Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Briar

I walk into The Getaway Lodge, and Ben's Aunt Darla stands up from a plush chair in the sitting area. It's nestled beside another chair, near a large sofa in front of a fireplace that isn't currently on. The Getaway Lodge is cozy and welcoming with light-colored walls and dark floors.

"Briar." She already has her arms open wide on her way over to me.

What's with this family and hugging?

But she's my new boss, so I let her envelop me in a hug and squeeze me so tightly I fear I'll break. "Hi, Mrs. Owens."

She pulls back but holds me by my upper arms. "Oh no, you don't. I'm Darla."

I smile. "Okay."

"No, say it," she says, lightly squeezing my arms. "Come on now."

"Darla. Thanks for giving me this opportunity."

She releases me, and the anxiety catapulting inside me lessens until she pulls me into her chest again.

She's gorgeous, with dark hair and green eyes that hold so much warmth and love.

"We're so happy to have you." She finally stops hugging me and keeps her hands to herself. "Come on, let's go see Jensen in the kitchen. Did you eat this morning?"

"I had a smoothie," I say. It's the truth, but in reality, I was only able to swallow a few mouthfuls before I started to feel sick.

"A smoothie?" She tsks. "You kids. You need more than that to sustain your day."

I follow her through the building, past a set of curious eyes from behind the front desk.

"No wonder there's nothing to you. I wish I could offer you a few of my pounds, but Mr. Owens…" She stops before a swinging door and eyes me. "Brad to you. He likes me with a little extra to hold on to." She laughs and walks through the door.

The kitchen is amazing, and I'd never guess it was attached to a lodge. Stainless steel is everywhere, and there are a few people walking around, each one in a white coat.

"Jensen!" Darla hollers and weaves through the chaos that looks like the breakfast rush. She pats one guy on the back as she passes. "Good morning, Hayes."

"Mornin', Darla." The blond-haired guy smiles, and his eyes linger on me for a beat before he goes back to his station.

I hate being the newbie.

"Grandma!" A little girl runs over, and Darla opens her arms wide to receive her. She's cute with dirty-blonde hair in braids, although they're slightly crooked in the back, with a zigzag part down the middle.

"Wren, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Darla asks.

"Wren!" a man shouts into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, did everyone forget that this is my workspace?" a guy wiping down the edges of the plates says.

"She saw Mom and got away from me." The man who yelled for the little girl stops when he sees me. "Briar Adams?"

"Yep, she's all grown up." Darla picks up the little girl, and her long legs swing over her grandma's hips.

"Hi, Bennett," I say. "And Wren." I put my hand out to the little girl.

Gillian practically gave me a quiz on who's who on the ranch. Although I went to high school with all of them, they're all older than me, so I wasn't sure they'd remember me.

"You have pretty hair," the little girl says.

"So do you."

"Daddy can't do my hair." Her eyes fixate on my side braid that was about all I could manage this morning.

"If you'd sit still." Bennett shakes his head at me and smiles.

If I have my math right, Bennett is the same age as Emmett. People always asked why their moms would give them names that sound the same when they're so close in age and cousins.

"He can't even do a ponytail. Will you do my hair?" Wren tugs one of her ponytail holders off the end of her braid.

"Wren, you have school," Bennett says.

"I'm sorry, but I have to start my job." I give her an exaggerated frown.

Darla lowers Wren to the floor. "You're fine. Sit down at the table." Darla points at a table that's off to the side. "I'll grab a hairbrush." Darla turns to leave the room.

"No, you won't, Aunt Darla. This is a kitchen. You will not be combing hair, or braiding hair, or whatever." Jenson comes over and greets me with a hug. Another damn hug. "Hey, Briar, welcome. Good to see you."

"Thanks, Jenson. You too."

"You're such a stickler." Darla rolls her eyes. "You need to make Briar something to eat. She only had a smoothie this morning."

Jenson stares down at me. He's tall just like Emmett. "Are you hungry?"

I shake my head.

"She will be in an hour," Darla says.

"Stop shoving food down people's throats, Mom." Bennett puts his hand on Wren's shoulders. "Let's go back into the dining room. Your pancakes are probably cold."

Wren crosses her arms. "Not unless she comes to do my braid like hers."

Bennett glares at his daughter.

Darla laughs. "Hey, it's payback for all the grief you gave me when you were her age. You and Emmett gave me anxiety with all your antics."

I stand in the kitchen, unsure what I should do. I thought I was here to lead yoga classes, but at this point, it seems I'm supposed to braid a little girl's hair and eat breakfast.

"Why don't you head into the dining room? I can make you some eggs. How do you want them?" Jensen steps back over to the work area.

"Um…" Just the thought of eggs makes me want to vomit.

"I get it, but honestly, it's better to make Aunt Darla think you're listening to her." He smirks.

Jensen is kind of cute in that clean-cut way. Maybe it's his chef jacket and meticulous kitchen that makes me think of him as a guy who likes everything neat and orderly. Unfortunately, for some damn reason, I always want the bad boy.

"Oh, look who's starting today."

I close my eyes at Emmett's voice behind me. Jensen laughs.

"Scrambled is fine," I say.

Jenson nods. "Get out of my kitchen, Emmett." He points at the door and directs orders to his staff.

Okay, there's definitely something hot about watching him do that.

