Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Kati

The five of us squished into one of the larger booths inside The Crazy Fox diner. Me, Lucien, Easton, Lyla, and Nolen thought it was best to eat out after two days of being locked down inside my house. I refused to leave Lucien. Easton refused to leave the both of us. Lyla insisted that she too needed to be around just in case, and I still hadn't figured out why Nolen had yet to go back to his own place.

My small house was starting to feel crowded and it was either come here to eat or I would've lost my mind. This seemed like the safer bet.

Although, with the amount of food in the house, we probably should've eaten in. The bad thing about living in a small town, where everyone looked out for each other, meant that by the time we got home from the hospital, Ms. Daisy had started the meal train. People were stopping by left and right dropping off food.

Breakfast? Covered.

Lunch? We could feel an army.

Dinner? Pretty sure I didn't have to cook for a month.

Even Maisie from Wickedly Delicious had dropped off a shit ton of desserts.

My fridge was full. My freezer looked like a game of Jenga. And forget counter space. There wasn't a free spot in sight. Which was another reason we had left the house. The clutter was getting to me.

I had begged Easton to take some food to the office, but he refused. If Nolen didn't take some of it tomorrow when he went in, then I was going to drop it off myself. There was no way the five of us could eat everything. We might as well share it with Easton's co-workers.

"Afternoon. What can I start you off with to drink?"

I nearly did a double take when I recognized the voice.

"Hey, Jo. When did you get back in town?" Josephine was Bee's granddaughter and two years ahead of Lyla and me in school. We never really hung in the same crowd, despite attending a small school, but she was nice whenever we spoke.

"I've been stopping back in more often lately, but officially moved back last week. Grams mentioned needing some help, so I offered while I figured out my next move."

Say her name and the woman herself appeared. Bee slung her old arm around her granddaughter's lean waist and crushed herself to Jo's side. The contrast between the two was startling. Bee was five foot two on a good day, whereas Jo took after her father and was closer to five ten. Jo's olive-colored skin and dark hair were the complete opposite of her grandmother's. I had seen plenty of pictures of Bee in her youth. The woman had porcelain skin and strawberry-blonde hair before going gray.

"Isn't it great to have her back? I've been bugging her for years that Willow Creek was her home, but of course, my grandbaby is stubborn like her mama. Had to go and figure it out on her own."

Jo rolled her eyes at Bee's remark but the small smile on her lips told the real story. Jo always had a soft spot when it came to her grandmother.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone in town knows you get your way, Grams."

"And you better remember that, darling. Now I'll let you get back to work. Kati, I'll stop back soon and see how you're doing. You gave everyone a scare this week. Not nice to do to an old woman."

It wasn't until Bee was halfway across the diner before I found my voice to answer. "It wasn't my fault," I whined, looking at my friends and back at Jo. "Well, it wasn't."

Jo held her hands up in surrender. "You don't need to convince me. Tim Sr. was in here the next day telling anyone who would listen about it. Trust me, he was sure to stress that guy purposely hit you."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Of course, I was the talk of the town again. So much for someone else taking the heat off of me. With any hope, things would die down now that Alejandro was dead and his second-in-command was convinced Lucien wanted no part in Los Cangris.

We gave Jo our drink order and then listened as she told us about the specials, which everyone at the table ordered, including Lyla. When I gave her a questioning look, she explained that she didn't have it in her to spar with Bee today.

“Besides,” she said, “I’m in the mood for some good old-fashion grease and since the special contained bacon, it’s right up my alley.”

"Well, she seems nice." Nolen's gaze bounced between where Jo disappeared into the kitchen and our table. "I expected her to be more outspoken considering who her grandmother is."

Lyla snickered. "Don't let the charm fool you. I've seen Jo bust balls better than most men. She's just more sly about it than Bee. Not to mention the old woman just doesn't care anymore."

Accurate. And rightfully so. Anyone who lives to eighty deserved to tell those around them to fuck off. It was a rite of passage at that point in their life.

