father and my uncle had a lot of the same characteristics. You met Ranger, my oldest cousin. This here is the youngest male cousin, Ace.”
“She’s got a gift for you, Bish,” Ace said, nodding to Montana’s hand.
“Oh, right,” she said, thrusting the gift toward Bishop. “Don’t be impressed. It’s nothing special.”
He took the gift, a sense of wonder entering his eyes. “I should’ve told you,” he said. “We don’t really do gifts.”
“Oh.” Montana’s face heated, as if this kitchen wasn’t already hot enough with all these bodies in it and something bubbling away on the stove. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine.” He smiled down at her. “Can I open it later, though? Away from all of…this?”
“Bishop,” a woman called from the kitchen. “Your timer is going off.”
“Duty calls,” he said with a smile. He bent down and kissed her quickly before bustling off to take care of the timer.
Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob had joined Ranger, Oakley, and Ace in conversation, and while Montana knew almost everyone here, she didn’t know where to go.
“Montana,” someone said, and she turned toward Sammy.
She smiled and said, “Come let me see your pretty daughter.”
Relief rushed through Montana, and she joined Sammy and her son, Lincoln, on one of the couches, Aurora right at her side. As she chatted with Sammy, then surprisingly, Arizona, Montana had a glimpse of what her future could look like.
Bishop in the kitchen while she tried to find a place for her and her daughter to belong.
At Aunt Jackie’s, they already belonged, and Montana worked to keep her smile hitched in place.
Chapter Fifteen
Bishop kept one eye on Montana as he finished up with the hot chicken dip. He’d tried to get out of cooking for his own blasted birthday luncheon, but Etta wouldn’t have it.
He’d been thinking about who he could set her up with for days, as Ida had bowed out of cooking because she’d rather spend time with Brady. She’d cooked for Christmas while he was there, and she hadn’t liked it.
Bishop knew exactly how she felt, and he quickly got out three bags of chips and took off his apron. “I’m done,” he said. “You’re leading the show.”
“Bishop,” Etta said, clearly frustrated.
“I’m not announcing my own birthday, Etta,” he growled. “Okay?”
She frowned, but she nodded. “Okay. Go on. I know this is about Montana and not lunch.”
“This is the first time I’ve met her daughter,” Bishop said. “I said two words to her, with twenty other people yelling nearby.” He watched them laugh with Sammy and when Arizona sat beside Aurora, Bishop sucked in a breath.
“Go,” Etta said. “I have a bad feeling about that.”
“Yep.” Bishop strode through the kitchen, dodging cousins and brothers, a dog, and Oakley’s yowling cat before he reached Aurora and Montana. “Hey.” He sat beside her and took her hand, then looked at Aurora. “Your mother says you’re interested in writing.”
“Yes.” Aurora smiled at him, and it was no wonder she had boys interested in her. She was a beautiful girl, with plenty of that same blonde hair her mother had. “I’ve been working on a book for a couple of years.” She reached up and tucked her hair. “Do you write?”
“Heavens, no,” Bishop said. “But my father did. He was always scrawling something in some notebook.” He grinned at her. “I picked up woodworking from my dad. If you want to talk to someone with the writing gene, you want Mister there.” He nodded to his brother on the end of the other couch, who was currently talking to Preacher.
Aurora followed his gaze. “Which one? The one in the brown hat or the slightly browner hat?” She looked at Bishop and then her mother, giggling all the while.
“Oh, boy,” Bishop said. “I see what we’ve got here.”
“What?” Montana asked, and her hand tightened in his.
“A real smarty pants,” he said, grinning at both of them. “The one in the browner hat.” Before he could call to Mister, Etta whistled, which only set people off more. The complaining about the piercing, shrill sound rose like a tidal wave, and Bishop’s heartbeat skipped a couple of beats.
“Well, settle down, you lot,” Etta said. “Then I wouldn’t have to do that.”
Bishop was glad he wasn’t standing in the kitchen, because there were a lot of sharp looks going in that direction.
“Happy birthday to Bishop,” Etta said with a smile. “Stand up now, Bish.”
“I’m fine,” he said, though he did stand up. “I didn’t make it around to everyone, though. Uh, most of