Page 54 of Caffeine & Chaos

“How’s Mom doing, Dad?” Ryan jumped in immediately.

Nadia suspected that Daniel had already filled Justin and Melanie in on Clara’s condition before their arrival.

“Better!” Daniel exclaimed, a proud smile spreading across his face. “She was sitting up this morning and they had her walking a bit in the afternoon.”

“Yes!” Ryan fist-pumped the air in celebration before continuing, “That’s fantastic news, Dad. I heard there’s an excellent rehab facility in Bozeman. I’d be happy to make some arrangements for her to get treatment there.”

Ryan looked at his father cautiously, and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air before Daniel responded.

“I believe that would be good for her, Ryan. Thank you.”

Daniel took his seat, signaling the start of dinner. No one spoke as they settled into their chairs. Nadia glanced over at Justin, noticing the heavy shiner around one eye. She suppressed a smirk—at least Ryan had gotten a few shots in himself.

“I see you two worked some things out today,” Ryan’s father remarked casually as he spread butter on a biscuit.

Ryan and Justin exchanged a glance and shrugged.

“Is it all sorted out then?” Daniel inquired.

“Yup,” Justin replied simply, and surprisingly, it seemed to settle the matter.

As Nadia relaxed into her seat at the family dinner table, her gaze drifted over its worn surface, noticing the gouges in the edges that had been smoothed over with time. She ran her fingers lightly along the weathered wood, imagining Ryan seated here in his youth, sharing family meals, and likely getting into more than the occasional scuffle with his brother.

Lost in her thoughts, she was brought back to the present by the sound of Ryan’s voice, breaking the silence as he remarked casually about the day’s events. As conversation resumed around her, it dawned on Nadia that Melanie was still working away in the kitchen.

Nadia looked toward the kitchen. She should likely go help in order to make a good impression on Daniel.

Just as Nadia had resigned herself to offering Melanie her assistance, she emerged from the kitchen with a steaming casserole dish in hand, interrupting Nadia’s internal struggle.

“Smells great, Mel,” Justin remarked, rising to clear a spot on the table for her to set it down.

“Thanks, Justin. It’s just my usual pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese,” Melanie replied, flashing him a warm smile, showing her appreciation for the compliment.

Unfortunately, Melanie wasn’t dressed in jeans and a plaid button-up, but instead wore a more summer casual ensemble—a sheer knit top paired with cut-off jean shorts, all topped off with a well-worn apron that most likely belonged to Ryan’s mother.

“It looks delicious. Sorry, where are my manners?” Daniel said, “Melanie, this is…” Daniel searched Nadia’s face for a name, “Ryan’s girlfriend.”

He had apparently forgotten her name. Great start to what would undoubtedly be a memorable evening.

“Nadia, yes, we met outside earlier today. Lovely to see you again,” Melanie smiled warmly at her again, showcasing that deep dimple in her cheek.

“Nice to see you again as well. Thank-you so much for putting on supper for us all, I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you,” Nadia said, returning the smile. At least Melanie had remembered her name.

By all available metrics, Melanie was an extremely pleasant woman who also happened to be extremely beautiful. In another life they likely could have been friends, but no matter how much Nadia hated herself for it, she couldn’t shake her feelings of contempt for her.

“No trouble at all,” She smiled again and took a seat in a chair next to Justin.

The dinner Melanie had prepared was simple, but well presented. There were home-made biscuits, the pulled pork casserole, and a cranberry, pecan, and feta salad. Everyone dug in, passing the dishes around homestyle.

“Anybody catch sight of those damned coyotes that have been bothering at the calves in the South field?” Daniel asked, breaking the short-lived contented silence.

“I was down there for a few hours this afternoon and didn’t see a thing. No fresh tracks either,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, nothing yet, dad,” Justin offered, “The trail cam down by the creek picked up some activity this afternoon, but it wasn’t a coyote,” Daniel said.

Ryan’s fork clattered onto his plate, and he coughed on his food. Nadia froze in place, recalling the steamy scene by the creek between her and Ryan earlier in the day.

“Jesus son, slow down,” Daniel said, “They don’t feed you like this in Miami or what?” he joked.

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