Kae
I felt much better after our talk in the bed of his truck.
While neither of us outwardly confirmed we were going to simply be real together, our conversation brought a lightness between us. Lifted a heavy veil I wasn’t aware existed.
“Looks like we’re meeting at Zane’s instead,” Hemming says as we drive back into town.
Zane’s is Forever’s sports grill restaurant. I’m not sure of any sports that exist in Montana but apparently the people thought small town Forever needed a place to watch games. “Guess we could have gone to the diner for breakfast, after all. Although I’d have stuffed my face on French toast and wouldn’t have had room for lunch, anyway.” I rebraid my hair quickly, not minding that it has a lived-in look to it.
Hemming chuckles beside me and when he holds out his hand, palm up, over the center console, I stare at it a second before placing my hand in his.
He squeezes our clasp once.
“There’s a town meeting this Friday.”
“Oh?” I look over at him. “Is it like...something all the residents go to, or...?”
“I don’t think Tucker’s been to one, but it could be worthwhile. Get to meet more people in town...” He catches my apprehension. “We can go together. Sit in the back of the room. Hear what has to be said. Maybe you can even bring up the bakery. Get people excited about it coming.”
“I really have to get started on that,” I say on a sigh. “I should start baking again. Making sure my recipes are up to par. You sure you don’t like cake?”
His grimace makes me giggle. “A couple bites of cake isn’t going to make your eight pack a six pack, Hemming.” Suddenly, an idea hits. “Oh! What if I figure out a way to make cakes with your protein powder and stuff? But will people want that? Obviously, we’re not talking full sheet cakes, but maybe small batches of cupcakes or something. I could do petit fours, but those may be too small. One bite and you’re gonna want a cupcake anyway.”
When I look over at him, Hemming has a big smile on his face.
“What?”
“You,” he answers, glancing at me briefly. “Ten minutes ago, you were dreading baking again, and now you have a new menu.”
“Would you taste test things if I put your icky powders in them? Because let me tell you, I’ve tried whey powder once and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
“I’ll try them.”
“We’ll have to go to the store if I’m going to start baking. I have a lot I’m going to need. Well, just enough to work through recipes. I’ll get the big stuff when the store is closer to opening. Then I’ll get the industrial sized things. That’s something else I have to do. Figure out the best ovens and appliances. Gosh, I have so much to do.”
“Considering you haven’t even started finalizing plans on the build-out, I think you have some time.”
“I’ll talk with Casey again tomorrow. I think we have too much going on today.”
“Kate designed her bookstore.”
I’m getting better at keeping up with how Hemming switches topics. “Like...she did, or she had ideas that someone else made reality?”
“No, I’m pretty sure it was all her. I guess before they came to Forever, Kate was going to school for interior architecture. I know you’ve avoided talking to her since we’ve been in town, but maybe you two have more in common than you think. You can talk books, and maybe she’ll be able to help you figure out the interior of your store.”
“...Maybe.”
“Give her a chance, babe. You need more friends than just me.”
“You’re assuming I consider you a friend.” My goodness, once my guard is down it’s so easy to tease with him, and his answering chuckle tells me he knows I’m joking.
Downtown Forever has a main street, which is where my bakery will be. However, one end of the street has a large field, and the other end has a T-intersection that butts up to the town square. All the parking around the square is parallel parking and after driving around the square and seeing every spot taken, Hemming brings the truck back to Main Street, where he parks in front of Between the Pages.
“Looks like Kate got her sign up,” Hemming notices as he puts the truck in park. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been incredibly astute when it comes to things downtown.
He waits for me at the front and takes my hand as we walk past Bailey’s then cross the street. Zane’s is on the opposite side of the park.
There’s a pathway in the square that leads to a gazebo, but we take the outer sidewalk and when we reach the north end, we cross the street once more.
“Do you think we should be jay walking in front of the police station?” I ask curiously, glancing to the building that wraps around the north west corner of the square. It houses the police station, fire station, and is the town’s courthouse.
“Eh, no one’s watching.”
Zane’s is a large brick building and has two patio dining areas, one in the front and one on the opposite end. Neither appears to have patrons, but the TVs are on.
