Chapter One: Kelsey

Four Years Later

Cocks.

Everywhere I turned, there were cocks of all sizes. Big ones. Small ones. Young ones. Old ones. Cocks with stamps of approval. Cocks with long lineage. Cocks with their own fan club. Ones that looked like they’d been plucked to their wit’s end. Ones that looked like they’d just had the best night of their life. I wasn’t sure I wanted to look at another cock for as long as I lived.

“Why is that one looking at me like he wants to peck a hole in me?” I asked.

Rory Beckett, one of the Easterly siblings, replied, “They all look like they’re out for revenge.”

I met Aurora—or Rory, as her family called her—last fall when I came to help Owen Ramsey, a famous baseball player who was now engaged to Rory’s sister. It was happenstance that I lived an hour away and worked with the sports medicine team for the Nashville Bears.

I was introduced to Rory and her expansive family, and we clicked. The rest, as they say, is history. I spoke with her more than I spoke with my own family.

But that wasn’t saying much, since my mother liked to pretend I didn’t exist unless it suited her, and my father died in a car accident when I was in college. Without any siblings, I was alone for the most part.

Rory had quickly taken up that space though.

We didn’t see each other often, since she and her husband spent a lot of their time in Knoxville, and I lived in Nashville, but when we both had free time, we’d meet in her hometown of Ashfield. The idyllic town was an equal distance between both of our homes.

Together, we strolled toward the end of the pavilion set up for the Ashfield Fair, passing by owners who spoke with farmers, working to make a trade or sale.

“So, they do this rooster sale every year?” I asked in a hushed tone as we slipped by two men bartering a rooster for a goat.

Snickering, Rory replied, “Every five years. It’s quite a thing, isn’t it? People come from all over the state. Some of the cocks have their own social media following. It’s nuts.”

The noise inside the pavilion had been deafening, so once we stepped outside, the change was jarring. I squinted as the bright sun hit my eyes and immediately pulled down my sunglasses from atop my head.

“Can’t say I expected my Saturday to be spent looking at cocks, Rory,” I joked as we approached the farmers market, where her family had a stand set up toward the back of the gravel lot. She explained that they sold produce from their garden, and whatever didn’t sell, they took to the local church.

“Come on. You know you love it. So, any plans with lover boy this weekend?”

Rory was the only one who knew I was seeing someone, but I hadn’t even shared with her who it was. Caleb and I agreed to keep it quiet until I could find another job, since he was a player on the team I worked for… except sports medicine jobs specializing in physical therapy were few and far between. The Bears were also one of the best teams in the league, which made leaving even harder. But Caleb signed a five-year contract worth millions of dollars, so I’d have to be the one to make the switch.

I winced as I lied to her, “Um, I think we may go out to a movie or something tonight.”

I hadn’t heard from Caleb in three days, but he’d been participating in a charity tournament on the West Coast earlier in the week. I chalked it up to him being exhausted. Fortunately, his baseball season had come to a close, so we’d have more free time during the fall and winter months.

“That sounds fun. When do I get to meet this elusive boyfriend? Someone needs to interrogate him,” she said with a snarky laugh.

I’d heard about her eldest brother’s interrogations whenever he met one of his sister’s boyfriends. The man was brutal. But Rory and her sisters had nothing but love for the man. I’d have to come to my own conclusions about him though, since I’d yet to meet him. We either never crossed paths, or he was always busy.

“Oh no,” Rory moaned as she gripped my forearm.

“What?” I asked as I tried to shake her off, but her short-clipped nails dug into my skin.

“Mrs. Hensen is at it again. Come on. We need to go save Colton.”

Colton was an extremely well-known hockey player that married Rory’s oldest sister, Autumn. Since then, he retired and hosted various cooking shows on a popular channel. I’m not ashamed to admit I had the biggest crush on the man when I was younger, just like the majority of the female population, but once I met him in person and saw him with his wife, that all faded away. He was genuinely one of the nicest people I knew, and whenever I was in town, I stayed in the bed-and-breakfast he and Autumn owned.

Rory finally loosened her grip as she jogged toward the booth where a crowd was forming. I heard stories about Mrs. Hensen, but I’d never experienced one in person. I was secretly looking forward to it.

As we got closer, we noticed she not only cornered Colton, but she had Nate and Owen pressed against a red vintage truck behind the booth.

“Hi, Mrs. Hensen. What can we help you with today?” Rory asked calmly, harnessing her years as a teacher to speak to the elderly widow.

The woman turned around, and her smile widened as she noticed my friend.

“Oh, perfect. You can help me,” she said as she held out a large eggplant for Rory to take.

An obscenely large eggplant.

In her own hand, she held a zucchini. “I’m trying to get a good measurement, dear. Oh, you brought your friend!” she exclaimed as her eyes landed on me. “Here, sweetie, you take a squash from over there.”

She pointed, and I grabbed it without a second thought. That was my first mistake.