The conversation flowed easily, and Nolen and Easton easily fit right in with our group. I had to admit, I enjoyed spending time with all of Easton's friends. They were a good group of guys, and I was proud to have them as examples for my son.

"So does this mean the problems with Los Cangris are over for good?" Lyla asked.

I had forbidden all conversations of Alejandro and his men from the house. Just like the new front door, I wanted things fresh and vibrant. That couldn't happen with depressing talk. Clearly Lyla took that to mean she could ask now that we weren't inside the house.

"Hopefully so. I had a buddy of ours change Lucien's birth certificate and backdate it, so if Manuel does look, it will show Lucien wasn't lying. I also have several people keeping an eye on things. If Manuel makes a move, we’ll know about it."

I looked at my son and the huge smile on his face. He hadn't stopped smiling since Easton asked him if he wanted to truly be a Welch. It was more than I had ever hoped for when it came to my son.

It had always been just the three of us; me, Lucien, and Lyla. But now our family was growing and I couldn't be happier. I had written off marriage, had convinced myself that the people of Willow Creek were enough for us. I wouldn't say I was wrong, but I was happy to expand that family to include Easton and his friends.

"So, no big party? You're going to deny me the opportunity to throw my favorite nephew an adoption party?"

"Umm, I'm your only nephew and I don't want a party."

"Shush. No one asked you." Lyla stuck her tongue out at Lucien, making us all laugh. No one could ever say Lyla was the mature adult in this group.

"Then you're going to be really upset when you learn Mom and Easton plan to get married at the courthouse."

I narrowed my eyes at my son. The little traitor. I would be paying him back for that. Lyla whipped her head in my direction. It was no use trying to ignore her. She would just make a scene, so I met her pissed-off glare.

"Are you f-ing kidding me? I don’t get to be your maid of honor?"

"You can still stand by me at the courthouse. You can even wear a fancy dress, but to answer your first question, no, I'm not kidding. I don't want a big wedding. Easton and I agreed we wanted something small and quick. To us, the actual marriage was more important than the party."

Lyla threw her hands in the air and gave her best mean-mugging look at Easton. He didn't let it faze him in the slightest.

"I can't believe this," Lyla whined.

"What can't you believe, dear?" Bee slid on up to the table.

Where the hell had she come from? For an old woman, she moved awfully quick, and with stealth. It was kind of scary.

"Kati's getting married and she insists on a courthouse wedding."

I was glad my best friend chose not to add Lucien's adoption into her bitch fest. We had agreed as a family to keep that under wraps as much as possible. Secrets were hard to keep in a small town but a few well-placed words in the right ears and everyone would understand the importance of keeping it quiet. We protected our own here in Willow Creek, so I felt comfortable no one would blab.

"A marriage you say?" Bee looked down at my left hand.

Easton cleared his throat. "I'm waiting until I feel comfortable enough to leave the two of them alone before I pick out a ring, but yes, ma'am. There will be a wedding in the near future."

"Smart man. Better to lock the missus down before someone else comes by and snatches her up." Bee turned away to leave, but not before throwing out some final words. "Let me know when this court date is. I'll be sure to feed the town in celebration."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. First, for Bee thinking that anyone else could possibly win my heart. Easton had been lucky enough. I’d kept that shit bottled up tight for fifteen years. And second, she just offered to cater a wedding for me. A wedding that wasn't supposed to be more than just family and Easton's friends.

"Ha!" Lyla pumped her fist in the air. "I knew Bee would take my side. Take that, bestie! You're getting a wedding reception whether you like it or not!"

I found Easton's amused gaze. Maybe Lyla was right. I could still get the small wedding I wanted, but if the town wanted to celebrate after, then who was I to tell them no?

I mouthed I love you to Easton and smiled at the way his eyes melted at my words. I would never get tired of telling this man how happy I was he showed up on my front porch that day. Forgetting to set my alarm had been one of the best things to happen to me.