"Sorry, he's off-limits," Emmett says, his voice closer now, then I feel the heat of his body behind me.

"Whatever." I circle around, managing to sneak by him and out the door, then I turn right to find the dining room.

Darla has Wren in her lap, braiding her hair while Bennett eats a plate of pancakes that I think must have been Wren's since chocolate chips and whipped cream cover them. Then again, maybe he's a man-child like Emmett.

"What's up, Danson?" Emmett smacks his cousin on the shoulder and flips the chair around so he's straddling it. Neanderthal.

"Come sit." Darla pats the chair next to her.

I take the seat across from Emmett, who's picked up a stray fork and is cutting into the pancakes Bennett is eating. I'm not sure why Emmett referred to him as Danson when he sat down.

"Grandma!" Wren moves forward, and her hair slips from Darla's fingers.

This is the weirdest day of my life. I thought they'd show me the studio. I'd tell them my plans for the classes. They'd tell me my schedule. But instead, I'm being forced to eat eggs, and Wren is pleading with the brightest blue eyes, silently asking if she can come over to my lap. Meanwhile, Emmett is one step away from eating with his hands. Maybe I should've stayed in Chicago.

"I can do your hair," I say because who doesn't want to butter up their boss?

"Yay!" Wren slides off Darla's lap.

Darla happily hands me the ponytail holders and brush. Thankfully, we're tucked into a corner. I wonder if this is the family table.

Wren hops up on my lap. She barely weighs anything.

Emmett finishes chewing and watches me brush her hair. I'd ask him what he finds so interesting about it, but I don't really care to know what's going on in his head.

"Did y'all hear Briar is moving in with me?" He grabs Bennett's coffee just as Bennett reaches for it and swallows it down.

"Oh really?" Bennett asks, eyeing me.

"You're so lucky." Wren's shoulders slump.

I raise my eyebrows.

Bennett fills me in. "Wren loves Emmett's no rules policy."

"I have rules. Right, Wren?" He winks at her. The same wink he gives me all the time, and I shouldn't be upset that it isn't reserved for me. That's just Emmett.

Wren giggles like all the high school girls used to when we were in school together. Although, I was a freshman when he was a senior. Is there any woman besides me he can't wrap around his finger?

"I heard something about this earlier today. Gillian called and asked me about the girls' house and whether there was a spare room she didn't know about." Darla pours herself more coffee from the carafe.

It feels as if I'm never getting out of this room.

Emmett scoffs and leans back in his chair. "She's so worried about me wanting to f?—"

"Emmett!" Bennett scolds.

Darla gives him the evil eye.

"If you'd let me finish, I was saying she's worried I'll do funny pranks on Briar."

Wren laughs. "Like that time you put pepper in Uncle Jude's drink, and he threw up?" She turns to look back at me, and I almost lose my grip on her hair. "It was so funny."

Emmett puts up his hand to high-five her. "Couldn't have done it without my accomplice." He lets her smack his large palm with her small one.

"Yeah, that was great, having to put a flashlight against my glass for two weeks to make sure nothing extra was added." Bennett stares at Emmett with zero expression on his face.

"Emmett does know how to be a juvenile," I say.

Bennett snickers and wipes his mouth, then grabs Wren's jacket from the back of his chair. "We have to get going."

"Almost finished." I secure the end of her braid with the ponytail holder. "All set."

Wren's little fingers run over the braid. "Do I look just like you?"

"You look beautiful," I say.

"Am I as pretty as Briar, Emmett?" She turns to him as Bennett slides her arms into her jacket and grabs her backpack.

A flick of annoyance lands on Emmett's face for a moment, but he forces a smile. "Prettier," he says, a conniving smirk taking residence on his lips.

Wren beams at his compliment and waves goodbye to us as her dad ushers her out the door.

"Don't you need to go to work or something?" I ask as my eggs are placed in front of me.

"I'm working in a horse so my appetite is bigger than ever."

The waitress who slid my plate in front of me places a huge plate of food in front of Emmett. Eggs, bacon, ham, biscuits, and gravy. Then she brings over a huge waffle. My stomach rumbles with nausea at the thought of him consuming that. Not because it doesn't look delicious, but because I can only imagine how sick I'd feel if I ate it all.

Darla's phone rings. "Excuse me a sec." She gets up from the table and walks away.

"And once again, it's just the two of us." He smiles.

I cross my legs and kick him under the table. "Peachy."

I take my fork to down the eggs. Maybe if I finish them, then I can start my job.

Darla comes back in. "I'm so sorry, we have an emergency at The Harvest Depot. Emmett, be a good boy and show Briar to the studio. I'll be back as soon as I can."

This has to be a joke.

"She didn't say you were going to death row. The majority of women would love to spend time with me," Emmett says.

I don't say anything.

"They never want to leave my bed."

"After you make them breakfast in the morning, of course." I pour myself an orange juice from the carafe on the table.

"Cute that you think I'd serve them breakfast. They're gone before dawn, darlin'."

"Spare me the details." I sip my orange juice.

"Hurry up, and maybe we can do some happy baby stretches together."

I groan and bury my head in my plate, hoping his big plate of food will keep him from talking anymore. "Doing research on yoga positions?"

"I plan on taking a class." He winks before burying his face in his food, devouring the biscuits and gravy.

This cannot be my new normal. I have to figure out a way out of this.