Chapter 7

 

Sunday night dinner was a tradition in the Hayes family for as long as Kate could remember. As a teenager, it used to annoy her that she had to make sure to be home by six o’clock on Sunday so they all could sit down as a family. She hated leaving her friends, but now that she was older, she looked forward to it. Her brothers and sisters all had so much going on, and it was hard to get them all together.

It had been awhile since Cooper had attended, and from what she’d heard through the grapevine, it seemed as if he might be there to stay, at least until the next adventure came knocking. Hopefully it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

She was about to walk in when Cooper flung the door open. Kate let out a surprised yelp as he scooped her up in a big bear hug. Cooper had never shied away from publicly displaying his love for his family. Kate laughed as he swung her around before placing her back on solid ground.

“What was that for?” Kate asked.

“I’m just happy to be home.”

Kate pressed the back of her hand to Cooper’s forehead. “You feeling okay?”

He swatted her hand away with a smile. “Can’t a guy be happy to be home?”

“Of course he can, but you have never been happy to be home. You get antsy when you’re stuck in one place for too long.”

“Nothing wrong with wanting a little adventure in your life.”

“I know, and I love that you follow your heart and go wherever the wind takes you. I just wish it would bring you home a little more often.”

“Well, I’m here now. Don’t start planning my departure just yet.”

“I won’t,” she said and pulled Cooper in for another hug. As she pulled back, she felt something nudge her leg. She looked down to see Lady, Hadley’s newest foster dog. She was a senior golden cocker spaniel with curls on her droopy ears and a sweetness to her face that made Kate just want to rain kisses on her snout.

“Hi, good girl,” Kate said and bent down to kiss and pet her. Lady jumped up, placing her two front paws on Kate’s thigh.

“She likes you,” Hadley said, and Kate could see the notion taking form in Hadley’s mind.

“Yes, she does,” Kate said giving Lady one last kiss on the snot before standing. “But no.”

“No what?”

“I don’t need a dog.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“It’s written all over your face, sis,” Cooper said, swirling his finger.

“Dogs are good for the soul.”

Kate’s eyebrow arched, and she turned toward Hadley. “Are you saying my soul isn’t good?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Cooper crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “But you insinuated it.” Cooper always loved to instigate, and if there was ever a medal for such an honor, he would win hands down.

Hadley narrowed her eyes at their brother. “Don’t you have a country you need to fly off to?”

“I’m finding the entertainment here at home much more interesting.”

Mason walked over, looking back and forth between Kate and Hadley. “What’d I miss?”

Cooper grabbed Mason’s shoulder and leaned forward to give the details. “Hadley thinks Kate needs a dog to save her soul.”

“She needs a hell of a lot more than a dog,” Mason said, and Kate gasped.

“Need I remind you that I’m the good one?”

Her siblings all burst out a laugh.

“Like that time you told me my Buzz Lightyear would fly and threw it out the window,” Cooper said. “It didn’t fly.”

“Oh my god, that was twenty years ago. And he only lost an arm. It made it more authentic to the movie if you ask me.”

“Or the time you put scented oils in my chemistry set,” Mason added. “My room stunk for weeks. Every time I smell roses, I have flashbacks.”

“I wanted to make my own perfume. I didn’t mean to spill the bottle on your carpet.” Kate let out an annoyed sigh. “What else? Don’t stop now. Hadley it’s your turn. Let’s see. What could it be that you’ve been holding against me my entire life?” Kate strummed her fingers on her chin. “The time I dyed your Barbie’s hair with food coloring because I didn’t want to ruin mine? Or the time I ditched you at the movies because I wanted to be alone with my friends? Or maybe it was the time I told Sam you snored.”

“You told him I snored? I don’t snore!”

“You did when you had that nasty cold in ninth grade. Besides, you knew that. That’s why he called you Rumbles.”

Hadley’s eyes widened then narrowed. “That’s why he called me that?”

“On that note,” Mason said and patted Cooper on the back. Both brothers escaped to the kitchen as Kate stood there staring back at her sister. She could see the annoyance in the set of her face, but she couldn’t really be mad. It happened a million years ago.

“It’s not a big deal,” Kate assured her.

“No wonder he looks at me like one of the guys.”

Kate laughed and maybe a little too loudly because the black ring around Hadley’s slate blue eyes darkened. “Because it has nothing to do with the fact that you throw back beers like they’re water, constantly wear jeans that are caked in mud and god only knows what else, and you drive a beat to hell pickup truck. You’re right. It’s the snoring.”

