Page 84 of Montana Rain

“Yes, thank you.” Emma dragged her hands over her face. “I love him, but he’s not a great sleeper.”

“It’ll get better.” Evie pulled our friend into a hug. “I promise.”

I went over to the bar and poured myself a glass of wine, and I grabbed a glass of whiskey for Cole. He didn’t drink often, but he was nervous tonight. The tail end of the sentence reached me when I handed him the drink. “You’re going to have your hands full when spring comes around,” Noah said.

“No pressure.”

In spite of the blizzard that had nearly killed us, construction was underway on the new building, with an estimate of getting it open next spring. Cole would be in charge of the new facility. They’d told him today, and he was understandably shocked and a bit anxious.

He would be incredible. Everyone knew it. In the few weeks since we’d come back from Chicago, he fit in like he’d always been here.

I wasn’t used to seeing him nervous, but a drink might help a little.

Cole smiled at me. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I slipped away to where Evie and the rest of them were clustered in the kitchen. “Did you pick one?”

“We did,” Evie said. “It’s not far from Grace, actually.” Lucas and Evie were building a house off the property. “It might take a while, but we need to move fast.”

“Why?” Mara asked. She was no longer my client—I didn’t have any clients right now—but I was proud of her progress. She rarely had trouble with her voice now.

Evie’s hand dropped to her stomach, her face flushing. “We have a clock.”

“No,” Lena gasped, gently hitting Evie on the shoulder before wrapping her in a hug. “You didn’t tell me?”

“I wanted to tell everyone,” Evie laughed. “And you can’t keep a secret.”

Lena made a face, but we all laughed. We knew it was true. Everyone hugged Evie, and warmth filled my chest. There was so much love in this room, I could barely breathe. So much change too.

Gone were the seven men who had started this place, blindly searching for healing they couldn’t articulate. They had transformed the ranch and themselves into something so much bigger.

“I’m going to be so pregnant in your wedding photos, Lena.”

“You think I care about that?” Lena dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I’m so excited. And I’ll get to help you decorate a house. Both of you.” She looked at me.

Cole and I were building a house as well. Near my old one, but more suited to what we both wanted. We were still living in my old house for the time being. It wasn’t the memories of the mafia breaking in that made me want to move. It was my own fears.

The house, while lovely, was a home I’d made with walls around my heart I’d thought were unmovable. Until a man who saw through them wouldn’t stop trying.

We both wanted a fresh start with the house.

Cori threw back her drink. “I’m going to be the fun aunt to all your babies,” she declared. “Our house will be the one they come to when they’re too pissed at you to talk it out. Right, baby?” she called across the room to Grant.

He looked over. “What?”

We all laughed, and Grant smiled at his wife. The kind of look that told me they might excuse themselves early. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Me too,” Kate said, raising her glass. “We’ll be the ones with all the cute animals to come visit.”

Liam crossed the room and wrapped himself around Mara, kissing her ear and whispering something. She closed her eyes, leaning back into him. The ring she wore on a chain around her neck caught the light. It matched the one on Liam’s finger. A commitment without a wedding, which worked perfectly for them.

All around me, everyone was happy. And for the first time in my life, I was too. Truly and deeply. Ava and Mom saw it while we were there helping them rebuild and promising to come at Christmas.

Lena saw it the moment I’d walked into Deja Brew covered in bandages.

Hell, I saw it myself when I looked in the mirror and met my own gaze.

We were all happy, and there was something so overwhelming about it. Tears pricked my eyes, and I set down my wineglass. “Excuse me.”

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