Page 73 of The Hermit on the Hill

"When is it?"

"I'm supposed to get you there by two."

I glanced at my watch. "That's only an hour from now."

He winced. "I just got back from a call. Calf born breech. I would have given you more warning, but…"

"It's not your fault. It's mine for not being firmer when I told Mom the first time that I don't need a shower."

"It wouldn't have made any difference. You know how much Mom loves a party. If you don't want to go, though, you might get away with it. She'll be so busy she might not even notice you aren't there."

I sighed heavily and pushed to my feet. "She'll notice." I sniffed myself. It wasn't pretty. I'd had a couple days off work and self-care had taken a back seat to the escape of research. "I call dibs on the shower, even if you are covered in cow placenta."

"I'll be fine. I hosed off the worst of it at the farm."

I gaped at him. "Umm, I was mostly kidding. Please tell me you aren't sitting on my bed in the same jeans you wore to deliver a calf."

He wrinkled his nose and looked away. "Of course not?"

"I don't even want to know. You are washing my bedspread and, if I say the word, you are getting me out of that baby shower no matter what it takes."

He stood, glanced at his backside, and winced. "Deal. Now quit stalling and get that shower. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can tell them you need your rest and get you back here."

"You know you're my favorite brother, right?"

He grinned, his cheeks pinking, and waved me on. "Hurry up."

I hurried. After a quick shower, I put on a pair of maternity jeans and a cute maternity top. Both of which Sam had bought me. I'd wanted to leave the clothes behind on principle, but it's not like Sam or Brittany could use them, and I needed nice clothes for my job in the tasting room.

I was just putting on a light dusting of makeup when Jared appeared in my doorway in his nicest pair of jeans and a t-shirt that was clean at least, though worn, a touch too tight on his chest and biceps - he'd bulked up in the past couple years—and had the words "Careful, I castrate bulls for a living" on it. At least he'd groomed his ridiculous beard and tied his hair up in a tidy bun.

"Ready to go?" he asked, oblivious to the oddity of wearing such a t-shirt to a baby shower.

I bit back a giggle and then let it out, because it was the first time I'd felt the urge to laugh since Sam the asshole had made me feel unlovable. "I'm ready."

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I got to my feet and distracted him the best way I could. "Will Brittany be there?"

"May invited her. If you're not okay with that, I'll text her. She'll totally understand if you don't want her there."

"I want her there. Of course I do. She's my baby's aunt. I want her to be a part of his life." It would probably hurt to see her, but this wasn't about me, it was about my little boy.

"Great." Jared's beard twitched as he smiled.

"You ever going to mow down the forest on your face? I can't remember what your chin looks like."

"Nope." He stroked his beard. "My face would get cold."

The drive to Cody's house went by way too quickly. Long before I was ready, Jared parked in the driveway out front.

"Mom wanted to have it at the inn," Jared said, "but she's still got a full house there."

"That's great news. Glad the mess with the investors didn't hurt business for her."

Jared waited at the front of his truck and walked toward the house with me. I could hear kids shouting and laughing. It sounded like they were in the backyard.

"What's the safe word?" Jared asked.

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