for her and they made their way inside—a little more awkwardly than normal, since they were cuffed together—and that’s when he spotted it. A pink-and-yellow-painted snake sculpture sitting by a trio of flowerpots.
“I sizzle like bacon and am made with an egg,” PawPaw had said. “I have a backbone but not a single good leg. When I peel like an onion, I still manage to remain whole. And even though I can be long like a flagpole, I can fit in a hole. What am I?
A snake.
He opened his mouth, about to let the answer out so they could tell PawPaw and get these damn handcuffs off, but nothing came out.
“Think of something?” Hadley asked.
“Nope.” He shook his head, not sure why he didn’t just come out with the answer but not willing to examine it. Not yet anyway.
Then they walked inside to utter pandemonium.
…
It took a while, but all the we’re-gonna-kick-your-butt family game night smack talk finally simmered down enough that everyone was settled around their particular board game in the family room under the watchful painted eye of Miguel Martinez, the original Martinez to own the Hidden Creek Ranch.
The oil painting hanging over the fireplace of Gabe’s grandfather standing under the sign for the ranch had been a gift from Hadley, Adalyn, Weston, and Knox last Christmas. She’d found an artist in Harbor City to paint it from a photograph whose edges had started to curl that Gabe’s parents had kept on the fridge until they’d retired and moved down to Arizona. Next to the painting were graduation pics of each of the kids, a photo from Gabe and her mom’s wedding day, and a picture from the last family reunion that had been shot as a panorama to fit everyone in. A lot of the people in that photo were here, laughing, strategizing, and stuffing their faces with popcorn balls. In the middle of the room, Gabe and her mom were facing off against Knox and Weston in a cutthroat game of speed Monopoly.
They were all laughing and teasing one another, meanwhile PawPaw must be thinking that Hadley had banged her head on the overhead bins on the flight out here. He’d dropped the words “hiss” and “slither” and “rattle” on the Scrabble board, giving her a nudge with his elbow each time, as if she hadn’t realized the answer was a snake. Yeah, riddles weren’t really her thing, but he’d used this one before.
Meanwhile, all this mandatory fun family time was starting to overwhelm her, making her belly tight and her neck sore. She rolled her shoulders for the twentieth time since she sat down, trying to relieve some of the tension being surrounded by family always seemed to produce, but the uncomfortable, you-don’t-belong unease didn’t loosen its grip.
Across the table, Aunt Louise tried to come up with a word using whatever tile Matt had given her. Judging by the nasty look she’d sent Matt’s way, it was probably a Q or a Z.
Will leaned closer, dipping his head so his lips almost brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered, “You feeling okay?”
“Just peachy.” And now she’d add inappropriately turned on to all the other tension stringing her tight.
Grumbly? Her? Always around Will. He just brought it out in her. Hell, usually he did it on purpose. That she could handle, but this nicer side to Will? This version of him who’d check to make sure she wasn’t having a panic attack in her parents’ family room? Yeah, she had no idea how to deal with him, and that made her surly. And hot. And turned on. And—dammit, pull yourself together, Hads.
Determined to do just that, she kept her posture straight, her gaze focused on the game in front of them, and ignored completely the urge to tuck herself up against Will.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you kinda look like me in the car,” he said, scooting closer to her so there wasn’t a single millimeter of light between them, as if he just understood that she needed that contact right now.
“Wow.” She dug deep, trying to find her usual annoyance at being near him to keep from relaxing against his solid frame. “You really know how to flatter a woman.”
He let out a low, rumbly chuckle. “I like to think that it’s what else I can do with a woman that is more important.”
Her breath caught as all the memories from last night rushed forward. The feel of him so gentle as he picked the