for that, he told himself even as she opened her arms and then stepped into his. As they embraced, she said, “I’m going to go, if that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay,” he said, leaning down almost against his will and taking a deep breath of the scent of her skin, her hair, her very being. In that regard, she was not like Josie at all, who smelled like hay and horses ninety percent of the time.
Etta smelled like brown sugar and lemons, and together, those two scents suddenly became his very favorite.
“He’s your brother,” he said. “Text me what they name her.” Apparently, Ward and Dot had been having a small feud over the name of their baby girl, and Etta had started a secret pool where every family member had put in five bucks on one name or the other.
“Oh, I better get down there and push Ward toward Patty. I can’t lose to Glory.” She stepped back, shaking her head. “Glory Glover. Can you imagine?”
“I think it’s cute,” August said, tucking his hands in his pockets and smiling at Etta. “You’ll love that baby with everything in you, no matter what they name her.”
“Yeah, but I want the hundred bucks.” She grinned and turned back, the last of the group heading either down the steps or inside. “I should stay and clean up.”
“Nope,” August said, giving her a little nudge. “I might need a minute of your time to help me find my daughter, and then you’re going down to the hospital.”
“Okay, fine,” she said, clearly teasing him. “I’m pretty sure I know where Hailey will be.” She led the way inside, where August threw their paper plates in the oversized garbage can in the kitchen while Etta leaned over the back of the couch and said, “Hailey, your daddy is leaving.”
He peered over the back of it too, where Hailey sat right next to one of Cactus and Willa’s boys, the two of them peering at something in a book. A legitimate book. August thought he needed to let Hailey come hang out with these kids more often, because she already had a phone she spent too much time on.
“Let’s go, Hay,” he said.
She looked up at him and then back at the book. “Okay.” But she didn’t get up right away.
“Cam,” Cactus said from the side door. “Right now, son. We’ve got to get back to the Edge quickly.”
The boy got to his feet, closed the book, and handed it to Hailey. “You can take it.”
“Really?” She stood too, clearly wanting to take the book but unsure if she should.
“I’ve read it before,” he said. “Really, take it.”
“Okay.” Hailey took the book, and August caught sight of a big, purple dragon on the front. “I’ll bring it back.”
“Cam,” Cactus said.
“Okay,” Cam said, turning and hurrying toward his dad. “Sorry, she wanted to borrow—” His voice got cut off as he left the house and closed the door behind him.
Hailey turned toward him, her face aglow. “Look, Daddy,” she said. “It’s that dragon book Miss Pfeiffer gave me last year. I had to give it back before we moved, remember?”
So many memories choked in his throat, and all he could do was nod.
“I’m coming,” Etta said. “I’ll swing by and get you, how does that sound?”
He glanced at her to find her on the phone, and then she hurried around the couch and toward the fireplace. She tapped on the wall about two-thirds of the way up and to his surprise, a door opened right out of the wall. She paused, looked over to him and lowered the phone, “You’re okay to go? I’m sorry.”
“Of course,” he said. “We’re fine.” He motioned Hailey around the couch, and she came to his side.
Etta went through the door and it swung silently closed behind her as she said something else to whoever was on the other end of the line. He turned around and saw the enormous mess in the kitchen, on the bar, and littering the whole dining room table—which easily sat fifteen hundred.
He instinctively knew who would be tasked with cleaning up, and he wanted to alleviate that for Etta. “Come on,” he said to Hailey. “Let’s get back to the cabin. You can read your book and I’ll come back up here and get this place cleaned up for them.”
“I can help,” Hailey said, and his heart reminded him of what a great daughter he had.
“Okay,” he said. “But I want it to be a surprise