Once she was satisfied with my choice, after swapping out the first two I selected, she moved toward Colton, who looked around like a trapped animal. She was tiny compared to him; the top of her head barely reached his pectorals. It reminded me of the elephant scared of the little mouse.

“Now, hold still,” she commanded of him as she held out the zucchini, pressing one end to the waistband of his pants. Colton’s eyes widened as he tried crawling back, but the truck held him in place. “Come on, ladies. I need to see those vegetables on these nice young men.” She said it without an ounce of shame in her voice.

Instead of approaching Owen, I clutched the squash against my chest. I noticed Rory’s sisters Autumn and Alex, who was Nate’s wife, were giggling behind their hands as they stood at the side of the crowd.

“Mrs. Hensen,” Rory asked gently, “may I ask what you’re doing exactly?”

She stood back from Colton, and I watched as he heaved out a huge breath. “Oh, well, for the Fall Festival, I’m submitting four art pieces made entirely of vegetables. I want to make sure they’re anatomically correct, of course. I’m nothing if not thorough.”

“So, the art pieces you're creating are of Colton, Nate, and Owen?”

“And Talon, but your significant other isn’t here this morning. Sure is a shame.”

“Why them?”

“I think we can all agree they’re some of the prettiest boys around. My sculptures’ likenesses are uncanny. You can call me the veggie Michaelangelo.”

“Wow, um… how about instead of measuring the vegetables against my brothers-in-law, we simply ask their wives to each pick the one that’s the closest match.”

“Hm… I don’t know.” The old woman turned back around to face Colton, but he had inched away toward the tailgate of the truck.

“Look, I’ll even start.” Rory approached the display and picked up a long cucumber. She eyed it in her palm before handing it over to Mrs. Hensen. “Here, this one is for Talon,” she said of her husband. “I can’t wait to see the final piece.”

Autumn and Alex both selected eggplants similar in size, not as long as the cucumber, but much thicker.

“Now, what do we do about you, Owen?” Mrs. Hensen prompted, then turned her eyes to me, darting her gaze down toward the squash I clinched in my grasp. “Your lovely wife isn’t here this morning, but I’m sure Rory’s friend would be happy to help us out.”

I felt the burn of my embarrassment crawl from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. “Uh… no… I don’t….”

Thankfully, Owen stepped over, removed the squash from my hands, and set it back on the display. He opted for the largest butternut squash on the rack, which was both long and thick. My eyes nearly teared up thinking about petite Aspen, his wife.

“Here you go, ma’am. This is about right. You can verify with my wife later,” he said with a wink that sent most girls in the crowd into a swoon.

“Oh my, dear,” Mrs. Hensen replied, her voice catching midway. “Well, I suppose this will have to do.” Then, speaking to Colton, Mrs. Hensen asked him to bag up the vegetables, and she paid him.

I was still in shock as she walked away.

From behind me, a deep voice asked, “Aw, man, did I miss Mrs. Hensen?”

I turned to find Rory and Talon’s friend, Dean, approaching with a multicolored snow cone in hand.

“Yes, fortunately.”

“Naw, I love that woman.”

“Well, she was measuring penises, so be grateful you weren’t around,” I replied with a snicker.

He guffawed and took a hearty spoonful of the sweet treat. “I’d have the biggest one, for sure. Probably a good thing I wasn’t around. Don’t want to make my friends jealous, you know?”

“How do you know yours is bigger? Do you guys go around with a ruler and measure when you pee, or whatever it is guys do when they’re together?”

“Naw, just look at the length of their forearm. It’s usually a good indicator of size.”

I knew that wasn’t necessarily true, based on the three sexual partners I had in the past, but as I glanced over to the three men gathered at the Sunny Brook Farms booth, I realized it was fairly accurate. Quickly, I glanced at the forearm of the man next to me and nearly jumped back when he flexed his muscles.

Swallowing hard, I extended my hand in hopes of escaping the current conversation. “Hi, I’m Kelsey.”

He switched the hand holding his snow cone and clasped his free one around mine. “Dean.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Rory.”

“Only good things, I hope.”

Smirking, I turned back to the dissipating crowd. “I’ll never tell.”

Dean stepped up next to me, continuing to eat his snow cone, and sighed contentedly. “Ashfield is something special, huh?”

Humming my agreement, I added, “I fell in love the moment I stepped foot downtown.”

“You were the one who helped Owen, right?”

“Yeah. I’m a sports physical therapist.”

“I thought I remembered Rory and Talon mentioning you. I was in Scotland at the time.”

“Scotland? That sounds fun. I’ve never been out of the country.”

Unfortunately, Dad scraped by, barely making ends meet, and Mom refused to pay him a dime. My meager savings were depleted from buying textbooks when my college scholarships didn’t cover them. Traveling overseas was a pipe dream.

“Highly recommend it.”

“I’m more of a homebody,” I explained. “Cuddling up with a book or a reality show is one of my favorite things.”

