Page 97 of Love Me Fearless

Good idea

A knock on the door sends Beth dashing from the kitchen, only to return with two lanky young men in tow. I give my Three Musketeers a heart then tuck my phone back in my pocket.

Beth’s guests heads straight for Louisa, each of them wrapping her in a soft hug.

“Thanks for inviting us over with your family,” the first guy says.

“It’s good to see color in your face again,” the second one says with a smile.

“Ava, this is Cam Rumsey and Wilder McKay,” Louisa says.

I give them a wave.

Cam’s eyes light up. “My brother Sepp works with you.”

It takes me a second to put it together, probably because the Rumsey boys were adopted and look nothing alike. “That’s right. Everett’s your older brother?”

“Yep.”

If Cam’s aware that Everett was just searching my house for signs of a creep, it doesn’t show on his face.

“Sepp talks about you all the time.”

“You sure you don’t mean Vivian?”

A curious look fills his eyes, making me think I’ve missed something, but he smiles, and it’s gone. “He talks about her, too. But he really loves working with you. Much more than that dinosaur.”

I ignore the rub regarding my predecessor and focus on the warmth Cam’s comment brings me. “I’m happy to have him. He’s great with the littles.”

“He’s always been a caregiver,” Cam says with a warm smile.

“Go wash up,” Louisa calls out, nodding at the kitchen. “Supper’s about ready.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guys reply, taking long strides into the crowded kitchen.

Dinner is a wonderful distraction, full of laughter and too many conversations to track. Next to me, Hutch’s thigh warms mine, the contact reassuring. He occasionally drops his hand to my knee for a gentle caress, like he wants me to know that despite the chaos going on around us, there’s a part of him focused only on me.

Louisa’s eyes shine and it’s so good to see her smile and hear her laugh. It’s hard to believe she’s the same woman I rushed to the E.R.just days ago. Gratitude for the physicians and Louisa’s determination that made tonight’s reunion happen zip through me.

After dinner, Hutch and I kick Louisa out of the kitchen and take over clean up. Thea and Dylan head out to the pasture to check on a colicky horse. Beth and her two companions leave in a cloud of hormones and clomping boots.

“I told her not to stay out late,” Hutch says as I hand him a rinsed plate to dry. “I also told her two sidekicks to stay close.”

“Somehow I don’t think they’ll have a problem with that.”

He releases a breath through his nose, like he’s trying to keep his cool.

“Does your mom know why I’m staying?” I ask.

“Why do you think she had me load up the shotgun?” he replies, arching his brow. “Don’t worry, it’s in the gun safe.”

A knock on the door sends a jolt through me, making me drop the plate I’m rinsing. It clatters into the sink but doesn’t break.

“That’s why Fiesta Ware is the only way to go!” Louisa calls out with a cackle from the living room while Hutch disappears from the kitchen.

The voice that booms into the entryway sends prickles over my skin, but before I finish drying my hands on the towel, my dad fills the doorway. With him is Everett.

“Uh, hi,” I say.

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