Page 147 of Give Me Love

“There who is?” I ask. The doors open and out step Lou and Monnie.

“Oh, it’s Lou and Monnie!” I stand up, happy to see Lou again. I’ve only met Monnie once, but I feel like I know him just as good.

“Hey there, boy,” he says, his deep voice stretching across the yard.

Doc and Holliday whine. “Go on,” Bryce says to them. They dart down the steps to say hello. Lou gives them love, and Monnie lets them jump up on him, matching his six-foot height.

“Glad you two could make it out,” Bryce says, shaking Monnie’s hand.

“You know I wouldn’t miss Emily’s fried chicken. I can already smell it,” Monnie says, giving Bryce a hard pat on the back. “Hey there, pretty girl,” he says to me.

“Good to see you again,” I say. “Lou, I’ve missed you at the house.”

She smiles. “Yeah, well, I wanted to give Bryce and his mom some space.”

“And you know damn well that’s not necessary. I’ve been trying to get you to stop cleaning and fussing over my place for years now, but that doesn’t mean I want you to stop visiting.” He grabs her and gives her the biggest hug.

She laughs. “You’re going to break my bones, boy.”

“Well, don’t stay gone so long.” He kisses her forehead.

“It’s about time,” Emily says. Bryce and I look behind us at the porch.

“You know Lou. She’s always late,” Monnie says, winking at his wife.

“Oh, don’t you pin this on me. I couldn’t wake the sleeping bear up. You know he likes his naps.”

Emily laughs and hugs both of them. “Everything’s ready. Let’s eat.”

After Emily, Lou, and I set the beautiful farm-style table in the sunroom, we all say grace and dive in. Lou and Emily banter back and forth, Lee and Monnie talk about hunting, and Jace catches up with Bryce about things going on at the ranch. One thing I do notice is no one really talks about Red, which is Bryce’s business. I guess there isn’t a whole lot to talk about. I mean, got any liquor specials going on right now? How’s the playlist for the DJ? I don’t know what they’d ask, really. So, it’s whatever.

I get to know Emily better, and she tells me she’s raised the boys since they showed up with Lee all those years ago. She tells me she’s the vet around here and tends to the animals. She and Lee are a couple but have never married.

I can’t help but wonder why.

They seem great together.

Bryce puts his hand in mine every so often or places it on my thigh. Always near, always reminding me.

The food is delicious, and after we finish, I help with the dishes and clean up while Bryce and the guys go have a cigar on the porch.

“This house is beautiful,” I tell Emily as we carry plates to the kitchen and Lou rinses and places them into the dishwasher.

“Thank you. I’ve worked very hard remodeling it.”

“You remodeled it?” I ask.

“Yes. It was very dark and going to waste.”

“Just like the man who lived in it,” Lou says.

Emily nods. “True.”

“You mean Lee?”

Lou shuts the dishwasher door and turns it on. “Lee lost his wife to cancer a year before the boys came along.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” I say, leaning back against the counter as Emily pours us each a glass of wine.

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