home from Seattle, where she'd lived for the last few years, shortly after Jillian and the doctors had become engaged. And then she'd headed out to the "cabin" the families had about forty miles outside of town - in the middle of nowhere, as far as Carrie was concerned.
Apparently Becky, as her brothers called her, thought Lusty was just too crowded and noisy a place to live for long.
Carrie, who up until this point in her life had been a devout urbanite, simply didn't get it.
"It's nice to meet you, Rebecca."
"Welcome to the families." The young woman hugged her and then she looked at Brian and Chase. "I think this makes your entire family, going down in wedded bliss." She softened her statement with a smile and then hugged each of the men.
"Not quite. You've forgotten about Greg," Chase said.
"Not quite, but I'm working on it."
"Did we also mention that Becky and Greg have always gotten along like oil and vinegar?" Brian asked.
"More like two spitting cats." David Jessop gave Carrie a hug. She hugged him back, but as always, found her eye drawn to the gorgeous choker necklace that Jillian wore. The woman was never without that piece of jewelry, and Carrie wondered if she was looking at a rhinestone necklace, or if it was real diamonds and platinum she stared at.
Robert gathered her into his arms and kissed her cheek. "Congratulations - although I have heard that it's the men who should be congratulated for having won such a lovely woman." Then he met her gaze and his grin sobered slightly. "You like Jillian's collar. Maybe your cowboys will get you one of your own."
Brian and Chase both coughed at the same time. Carrie wasn't stupid. She understood they were trying to disguise their laughter. Her mind focused on what Robert had just said along with all the other little tidbits her men had let slip.
She knew her eyes widened when comprehension dawned. Then, because neither of the cowboys had come to her aid, she shot them each a teasing glance. To Robert she said, "Maybe."
So many of the people who dropped in to offer their best wishes were familiar to Carrie now. It occurred to her that she'd slipped into the rhythm of life here without even really trying. She'd found her place when she hadn't truly known she'd been looking for one.
Her glance landed on the sidewalk where the Alvarez-Kendalls, along with Julian Alvarez, made their way toward the restaurant.
There's a man who hasn't found his place, yet.
Carrie knew that Julian would likely be a regular visitor to Lusty. It warmed her heart to think of the way he had reached out to his brother, and that the two men together had mended their relationship.
But like her cowboys, she didn't think Lusty was his place, either.
She was very careful when she hugged him, even though there was plenty of strength in his one-armed embrace. His right arm was no longer in a sling, but it had only been a couple of days since he'd been wounded. Sling or no, she figured it probably still hurt like hell.
Her men were equally careful, not issuing the usual punishing back slaps that men seemed to love.
Carrie hugged Peter, and Jordan, too. Tracy was in the kitchen doing most of the prep work. Emily was giving her a hand and showed a real talent for being a sous-chef.
"Welcome to the family," Jordan said. He cast his eye around the dining room. It was already full to capacity. Some folks were heading out and others had yet to make an appearance. "Maybe we'll see if Kelsey wants to expand. There's certainly room, since the bookstore next door is going to close next month."
"Maybe you could expand and join them together into one business," Carrie said.
"That's certainly something to think about," Jordan said.
As Jordan congratulated Chase, Carrie turned her attention back on Julian. "I understand you've been on the receiving end of some pretty serious teasing the last couple of days."
Julian grinned. "They zing Peter at the same time they take aim at me. It's kind of funny, actually."
"I think it's totally unfair that no one noticed that this time I did not get shot," Peter said.
The showdown the two men had been a part of along with Adam and the state police a couple of days before had been a sudden and very intense situation.
Peter and Julian had been in the sheriff's office when the call had come in from Hank