Hemming releases my hand when he pulls open the door, but only so he can place it on the small of my back. Walking inside, the restaurant isn’t the brightest I’ve been in, but it has a fun atmosphere. There’s one extra-large television screen—that’s actually made up of nine screens, I realize, looking closer. There are also normal-sized television screens around the perimeter.
At the small increase of pressure to my back, I focus and realize Tucker is waving us down.
It’s just him at the table, but the door opens behind us before we can make our way. Glancing over my shoulder, I see it’s Tanner and Kate.
Hemming gives Kate a side hug before slapping hands with Tanner.
“Hey, Hemingway,” Tanner responds.
“Back to that, are we?”
Tanner shrugs. “As long as you’re not getting us in trouble.”
“It was never me getting us in trouble,” Hemming scoffs although he’s grinning.
I try to smile at the comradery but my heart is beginning to race. When Hemming takes my hand again, I look over at him and he gives me a wink. “It’s okay,” he mouths.
The four of us make our way to the tables that have been pushed together to accommodate a large party. Behind the tables is a wall that separates the waitstaff and grill from the restaurant. Hemming lets Tanner and Kate choose their spots first, and I’m not surprised to see Tanner choose a spot by the wall.
It faces the door. From what I understand of former military members, I’m sure those seats are a hot commodity. A fight on who doesn’t have their back to the door.
He sits on the outside and Kate sits beside him, and when Hemming allows me to pick a seat, I decide I’d rather be sandwiched between Kate and Hemming, than to potentially be forced to sit next to someone else I’m really not comfortable with.
My choice seems to please Hemming, because even though he’s talking to Tucker, who stands next to us, he winks down at me as I sit.
Hemming lowers himself into the chair beside me, throwing his arm over the back of mine.
Tucker sits in the chair at the head, or side, of the table. “Carter just dropped off Wilson. Said she’s closing him in the bathroom with some of his things. She’ll be here in a few minutes after picking up Jensen. Eli and Bryce are coming by too.”
A waitress comes over to get our drink orders while we wait, and I try hard to focus on the conversation going on around me. I have my hands clasped tightly in my lap, and when Hemming moves his arm from my chair to my shoulder, his hand lightly squeezes until I look over at him.
He leans in before talking for my ears only, “Take a breath, Kae. You’ve got this.”
“I’m breathing.”
His brows go up. “Hardly.”
The Douglas sisters arrive then, and Jensen sits on the corner next to Tucker, and Carter sits directly across from me. Bryce is the next to arrive, followed by Eli. I’m introduced to those I haven’t met, and soon everyone is talking and sipping on waters.
I learn that Jensen is due to get her black cast off next week. Apparently, it’s been on for a really long time and she’s more than ready to have it off. Carter talks about her trip to Wisconsin, where a friend of hers recently discovered she’s pregnant with triplets. I guess the friend already has twins.
Talk about a shock factor.
Hemming talks across the table to Eli about our flight with Jack, while Jensen chats to Carter beside her. Tucker, Tanner, and Bryce have a conversation, and Kate occasionally offers her opinion on whatever they’re talking about.
All the conversations and how they crisscross around the table is hard to keep up with, but I try to give my attention to everyone, even if I don’t have anything to add.
“How’s the bakery plans coming along?” Tucker asks me.
I’m caught off guard at being narrowed in on. “Oh, I haven’t really... I’ve been thinking but kind of paused this week after talking with the design girl.”
“She’s going to be working on recipes,” Hemming says. “We’re headed to the grocery store later to grab all the things she needs, so if anyone wants to taste test, you’re welcome at our place this week.”
For a second, I’m annoyed that he offered our house—the one place I haven’t felt nerves outside of the confusion between Hemming and me—but then I take a deep breath. He didn’t mean anything negative by it, and he’s welcome to invite people into our home.
“He’s afraid he’ll lose his eight pack,” I say, timidly glancing around the table.
Everyone laughs and I feel myself relaxing. “It’s not like I’m making him eat full sheet cakes. I figured I’d test with cupcakes. I could go mini, but you can’t really determine if a cake is good or not with a two-bite cupcake.”
