Page 29

Eden

“ I spent years wishing my brothers would come back to Rush Creek,” Hanna says. “And now I want to send them all back where they came from.”

Laughter ripples through the group of women gathered in Mari’s living room.

I’ve been camping out in Mari and Kane’s guest room for two weeks now, ever since they helped me set up the quilt exhibit and move my stuff out of Paul’s condo and into storage.

I found a new place to live, but I can’t move in till October.

Mari insisted I stay with them until then, and I took her up on her offer, temporarily moving in with her, Kane, and their two littles, four-year-old Zara and two-year-old Zayden.

I was thrilled when Mari roped me into tonight’s activity.

She and her friends—mostly her brothers-in-law’s wives and girlfriends (Wilders and Wilders-to-be) and Hanna’s brothers’ wives and girlfriends (Hotts and Hotts-to-be)—get together to watch K-dramas once a week.

They just started a new one— Crash Course in Romance —so it was the perfect time for me to join the fray.

We’ve just finished watching and discussing, and the conversation has turned to the Hott brothers.

“What are they doing to annoy you now?” Lucy inquires of Hanna.

Lucy’s a mom of two and the marketing genius behind Rush Creek’s highly successful Wilder Adventures outdoors business.

She’s also one of those women who’s so perfectly put together that you could hate her, until you realize that she’s absolutely unjudgy and incredibly kind and generous.

“They have opinions ,” Hanna says darkly.

“It’s a too-many-cooks problem,” Sonya, Hanna’s sister-in-law, says.

“They all have ideas about what direction to grow the business in, according to their own passions. Quinn thinks we should take the Hott Spot–branded cosmetic lines national. Shane thinks—” She turns to her not-yet-but-almost sister-in-law, Ivy.

“Shane thinks we should hire out the whole ranch regularly as a movie set,” Ivy says, rolling her eyes. “Because that’s what Rush Creek needs—Hollywood descending en masse.”

“Preston thinks we should turn some of the land back over to ranching and possibly run part of the resort dude-ranch style,” Natalie supplies.

Preston is the oldest Hott brother, and Natalie is his girlfriend.

The will required them to work together to create a regular schedule of fun resort activities—which was Natalie’s dream job but apparently a tough slog for driven, workaholic Preston.

Seems like it’s worked out okay for him, though, because he and Natalie are now head over heels for each other and waiting to close on their new house in Rush Creek.

“And Rhys probably wants to open a Hott Springs Eternal divorce-consulting business,” I say dryly. “End-to-end service.”

All eyes turn to me. I bite my lip. Way to go, Eden. I basically just took the “girlfriend” role in this conversation, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

Well. Not the furthest .

But one kiss followed by mutually deciding that it was a terrible idea does not a girlfriend make.

“Actually,” Hanna says, her eyes on my face, “he suggested I add a marital-counseling element to the resort. He thinks all couples should have easy access to pre-marriage counseling during the planning phase.” Her gaze sharpens. “What did you do to my brother?”

“Maybe he decided it would be a good idea to make sure no more grooms got last-minute ideas?” I hazard.

“I can’t believe your ex-fiancé took off with your quilts!” Natalie says, a frown creasing her pretty round face. “What kind of asshole A) jilts someone and B) doesn’t check to make sure that her stuff isn’t in his car?!”

I’m not surprised they’ve heard the story. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of Rush Creek knew it. This town is small, and gossip moves fast.

“Paul’s a pretty big asshole,” I affirm. “At the moment, I’m feeling like I dodged a bullet. And also? Like maybe I should have dodged it earlier. I definitely convinced myself I had some feelings for him that in retrospect I probably didn’t.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Sonya says. “We’ve all been there—staying too long when we should have called it.”

I shoot her a grateful smile, then sigh. “I do still have to return all the gifts. Or,” I say, rethinking, “make him do it.”

“Yes!” Reggie—Sonya’s bestie—fist pumps. “Make him do it.”

There’s a chorus of murmured agreement.

“What I can’t believe,” Natalie says, “is that you road tripped with Rhys . Wasn’t he your husband’s divorce lawyer? Talk about awkward.”

“Yeah,” I admit. “It was at first. But he’s a good guy. Not every wedding planner would haul ass all the way to Sioux Falls to rescue stray quilts.”

Hanna shakes her head. “Or he was desperately hoping he wouldn’t be the brother who finally lost the land and the business.”

I must be staring at her blankly, because she says, “You know. The will.”

“I know about the will,” I say. “But what about the land and the business?”

“Those were the terms,” she says. “Rhys has to make every wedding he was assigned come off smoothly, or the Hott land will automatically pass to Blue Iron Mining, and obviously if that happens, they’ll shut down my?—”

“Hanna,” Sonya murmurs, and she freezes.

The other women shift in their seats, giving off that contagious unease that happens when someone in the group has stepped in it.

“You didn’t know.” Sonya’s voice is gentle as she takes in my expression. “He didn’t tell you what the consequences were.”

I shake my head. “I had…no idea.”

“Shit,” Hanna says.

“So if I didn’t get back together with Paul—because I didn’t get back together with Paul—you’re going to lose the land and your business?”

“No,” Hanna says forcefully. “That’s not going to happen. Rhys won’t let that happen. He’s negotiating with Weggers. Talking to another lawyer friend. He’ll get it sorted.”

“God,” I say. “I am so, so sorry. I ruined everything for you. For your family.”

“No, you didn’t,” Hanna said. “My grandfather and Arthur Weggers and this goddamned will did. You didn’t do anything wrong. You couldn’t have acted any differently from how you did. None of us wanted for you to go through with a wedding that wasn’t right for you. Not to a guy like that.”

The rest of the women are nodding and humming and being unbelievably kind and generous considering most of their jobs—or husbands’ or friends’ jobs—depend on the continued survival of Hott Springs Eternal.

Meanwhile something else has become clear to me. Why Rhys was so nice to me, so solicitous. Why he followed me every last step of the journey, right to Grace’s doorstep. Because he was still hoping I’d get back together with Paul, so he could save his family’s land and his sister’s business.

And I was so pathetically grateful.

I kissed him.

Oh, God, what an idiot I am.

“Where are you going?!” Hanna demands, but I’m already grabbing my coat and shoving my feet into my shoes.

“There are a few things I need to say to your brother,” I tell her.