Page 68 of Montana Memory

Emma Clark stood there, apron dusted with flour, dark eyes warm and welcoming. “Saw you two out here.” She smiled. “Come on in. Everybody just sat down at the table.”

My stomach twisted.

“Sorry, we’re a few minutes late.” Hunter gave my shoulder one last squeeze before dropping his arm. “Told you,” he murmured to me, then stepped inside like this was the easiest thing in the world.

I forced my feet forward, past Emma, into the lodge and a room full of people who had every reason to hate me.

The warmth hit me first. Not just from the large wood-burning fireplace in the corner or the smell of home-cooked food thick in the air, but from the people. Laughter, conversation, the low hum of familiarity and easy companionship wrapped around the room like a blanket.

And then, the second I stepped inside, silence crashed down like a hammer.

It was instant. A full stop. Small children chattering cut off as if they even sensed the change in atmosphere. Everyone—every single person in the room—turned to look at me.

My heart slammed into my ribs. This was it.

Maybe I’d been stupid for walking in here. Maybe this was the moment I would finally be called out, dragged into the open for everything I’d done—even if I didn’t remember doing it. Maybe I should turn around and leave before someone decided to throw me out.

The wooden floor creaked, and my breath locked in my throat. Kenzie was crossing the room. I braced. Waited for the impact. Maybe this had all been a setup. I couldn’t blame her if it was.

But she stopped a few feet away. Her dark eyes met mine, and I couldn’t breathe.

Then she said, “Glad you guys could make it.”

That was it. No accusation. No cold shoulder. No fury, no indictment. Just acceptance. The note she’d left on the cabin door hadn’t been a trap; it had been legitimate.

There was a beat of silence. Then someone cleared their throat, a chair scraped against the floor, a little girl squealed, and the tension snapped like a rubber band. The easy murmur of conversation picked up again, as if nothing had happened.

Emma saved me from the awkwardness of standing there like a statue.

“Jada, Kenzie, can you two help us bring in the food from the kitchen?” Her smile was effortless, as if I were just anyone else—as if this were normal. And maybe it was. The guys were calling Hunter over to talk with them.

I followed Emma and Kenzie into the kitchen, where the rest of the women were gathered. The counters were covered in serving dishes, steam rising from slow cookers and foil-covered pans. The smell of roasted meat and spices wrapped around me, comforting in a way I didn’t deserve.

A tray of cornbread. A slow cooker full of chili. A massive dish of baked mac and cheese. Bowls of salads, roasted vegetables, pies waiting on the far counter for dessert. An entire spread that had been carefully planned, prepared, and contributed to.

By everyone except by me and Hunter.

I froze near the doorway. A sharp wave of discomfort rolling through me. I should have thought to bring something. I’d been so wrapped up in my thoughts about the antidote, it hadn’t even occurred to me.

Selfish. Again. Maybe it really was something in my DNA.

Mara and Grace shot me a concerned look before carrying food out to the table. Kenzie must have noticed the shift in my expression, because she stopped gathering plates and turned to me. “Hey. You okay?”

“I—I didn’t know this was a…bring-something kind of thing.” I gestured vaguely to the counter, my face burning. “I should have?—”

Emma, stacking silverware by the plates, waved me off immediately. “First-timers don’t have to bring anything.”

“Ever,” Kenzie added, matter-of-fact. “It’s the rule.”

I looked between them. No pity. No judgment. Just…inclusion.

Emma smiled, counting out salad bowls for the table. “The family dinners started small. Actually, the guys started communal dinners with the residents when they were all still single. Just as a way to be available and check in with all of them. Then as each guy found his woman and the group began to grow, they started moving between different houses. Liam and Mara actually suggested it. And with adding children in the mix now, the gatherings have become too big, so we brought them back here to the lodge.”

Kenzie leaned a hip against the counter, studying me with something closer to understanding than anything else. “Last month was my first family dinner, too.”

I blinked. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Jensen brought me. I didn’t know anyone. It was a lot.” Her lips tilted slightly. “It’s still a lot. But at the end of the day, it’s just a meal and conversation. You don’t have to prove anything.”

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