“I could absolutely determine if it’s good with a two-bite cupcake,” Kate says beside me. “And then I’ll ask for twenty more just to be certain.”
“Kate has a sweet tooth,” Tanner grins. “You could probably make big cakes and Kate would happily eat every morsel.”
“Kate! Is that a ring?” Jensen says, leaning into the table, and the conversation moves from me to the fact Kate and Tanner are newly engaged.
As I relax, Hemming’s arm around my shoulder drops so he can tug me to lean into him, where he presses his lips to my temple. I can hear his unspoken words of encouragement, and I smile to myself.
Soon, appetizers are dropped off and everyone digs into the mozzarella sticks, chips with salsa, queso, and guac, and potato skins. The conversation never falters, and I find that I’m enjoying myself.
Appetizers move into a full lunch, where I steal the pickle spear off Hemming’s plate while he’s not looking.
Of course, he notices right away.
“Did you take my pickle?” he asks, his eyes narrowed but not an ounce of malice in his expression.
My eyes wide, I shake my head, trying to feign innocence. “Nope. Wasn’t me.”
He takes my wrist and lifts it. I grin wide as I try to take my hand back. “What are you doing, Hemming?”
“Smelling your fingers.”
“Hemming, we’re in a restaurant!” I whisper while trying to hold back my laughter.
Instead of smelling them for pickle juice, he slides his fingers between mine and puts our clasped hands on his thigh, before turning his attention back to the conversation he was participating in.
Time goes by faster than I thought it would. I learn more about the Douglas siblings, including the ones who aren’t here. Hunter, who I met in Virginia, seems to be a sore spot with Jensen. Anytime his name is brought up, the nineteen year old scowls.
The other Douglas sibling who isn’t here, Jace, is apparently due to get out of the Navy in a few months. The last time he was home, something big happened between him and his best friend, Finn. I didn’t catch it—it’s not easy keeping up with the conversations—but I think Finn’s a girl.
I guess it’s Jace’s friends who are somehow connected to the case I wound up in, and while no one goes into detail, it sounds like those friends, Beau and Jay, are also on the list to join Douglas Group and will be arriving to Montana in a few weeks.
After the check is paid, we all walk toward the doors. Some were able to get parking closer, and Hemming and I are the only ones who parked over on Main Street.
“Kae! I’m serious,” Kate calls out after Hemming and I already begin to pull away from the group. “I will eat all of the cake. All of it. I’ll bring cookies.”
“Store bought,” Tanner clarifies. “But cookies are her love language.”
My mood is up greatly, and I can’t help but smile as Hemming and I walk back to the other side of the square.
“See, it wasn’t that bad. Once you warmed up, you were a natural.”
“I’ll get better,” I promise. “I think our conversation before helped, too. I wasn’t worried, thinking about what you were doing, and what was real and what wasn’t.”
“All real,” he reassures with a squeeze of my hand.
He walks me to my side of the truck and helps me inside. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping he’s kiss me again like he did outside The Main Bean, but I don’t allow myself to be disappointed when he doesn’t.
As Hemming reverses out of our angled parking spot, he says, “Let’s go get the car out of the way. Hopefully we’re not in Billings too long, and then we can go rescue your cat from the bathroom.”
“It was smart of Carter to lock him in there. There’s a good chance we wouldn’t be able to find him otherwise. When he was a kitten, I once lost him, only to find he’d found an opening in the corner, where my cupboards met, and he wiggled up into that space to hide. He’s not a scaredy cat by any means, but it’s a new place for him, and after his road trip, I’m positive he’d try to find a place to hide.”
“Once you’re sure he’s good, then we can go into Laurel.”
Laurel, I’ve learned, is the next biggest town, between Forever and Billings.
Forever’s grocery store is a smaller mom and pop place called The Market and probably won’t have everything I need.
At least, not in the quantities I need it.
We drive away from downtown Forever, Tucker and Tanner’s trucks in the distance in front of us, and a feeling of happiness fills me.
Hemming’s been right all along.
It’s all going to be okay.