Wyatt
Will you be picking me up at the airport? My dad wants to know if he should come.
Wyatt!
Are you going to answer me?
I stared at the last three text messages that my best friend Sadie had sent me the day before. I hadn’t answered them right away because I was mad at her, though I was loath to admit that to anyone. She’d been in Idaho for three weeks doing who knew what, and I hadn’t heard from her in two weeks until yesterday.
As I looked at the phone, I saw the three dots pop up on the screen indicating she was texting me again. I grinned as I waited for her new message. There was something eternally satisfying about having someone wait anxiously on your response. I supposed I was a shitty friend for making her wait, but I never claimed to be perfect.
Wyatt Hamilton, answer me right now!!!
I was about to respond when I decided to call her instead. She answered right away.
“Why didn’t you respond to my texts, Wyatt?”
I could picture the exact look on her face. I’d grown up having her annoyed at me at least once a week.
“I was busy. I don’t just sit around waiting for your texts all day.” Which was true and made it even more grating that she hadn’t bothered texting me before now.
“Whatever. Are you picking me up or what?”
“I’m surprised you’re coming back already with all the gallivanting you’ve been doing around Boise.”
“I was in Idaho Falls.”
“Same difference.”
“So are you telling me to stay here?” Her voice rose.
I frowned. Was she serious? I would die of boredom if she stayed another three weeks in Idaho. What was she doing anyway? Picking potatoes? “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“I emailed it to you.”
“I don’t live on email. Tell me the flight number and time and I’ll be there.”
“I knew you missed me.”
“You know nothing, Sadie Johnson.” I laughed, unable to stay mad for long. Sadie and I had been best friends since we were five years old and went to kindergarten together. We had known each other since birth, though, as our mothers were good friends. But on the first day of kindergarten, another boy had been making fun of me, and Sadie had marched right up and told him off. She’d told him she was going to fight him if he continued being mean to me and that had been all it took. From that day, we’d been tied at the hip. All the way through high school. We’d even gone to the same college, and while we both had other friends and our own lives, we’d always been each other’s number ones.
“Text me the details, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her. “Maybe we can grab some barbeque when you get back. I’ve been craving ribs.”
“You’re always craving something.” She laughed. “How are Olivia and Beau doing? Did he start building the ranch yet?”
“It’s only been three weeks since you’ve been gone. Everything is the same.”
Beau was my eldest brother, and he had recently gotten engaged to Olivia, who was best friends with my brother Austin’s fiancée, Lucy. Beau and Austin were the oldest of the seven Hamilton boys, and they still treated me like a kid, but at twenty-five, I was ready to take on a lot more responsibility at the ranch. I wasn’t just the baby of the family. And now that we were having a cash flow issue, all of us brothers were back at the ranch and trying to figure out our roles.
“Oh, well, I can’t wait to see them. Who knew that Beau and Austin could be so romantic?” Sadie sounded wistful. “Olivia and Lucy are so lucky.”
“They are?” I snorted. “For hooking up with two stinking cowboys?”
“Two cowboys that love them more than life itself,” she said, her voice soft.
I groaned. “Sadie, you’re not going to start going on about love and romance again, are you? How’s about we plan a shooting trip when you get back? That’ll be fun.”
“I don’t want to go hunting.” She sounded annoyed. “I want to find love.” “Anyway, I have to go. My cousin Daisy invited some guys she knows over, and we’re all going to go drinking.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“It’s a great idea that might lead to even better ideas,” she snapped. “I think I’m going to wear a new catsuit I got.”
“A what?”
“You know, what Cat Woman wore in Batman?”
“Sadie, no way in hell are you wearing anything like that, do you hear me?”
“Can’t stop me, Wyatt!” She giggled. “Bye now, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And with that, she hung up. I frowned at the phone. Sadie Johnson had lost her ever-loving mind. I headed out of my bedroom and down the familiar long corridor that led to the kitchen. I could smell bread baking in the oven and my stomach growled.
“What you making, Mama?” I asked as I entered the kitchen and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Eloise.”
A little girl was standing next to my mom with flour on her hands and in her light blonde hair. Eloise and her Aunt Arya were staying with us. She was a cute kid, and I could tell that my mom loved her, but that just made me worried for the day Eloise and Arya would leave. Mom already moaned about needing grandkids on a daily basis.
“Pot roast in the oven, along with some sourdough bread.” She beamed at me. “Eloise wanted to try her hand at making some shortbread cookies.”
“Yummy.” I grinned. “Save some for me.”
“I will.” Eloise beamed at me. “Is Auntie Sadie coming over for dinner?”
“No,” I shook my head. “She’s still in Idaho.”
“I miss her.” Eloise’s cute little face scrunched up. “I hope she comes home soon.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrugged, feeling Mom’s gaze on me. “Don’t suppose you’ll make me a sandwich, Mom?”
“You have two good hands, Wyatt Hamilton.” She hit me lightly with a dishtowel. “You can make your own sandwich.”
“Yes, Mama.” I laughed and headed to the fridge. “Oh, by the way, I won’t be home for dinner tomorrow night. I’m picking Sadie up from the airport, and then we’re going to go out for barbecue.”
“We can have a barbecue here.” My mom sounded excited. “A welcome home party for Sadie.”
“Mom, she was only gone for three weeks. And if anyone should have a party it should be her parents.”
“Well, you know the Johnsons aren’t into parties,” Mom replied. “Sadie would love it.”
“Maybe we can do something this weekend.” I grabbed some sliced turkey breast from the fridge and some string cheese. “That way everyone can hang out.”
“That’s a good idea.” Mom nodded. “Sadie can invite some of her other friends as well.”
“She doesn’t need anyone other than me.” I grabbed a plate and a napkin and made my way to the kitchen table to take a seat.
“Oh, Wyatt.” Mom looked at me with an almost pitying expression. “You better wise up soon.”
“Huh?” I said with my mouth full.
“Sadie is a woman now. A beautiful woman. Believe me when I say there are many men in town that would like to get to know Sadie Johnson. And when she gets married, I’m afraid she’s not going to need you the same way anymore.”
“What are you talking about? Are you trying to get her married off as well?” I grabbed a can of soda. “Don’t you have enough sons to worry about, without trying to hook Sadie up, too? Shouldn’t Chet be next? He’s your next single son.”
“I’m not trying to hook Sadie up, and I certainly wouldn’t think about trying to hook Chet up. I’m not a busybody.”
“Sure, Mom.” I glanced down at Eloise who was staring at us both, a curious expression on her young face. “You save me some cookies, you hear?”
“Yes, Uncle Wyatt.” She giggled, and I rubbed the top of her head.
“Okay, I need to go. Beau wants me to check on some of the wheat crops. Looks like we might have a locust or grasshopper problem.” I frowned thinking about the damage the insects could cause our cereal crops. With everything else that going on, we couldn’t afford to lose much of our wheat production.
“Good luck, son.” Mom gave me a quick hug. “I know you’ll take care of it.” She smiled warmly at me and then looked into my eyes. “Oh, when you see Sadie tomorrow, please let her know that Shane wants her to call him. I saw his mama in town yesterday, and he’s back home.”
“Shane?”
“Shane Wakefield. Your friend from high school.”
“He was no friend of mine.”
Shane had been one of Sadie’s many crushes, but he was a total douchebag. I certainly wasn’t going to be passing on that message, but I didn’t tell Mama that.