“I’d like to take your body home,” Dean said in the most serious tone I’d heard yet. I glanced up at him in shock, only to find a grin tugging up the corner of his mouth.

I laughed and covered my mouth with my hand. “Oh my God, that was so cheesy.”

“Eh, Rory warned me to stay away from you if we ever met. And she may be tiny, but she scares the shit out of me.”

Still fighting back the giggles, I added, “She really is feisty when she wants to be. And don’t worry, I’m seeing someone.”

“Is it serious? I may be willing to take my chances with our friend.”

Was it serious? Caleb and I hadn’t mentioned anything about exclusivity, but we’d been seeing each other for the past year, albeit not out in the open. Neither of us wanted the publicity that came along with a public relationship. But I was certain there were a few people aware of our romance, since I usually joined the team on the road.

“I can tell by your hesitation that you’re not sure.”

“No… no, it’s not that. We’ve been together for a year.”

“Ah,” he replied, and then tipped back his snow cone and drank the leftover sugary liquid.

Rory joined us a few minutes later, and I got wrapped up in the way Dean and my friend teased each other. It reminded me of siblings bickering. Or at least what I imagined. My only reference was what television shows portrayed.

Together, the three of us continued walking around the market, where I grabbed a few jars of jam and local honey. Dean left in one of the fanciest cars I’d ever seen, which was saying something, since I worked with professional athletes. I had no idea what make or model it was, but it was metallic silver and looked like a bullet whipping through the air as he drove away.

Rory and I drove back separately to Crawford Bed and Breakfast, where I normally stayed when I was in town for the weekend. I tossed around the idea of buying a house in Ashfield and commuting an hour when I was needed in Nashville, but I’d definitely need to boost my savings account for that. Of course, that was until Mom called and needed help again.

We had a rocky relationship as it was, but she worked as a flight attendant and spent her earnings as quickly as they hit her bank account.

As if she knew I was thinking about her, my phone rang through the speakers of my car, her name popping up on the display.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I pressed the button that would connect the call.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, my starlight.”

“What’s up?” In the background, I noticed a lot of noise and asked, “Are you between flights?”

“Yes, I’m on my way back from Boise, headed toward D.C.”

“When will you be back in Tennessee?” I asked. I hadn’t actually seen my mother in weeks.

“I’m not sure. They’re changing around our schedules, since one of the other attendants got caught in the bathroom with a passenger, and they had to let her go.”

My palms grew sweaty at the thought of the airline’s no-fraternization policy. It was very similar to the Bears’. No involvement with coworkers or guests while on the job. Mom had broken the rule numerous times, and it seemed the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’d love to see you soon. My schedule is pretty clear for the next few months.”

“Sure, sweetie.” It was said as if she couldn’t have cared less whether she saw me or not, but I knew she was trying. “I’ll let you know when I’m settled at home.”

Silence grew on the line, and I wondered momentarily if there was a reason she called, but I knew better than to ask. She had a temper and could flip it on in the blink of an eye. I’d once made the mistake of asking her why she called, and then I didn’t hear from her again for three months.

Dealing with my mom reminded me of whitewater rafting. It was smooth and steady in some parts and then treacherous in others. I’d only been on that journey once, and it was not one I wanted to repeat.

Finally, the turn for the bed-and-breakfast came into view, and I said, “Hey, Mom, I just pulled into the B&B. Can we talk later?”

“Well, I’m not sure I’ll be available.”

“Okay,” I replied, faking my despair.

“Before you go, do you think you could help me out with a hotel for tonight?”

I was shocked at the request, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. “Doesn’t the airline cover the hotel cost between flights?”

“Yes, but don’t you think I deserve something better than a three-star motel? Help your momma out, starlight.”

I wanted to say no, to put my foot down like I’d been telling myself to do over and over again, but I hesitated. She was my mom, and I didn’t want her sleeping in a seedy motel—though logically I knew the airline wouldn’t put her up in a place like that. Still, I found myself agreeing to send her two hundred dollars.

“Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”

Of course she could, because I was weak. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t consider cutting my mom out of my life all together. But we’d made huge strides in our relationship over the years. And she was my mom, after all, and the only family I had left.

She ended the call quickly, and I found myself staring out the windshield into the adjacent field to the parking area of the B&B. Suddenly, there was a knock on my window, and I startled, honking the horn in the process. Birds flew aimlessly out of the field at the jarring noise.

I turned to find Rory staring down at me with a worried crease between her brows.

“Everything okay?”

Quickly, I stepped out of my car and assured her that I was all right. Together, we walked up the porch steps and into the large foyer of the B&B. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of the space—something Autumn had custom created for the place.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Marisol, Rory’s mother, said as she walked into the room with a welcoming smile. “Your sisters should be here shortly,” she added about my friend’s siblings.

“You ready for some margaritas?” Rory asked as Marisol scooted back down the hall, where I assumed some of the guests were gathered.

After that call with my mom, I couldn’t help but grin as I replied, “Absolutely.”