Page 48 of Beat around the Bush
“You want something to drink? Wine? Beer?” he asked, turning back to me.
“Water’s fine. Thank you.” I’d feel bad drinking their alcohol since I didn’t bring anything for them.
Fuck, I didn’t bring anything for his mom.
Lennon disappeared into the kitchen and I came up next to Brandy at the dining table. “Do you need help with anything?” I asked her.
Brandy shook her head. “Don’t even think about helping, Oakley. You’re our guest. Make yourself comfortable.”
Lennon came back with a glass of wine, holding it out to me. “But I wanted-”
“Just take it, Oak,” he grumbled. “Water’s in the fridge if you want it that bad.”
I bit back my retort as his mom came around the corner. Recognition hit me in the chest. I’d already met her before. Well,seenher before. She was at the booth when Lettie recommended that I apply to Tumbleweed Feed.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Oakley,” Mrs. Bronson said as she wrapped me in a hug.
“You, too,” I replied, my voice muffled against her shoulder.
“Again?” Lennon questioned.
She pulled back, looking up at Lennon. “I was at the fundraising event when she came by our booth for Bottom of the Buckle.”
Lennon looked at me like I was supposed to know I’d met her before, and I shrugged. How was I supposed to connect the dots? At the time, I didn’t even know she was Lettie’s mother.
“Make yourself at home, sweetheart. Dinner’s almost ready,” she said with a sweet smile.
"Thank you, Mrs. Bronson."
"Please, call me Charlotte." She turned, then disappeared into the kitchen to help Callan with whatever he was doing.
The front door opened, letting in a burst of cold air. Boots stomped, and an indiscernible low mumble came from the front entry. An older man with a graying mustache stepped into the room, a scowl on his face. “Damn cows always-”
“Dad, this is Oakley. My new employee,” Lennon introduced me, cutting his father off.
Mr. Bronson looked at me from under the brim of a creme-colored wool cowboy hat. He pulled his gloveoff his right hand, holding it out to me. “Nice to meet you, Oakley. I’m Travis.”
I shook it, noting that Lennon watched the movement. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Bronson. You have a lovely home.”
He let go, waving me off. “That’s all thanks to Charlotte. She keeps the house pretty, I keep the ranch pretty.”
I smiled. “Didn’t know a ranch could be kept pretty, with all the chaos going on and such.”
He took his hat off, hanging it on the hook with his coat. “Now this girl knows what’s going on. She’s a keeper.” He shot a wink to Lennon.
Lennon sighed. “She’s my employee, Dad. Not my girlfriend.”
“That why she’s standing in my house?” he asked as he walked by, heading down the hallway.
My cheeks flushed at his dad pointing out the obvious. WhywasI in Lennon’s parents’ home? A simple apology would have sufficed. But yet, here I was, standing in Travis and Charlotte’s home, surrounded by their family.
The front door behind me opened again, and I turned to find Bailey walking through the door with a pie in his hands. “Sorry I’m late. Those damn cows-”
“Baby!” Lettie squealed, and Lennon rolled his eyes.
Bailey’s expression softened as she threw her arms around his neck, the pie balanced in one hand. I took it from him to save it from ending up on the floor.
“Hey, Huckleberry,” he murmured to her as I brought the pie to the kitchen.
