Stay because you love it. Stay because this is the right place for you.
Stay because this place is in your blood. ”
I thought about what she said and nodded slowly. “Can you not—please don’t tell Dad what I told you. I’ll tell him—in my own time. When I’m ready to face it. Right now, I just . . .”
“I understand. This stays between you and me.”
I sighed in relief.
“But it seems the town now knows you’re running around with Declan. It’s only a matter of time before Connor finds out the truth. And he should hear you’re with Declan from you before he hears it from someone in town.”
“Ugh. You’re right about that. He’s going to fire Declan, isn’t he?”
“Probably.” She shrugged. “But that was a risk you were both willing to take. You’re adults and you can make your own decisions. That doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences to those decisions.”
“Adulting. Zero out of ten, do not recommend.”
She gently patted my cheek. “You’re going to be fine, Hadley. You’ll figure it out.”
I wasn’t sure if she was talking about my relationship with Declan or my infertility.