Page 171 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“No. It’s not. Thank you, Doc.”

“You’re welcome.”

His eyes growing misty, he mumbles an excuse and disappears to meet the guys at the bonfire. I give his wives another hug and let them carry on greeting the other guests.

Theodore and Marilyn arrive next with a feast of home baking weighing them down, shortly followed by Harold and Andrea bringing fresh meat and some homemade liquors.

“Don’t tell the little one.” Harold winks.

“No Bambi’s on the menu tonight. Got it.”

With everyone grabbing drinks and settling in, I wait for my last guests to arrive. Anxiety is twisting my stomach into knots. I have no idea if this was a good plan, but when letter-writing failed, I followed my gut instinct.

Lola and Albie turn up late, their hands openly entwined for the first time in public. I’m swept into my grandma’s cookie-scented embrace, her skin brushing against mine.

“It’s good to see you smiling again, poppet.”

“Hi, Grams. Yeah… it is, I guess.”

She smiles wanly as the nickname slips out. Albie wraps me in a hug, then heads over to join the other men gathered around the fire. I’m left with Lola watching me bounce up and down on my feet.

“Is Katie coming?” I dare to ask.

“I believe so.”

My anxiety triples. “Okay, good.”

“She’s bringing Walker along, the widowed chap we were discussing before. It was a good excuse to get her over here. I didn’t know what else to say.”

I shake out my trembling hands. “Thanks for helping. I felt like I needed to see her again to figure out what to do.”

Lola’s eyes are crinkled with concern. “Just be careful. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt again. I’m not sure how she will react to the news.”

“Yeah, I will. Let’s get a drink.”

We rejoin the party while awaiting Katie’s arrival. The hum of laughter and conversation wraps me in a comforting bubble. Zach thrusts a glass of wine into my hand, Amie still propped on his hip, looking perfectly at peace.

He shrugs. “Think she likes me.”

I kiss his cheek. “You’ve got the knack for it.”

“Everyone’s watching us.”

“You have a problem with that?” I challenge.

Zach plants a heavy kiss against my lips. “Nope. Not at all.”

Leaving him to fuss over the baby, I walk to the bonfire and step into Killian’s embrace. His arms automatically tighten around me, and his beard scrapes the top of my head.

“Nice bonfire. Please don’t burn down my cabin.”

He secures his lips to mine with a growl. “You like my big fire, baby?”

“It’s very impressive.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s impressive.”

Albie makes a throwing up sound. “Christ. Please, spare us.”

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