Kayla looks back at me, almost like asking if it's okay. I give her a nod and that seems to be all she needs as she follows Maggie into the crowd.
When I join them, I notice Nick and Jason standing off to the side as they watch Kayla, so I make my way there first.
"Mom said they would be here soon as Dad finished up at the clinic. I guess he's enjoying being back there more than I thought he would," I tell them.
"What's she doing here?" Nick cuts right to the point.
"She's here with me and promised no business talk. It seems that she and Maggie hit it off, and when we ran into them yesterday, Ella invited us. I thought it would be a good idea for her to see this, and experience the kind of community she doesn’t have in Dallas. Make her understand we do things differently out here."
"No business talk?" Jason asks.
"None."
"Okay, I'm going to hold you to it. How’s she doing?"
"Much better. Though she needs to be sitting down and icing her ankle. If she overdoes it, she’ll get a headache. But I think being outside will help her today. Plus, she's pretty bored at my place."
"I'm sure you can find a way to keep her busy," Nick winks at me.
"She's a patient, Nick."
"Come on, you’re telling me you don't have some doctor-patient fantasies you wouldn't mind acting out?"
"Go find your wife and get laid, man." I slap his shoulder and head toward Kayla and Sage.
"Sage, she needs to sit and put her ankle up," I say, walking up.
Kayla glares at me and Sage looks over at her husband.
"Colt, will you grab those folding chairs from storage? Kayla can sit in one and put her legs on another. Besides, I know I'd love to get off my feet, and I'm sure Sarah would, too," Sage says, rubbing her tiny little baby bump.
Colt rubs her baby bump, then leans in and kisses her. "Of course, love. I’ll go get the chairs." He takes Blaze with him and a few minutes later, the ladies have a little circle of chairs set up. Anna Mae joins them to nurse her son, and Ella is sitting, too, with her son JJ asleep in her arms.
"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Jason asks, walking up to me and nodding toward the girls. "They’re smiling and happy. Kayla almost looks like she fits in."
He watches me from the side of his eye. Obviously, he’s wanting some kind of reaction.
"I'm sure the view is nice because that’s your wife, holding your son. She's here and she’s yours. Not all of us are that lucky."
With a last look at Kayla, I head toward the bar to get away from the crowd. Ford catches me as he and his fiancé, Savannah, walk up.
"Hey, rumor has it you have a girl here," Ford says.
"Kayla is here. If you want to go say hello, she's sitting in the chair with the girls," I say to Savannah.
She takes the bait and gives Ford a quick kiss before going over to them. For a brief moment, I think about how funny it is that they’re all interconnected. Savannah is Lilly's sister. Lilly is Riley's best friend. Riley is married to Blaze, Jason's brother. When someone marries into the family, they accept the whole family like they did when Ella married Jason. Her sister Maggie, and her brother Royce, along with her parents, all become family.
It's part of the reason even a small get together for them is still close to fifty people. To know that many people have your back is something. I've seen them stick together, and I can tell you, there are many people in town who wish they had what this family has.
"Join me in the barn?" I ask Ford, and he nods, following me.
This isn't a small barn. It’s easily the size of a football field, but it's still a barn and somehow both calming and comfortable.
"What's on your mind?"
I know there’s no point in trying to hide it. Ford and I have been friends since we were little kids and we’ve always been honest and open with each other. I know I can trust him.
"I really like Kayla."