“Shut up.”

“What am I missing?” their grandmother, Betty, asked as she squeezed in between the two of them.

“Hadley thinks her snoring is the reason people think she’s ‘one of the guys’.” Kate made sure to omit Sam’s name. It might not have been a secret for anyone with eyes that Hadley had it bad for their brother’s best friend, but it wasn’t discussed out loud.

“Your grandpa snores like he’s sawing logs.”

Hadley sucked in a startled breath, and Kate stifled a laugh.

“Anywho.” Betty took Hadley’s face in her hand, turning it from side to side. “With a face like that and boobs as perky as yours, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Hadley’s face went from beautiful porcelain to boiled lobster and their grandmother slapped her on the rear. “Now go take that cute fanny of yours outside. Your parents are grilling and your grandfather is about to sneak some of Mason’s new batch. Go keep him company.”

Hadley didn’t hesitate and hurried off. Kate went to follow, but her grandmother’s hand wrapped around her wrist, halting her.

“Did you need something?” Kate asked.

“Is that anyway to greet your dear old grandma who will probably be dead in a few years?”

“Grandma, don’t say that. We all know the world could come to an end, and you’ll still be standing.”

Betty laughed, loud and boisterous. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“But you’re right,” Kate said and leaned in to give Betty a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Grandma.”

“That’s better. Now tell me dear. How are things going with Caleb?”

Liquid fire flooded Kate’s body at the mention of his name. She could almost feel the strength of his hands holding her against him. The slide of his tongue against hers, the slick heat of him pressing inside her. Then the memory of him walking away was like a bucket of ice being dumped over her head. Anger swirled with disappointment and frustration; an awful combination that made her want to forget that morning in his office. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. There was something about Caleb James that seeped into her mind, body, and soul and marked her, making it impossible to not think of him.

“What things? There are no things?” she blurted.

Betty’s eyebrow arched, and she patted Kate’s hand. “By the looks of it there are plenty of things.”

“He’s a jerk.”

“So was your grandfather. I nearly smacked him over the head that first time I met him, but I married him anyway.”

“Grandpa is not a jerk.” Harold Hayes was a loving man with a heart of gold that would do anything for his family. In his old age, he did tend to lose his temper more, but it was usually directed toward an inanimate object that he couldn’t seem to fix. Never at any of them.

Betty smiled lighting a spark in her blue eyes. “Sometimes the biggest jerks are hiding the biggest hearts. You just need to figure out what they’re hiding behind and why.”

“And sometimes a jerk is just a jerk.”

“True, but I have a feeling that boy is much more.”

Deep in Kate’s gut, she had a feeling her grandmother was right.

After dinner, they gathered out on the back deck, looking out across the farm. It was a hot, humid day, but as the sun began its descent into the horizon, the temperatures cooled, leaving them with a beautiful night.

“Kind of quiet here without Matt and Shay,” Kate said as Mason sat beside her with a beer in hand. Their older brother and his bride were away on their honeymoon. Three nights in Maine, since neither of them wanted to be too far or too long away from their jobs.

“Enjoy it while you can.” He didn’t show an ounce of emotion on his face, but Kate knew he was joking. He leaned back on his chair, tipping his glass to his lips.

He would always be her little brother, but watching him turn into the man he was made her proud. He’d followed his dreams just like she’d done a few years back and come fall, he would be a business owner just like her.

“I was thinking…” Kate said.

“Did it hurt?”

She ignored the quip. “I was thinking of making some custom growlers and was wondering if you’d sell them when you open the brewery?”

“Depends. You going to pay me?”

“I can give you a percentage.”

“I’m kidding,” Mason said with a shake of his head. “You’ve known me my whole life. I’m never serious.”

“It’s still hard to tell. You’re a weird one.”

“Thank you. But in all honesty, I would love that. I actually wanted to talk to you about it, but then Matt and Shay decided to get married and things got a little hectic.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Watching you go after your dream and refusing to give up until you made it happen…what can I say? It inspired me, gave me the push I needed to say screw it and go for it. So, if you want a display in my brewery, you got it. It’s the least I can do.”

“Are you being serious?”

Mason slumped back into his chair. “I can’t even be nice when I try.”

Kate leaned over and wrapped Mason in a hug. He froze for a second then patted her awkwardly on the back.

“Thank you.”