Page 83 of Rocky Mountain Home

He relaxed like a balloon losing its air. “Oh, you mean Blake.”

What the hell? Dare twisted on the spot, peering into his face as she demanded answers. “Which brother did you think I was talking about?”

He shrugged.

No way. Dare shot to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Look, buddy. I am one thin thread away from losing it. The only reason I came—”

She cut herself off. She didn’t need to explain herself, he did.

Jesse caught her by the hips and pulled her back into his lap, curling an arm around her shoulders so he could press her against his chest. He enveloped her like a cocoon, and it was easier to give in than to stop him.

Being held gave her a probably unfounded sensation of stability in the middle of her current life chaos.

“Blake didn’t do anything wrong.” Jesse spoke softly, the crackling wood in the fire pit punctuating his words.

Dare pushed back, ready to protest when loud greetings rose from the arbour entrance—an unfamiliar male voice followed by a female one.

“Hey, awesome. Jesse’s already got the fire going. Bring the hotdogs.”

“Warning, incoming horde.”

An extremely pregnant blonde made her way toward the benches. Behind her a couple of men marched, one of them obviously a Coleman, bags of food dangling from their hands.

In under thirty seconds, at least a dozen other people had joined her and Jesse, and her questions were lost as she scrambled to slip off his lap and make sure all her bits and pieces were in place and covered.

The blonde woman smiled invitingly. “Once I finish waddling my way over to you, you can decide if you want a hug or not. I’m Ashley.”

“Is it possible to hug you without making you pop like a tube of toothpaste?” Jesse asked, rising to his feet with his arm around Dare.

Ashley lifted her middle finger toward him and kept moving toward Dare. “That’s your one free comment about my baby belly, Jesse. Next one, you’ll find yourself out moping in the backfield with the rest of the brand-new steers.”

A low hiss escaped all the guys in the vicinity.

“Oh! I understood that one.” An older woman with long dark hair turned excitedly to the lady settling next to her on the bench. “Steers are what you call a bull after you cut off their testicles.”

Ashley rolled her eyes, but she smiled as she motioned toward the two women. “Dare, I’d like you to meet my mama, Tina, and my mom, Skyler. They’re a little excited by all the country-isms we keep tossing their way.”

“If you’d speak English, we wouldn’t have a problem,” the blonde-haired Skyler answered with a firm shake of her finger in Ashley’s direction before waving a greeting to Dare.

“Nice to meet you both,” Dare offered, glancing between the women. “Do you live in Rocky as well?”

Tina shook her head. “Just here until the baby arrives then we’re headed back to Oregon.”

“Or a month later,” Skyler added innocently. “You know, after Ashley’s back on her feet.”

Dare found herself back on the bench beside Jesse, both of them being handed long roasting sticks with hotdogs already stuck on the end.

Ashley settled on Dare’s other side. She ignored the crowd of people for a moment, leaning in closer to speak privately. “Sorry for interrupting your tête-à-tête.”

“No problem.” Dare refrained from sharing they’d probably prolonged Jesse’s life by arriving when they did. “Should I expect more Colemans to turn up?”

“Not tonight. Let me put names to the faces for you.” Ashley glanced around the circle, pointing as she spoke. “That blond one’s mine, and so is the Coleman beside him—Cassidy and Travis. Next are Daniel and Beth. Their three boys will stop running wild and settle down in a minute to start eating everything that doesn’t move, so guard your hotdog. I heard you met Mike, Marion earlier today, and those are the twins, Rebecca and Rachel. You know Vicki, and that’s Joel, so that’s the lot for now.”

Dare turned toward Joel, fascinated to see a second Jesse watching her solemnly.

The Coleman resemblance was strong between all the men—Travis and Mike were cookie cutters from different generations, but the twins…

“Whoa.” Dare attempted to seem nonchalant, but it was tough.