Page 81 of By the Book

Butterflies erupt in my stomach. Is he here as a worried brother, or as a betrayed friend? But Hayden wouldn’t bring him if he had any concerns about what Wes might do.

Just steps away, Wes doesn’t break stride. Instead, he keeps moving through our friends until he reaches me, pulling me into a hug. “Can we talk?” he asks in a low voice.

“Sure, want to sit?” I guide him over to a bench at the hardware shop behind the wreath making stand. We drop down onto the weather wood seat, not speaking for a moment as we watch townspeople and tourists moving about the festival.

“Hey,” he starts, tapping his knee against mine. “Are you okay?”

“I am.” My eyes shift over to focus on my brother’s face. “Why didn’t you check on me?”

“That’s what I’m doing here. I know you’ve been at Tripp’s since it happened. I’m not ready to see you playing house.”

“Seriously—”

He holds up a hand to stop me. “But I’m working on it. I really want to be okay with you two. Plus, Dad told me about the heart attack. That really hit me, I’m sorry I spent so much energy feeling like you all went behind my back. Because you can’t go behind a back that isn’t here. This is on me.”

“Wes, we love you. The secrets aren’t about punishing you for being gone.” I nudge his knee in return, hoping he’ll lift his gaze from where it’s glued to the sidewalk. And I’m successful. His eyes meet mine, guilt swirling in them. “It’s just hard with how much time passes where you aren’t available. Life has to go on here.”

“I know. I’m sorry you had to come home and do it all alone after Dad’s heart attack. I know you couldn’t even tell your friends because he was worried about breaking the news to me. And I don’t want that to be the case anymore.”

A shadow drifts across us and I look up to see Tripp stepping up onto the curb. He comes to a stop in front of the sun, outlined in a warm glow. “I’m glad you’re here,” he tells Wes.

“It’s only because you came over to get my head out of my ass,” my brother laughs.

I look between them, confusion clouding my features. “He did what?”

“A few hours ago, he came by Hayden’s and told me what happened last night.”

“You mean when you left this morning…” I blink at him in surprise. The errand he had to run was to find Wes. Warmth spreads through my chest as I stare up at his stunning, albeit black and blue, face.

Wes must be paying attention to the bruise as well, because he stands and clasps Tripp on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry about your face, man.”

“You know Wes, girls love a man that takes a punch for them. Ivy probably made it worth Tripp’s while,” Poppy smirks as our friends all join us.

“Violencewouldget you going,” Hayden taunts, leaning in close over her shoulder. She doesn’t miss a beat, whirling on her heels and shoving him away. And when he clutches at where her hand had just been on his chest and smiles broadly at her, Poppy’s face shifts into a deep scowl.

Taking a step near her once again, Hayden turns to Wes and asks, “You haven’t told them the best part?”

“Not yet,” Wes replies, grinning that familiar crooked smile. “I’m staying.”

“Staying? As in…”

“No more traveling doctor. I’m going to be the medic for Hayden’s rescue team.”

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and squeal in delight. For the first time in years, our family will be whole in the same physical place. “I can’t believe you were holding onto that news!”

“There were a few other things to cover first,” he laughs, hugging me back.

“Speaking of things to cover,” a resounding voice cuts through the crowd. Coming down the walk, Mayor Fitzgerald struts over in his khakis and fresh-pressed button down, his version of dressing down.

Poppy tries to shrink back away from the mayor only to slam against Hayden’s chest. “Would you move?” she snaps.

“Wait, I need to talk to you!” Fitzy tells her, coming to a stop before us. “About your bakery. Hayden, do you want to do it?”

“I’m not talking to him about anything bakery related,” Poppy replies firmly.

Hayden opens his mouth and then presses his lips together once again in a tight line. His eyes boring into Poppy, he holds his hands up in the air. But she is steadfast in her refusal to look his way.

“I’ll go,” he growls. Then turning to my brother, “Want to grab a coffee?”

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