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The moment I open the porch door, everyone inside the sunroom turns to us in unison, a chorus of knowing smiles playing on their lips. Behind Buckee, Ash’s shit eating grin over his mug causes me to throw him a warning look. Zoe’s just beginning to get comfortable, the last thing I need is her shutting down again which it seems like she’s already doing.
“How did you like the property?” Ash asks innocently, taking a sip of his tea to hide a chuckle.
“It’s beautiful,” Zoe says with a shy smile. “Cole showed me so much.”
“I bet.”
Kai knocks Ash’s elbow but thankfully Zoe’s too distracted by the kids squealing next door to notice.
“Speaking of the property,” Buckee says , reaching for a lange manilla envelope on the coffee table. “This is for the both of you.”
He wheels over and hands it to me. It’s heavy. Whatever document’s inside must be over a hundred pages.
“What’s this?”
“Your wedding present,” Buckee grins proudly. “The official land deed for your portion of Forester ranch. The part that overlooks the creek.
The same area Zoe and I had just christened. My heart swells at the perfection of it all as I stoop to give Buckee a hug. But the moment I do, Zoe slips her palm from mine. She bends to thank Buckee too but when she finishes her hug, she doesn't return to my side. She’s only a few steps away from me, but it suddenly feels like a mile.
Before I can reach for her, Zander runs up to us with a big grin. “Buckee said all us kids could sleep over tonight and watch movies. Can I?”
Buckee winks at us and I’m guessing he wants to give us more time alone.
“Of course,” Zoe says, but it comes out a little raspy. She suddenly looks exhausted and I wonder if I wore her out or if something else is going on.
“I’ll be here,” Cali says reassuringly. “The girls and I head home tomorrow afternoon, but we’ll be back again for the concert.”
“How’s Beau doing alone with the twins?” I ask.
Cali and her husband had one year old twin boys.
“Surprisingly pretty well. I would’ve brought them to see Buckee but they would’ve been miserable on the long car ride here and back.
“Do you need help getting the kids down?” Zoe asks. “I can help with bath time or bedtime stories.”
“The Little Engine that Could!” Everyly squeals. “Yes I can. Yes I can!”
“Si, yo puedo,” Sunny sings. “¡Sí, yo puedo!”
“Sunny’s learning Spanish with her mom Maya,” Cali explains as both girls pretend to drive an invisible train around her knees. Zander readily hopes on as the third passenger.
“Come on Zoe,” Zander says before hugging me goodbye. “You can be the caboose!”
I watch her ass sway as she accepts her position with a defeated giggle and they all disappear down the hall pulling imaginary train horns.
The moment they’re out of airshot, Buckee looks up at me, pausing his Connie look-alike telenovela. “What’s wrong? Looks like you were about to run after her.”
“I actually don’t know.” I sigh. I’m in no mood to play defense around my family today. “Things seemed great. Perfect...and then it’s like a flip switched.”
“Something must’ve put her on edge,” Kai chimes in.
I wrack my brain trying to think what that could be, but I come up with nothing.
“Don’t waste time wondering what went wrong,” Ash says. “Just ask her.”
“But first, make her feel secure,” Kai says.
“I do. Or at least I try to.”
