Broken Hart (A Cross Creek Small Town Novel #1) - Kelly Collins Page 0,62

animated features and expressive hands, but I couldn’t make out his words. Her gaze met mine, and the corners of her lips curved up as she lingered on me.

Bayden ignored Quinn as he squeezed the juice of half a lemon on his thyme-roasted carrot dish, and Ethan slipped rolls in with the shepherd’s pie that was beginning to brown on top.

“Five minutes?” I asked them.

“Eight,” Ethan said, and Bayden nodded in agreement.

I slipped over to Kandra and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Quinn didn’t even take a breath. “And then he walked right into a pole.”

I knew the story well. At sixteen, Ethan had been so in love with a girl that while he was walking and looking at her, he’d slammed face-first into a pole. Needless to say, she hadn’t been interested in dating the clumsy oaf.

“I should get back to the table,” Kandra said as I rubbed her lower back. She’d been in some pain, and her belly left me wanting to rub her like a magic lamp, but when she said she needed to go, I knew that meant she needed to sit somewhere more comfortable. I took her hand and kept an arm wrapped around her and helped support her weight into the dining room.

“Are you okay?” My mother’s worried tone earned a smile from Kandra.

“I’m sore, tired, and a bit achy, but I’m okay.” She settled into the chair with a grateful glance at me, and I pressed a quick kiss to her lips before speaking.

“How’s the house coming?” Mom asked.

We were living in Kandra’s rental until the renovations were done on our place, but it didn’t matter where we lived as long as we were together.

Looking at my wife, I saw that hungry, I-could-eat-a-bear look on her face. “About six minutes left on dinner,” I said.

“Seven!” Ethan called out, and I rolled my eyes.

“It’s been more than a minute!” I said as the women swapped knowing glances. “Love you.” I touched Kandra’s cheek before heading back into the kitchen.

A quick peek in the oven told me the shepherd’s pie was done, and I grabbed potholders. Carrying the dish to the table, I set it down, and almost bumped into Bayden as he brought his carrots to the table.

“The rolls aren’t done!” Ethan’s frustration shone in his voice.

“It’s fine,” Mom spoke up, and the tension in the room eased.

“Do you want anything else to drink?” I asked Kandra, who shook her head. A few moments later, Ethan popped out of the kitchen with hot rolls. Quinn brought the butter, honey, and utensils as we all gathered around the table. I sat beside Kandra and took a moment looking at Dad’s empty seat.

Quinn broke the silence. “So, how’s Sheriff Miranda?” he asked Bayden, who fixed a death glare on him.

I stood up with a plate and pointed at things, my gaze catching Kandra’s. She nodded, and I piled food on her plate as my brothers stared at one another. Mom and Ethan dug in but watched Bayden and Quinn’s showdown with curiosity.

I handed Kandra her food and grabbed my plate.

“How would I know?” Bayden finally asked.

“Well, I mean, you’re in love with her, so you know how she’s doing, right?” Quinn faked an innocent expression while piling food onto his plate.

Bayden’s anger grew, and I imagined steam coming out of his ears and nose. If Quinn kept pushing, he might erupt. So, I threw gasoline on the fire.

“Are you going to be next?” I asked, showing off my wedding band.

Mom’s smile grew as she watched the events unfold with a “boys will boys” expression. No doubt, she knew by now there was no stopping us.

A loud ringtone cut through the silence, and Bayden pulled out his phone. Quinn took the opportunity to snatch it before dashing from the table.

“It’s Miranda!” he said, holding the phone up with a triumphant grin. Then he glanced at it again. “Wait, she’s calling you?” He handed the phone back to Bayden, who touched the red icon and went back to his food.

“Why didn’t you answer?” Ethan lifted a bite to his mouth as Kandra stretched her legs out across my lap. I absentmindedly rubbed her swollen ankles while I ate a carrot.

“None of your business.” Bayden was done with our crap. “Now, leave me alone.”

Quinn and Ethan glanced at each other, and Kandra giggled.

“They’re in love,” Quinn said. Ethan nodded in agreement, and Mom snorted.

“So, you are next,” I said to Bayden, who gave me a sullen look before