Page 25 of Long Hard Road

“Hey, Lil? Maybe you could save your interrogation until after we’ve had coffee?” Nate scanned the room and then nodded his head toward a table. “Looks like Chase already has a full pot waiting for us.”

The man sitting at the table we approached looked a lot like Nate. His hair was longer and had a little move wave, but they had the same bone structure and strong build. He stood and greeted us all with a smile.

“Hey, man.” He slapped Nate’s shoulder and then held out a hand to me. “Chase Sullivan. The good-looking brother.”

“And the humble one too,” I joked.

There was no denying that obscenely good genetics ran in the Sullivan family. Chase had a great, easy smile, but I found myself preferring the gentler ones I had to work to get from Nate.

He pulled out a chair for me and then slid into the one next to mine. Chase was across from me with Lily across from Nate.

“I’m excited for you to see the ranch,” Lily said. “We could use another woman’s input. You’ll see pretty quickly that this place is swarming with men.”

“No need for her to see that.” Nate had already grabbed the coffee pot to fill the mug in front of me.

Lily rolled her eyes. “You brought her to a ranch and expect her not to see any cowboys? You Sullivan men really are all a bunch of idiots.”

Nate filled the rest of the mugs and then leaned back in his chair, picking up his with his right hand while sliding his left arm around the back of my chair. Chase noted the move with a quirk of his lips.

“Lily’s a little crabby because her Sullivan man is still in recovery.” Chase grunted when Lily’s elbow landed solidly between his ribs.

“Recovery from what?” I didn’t recall Nate mentioning any of his brothers being injured.

“He’s been castrated.” Chase shifted quickly in his seat to avoid another elbow.

I laughed awkwardly. “That sounds…painful.”

“It wasn’t. He was given plenty of drugs and now he’s recovering nicely.” Lily reached for her coffee. “Let’s not forget that the vasectomy was Evan’s idea, not mine.”

“Except if you had told him you wanted to birth his children, there’s no way he would’ve let a doctor snip him.” Chase winced and shifted in his seat.

“That is bullshit. Evan told me months ago that he doesn’t want more kids. This was his decision.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile. “Not that I’m opposed to a man finally taking some responsibility in the birth control department.”

“This has been a great way to introduce Madison to the family, but maybe we could talk about something other than Evan’s balls?” Nate suggested.

Lily laughed and nodded. “I’m sure he would appreciate that too. Madison, what do you think of Crestwood so far?”

“It’s great. I love the small-town feel. Everyone is so kind and friendly.”

“Friendly?” Chase was smirking again as he looked between me and Nate. “I can see that.”

Nate was glaring at his brother as the waitress approached to take our orders. I went with the French toast and crispy bacon and Nate ordered the same. Chase went with biscuits and gravy and Lily ordered the eggs Benedict.

Our conversation turned to the guest ranch and all the work Chase and Lily had been doing over the last few months. They both spoke with so much excitement that it was clear they loved the ranch and the work they were doing. I couldn’t help but be jealous of them. I hadn’t felt that way about anything in a long time. If ever.

When the meal was over, Chase waved away my attempt to pay. He insisted that it was on the house and Nate had handled a generous tip for the waitress. Lily loped her arm through mine and started the tour. She pointed out every detail, from the local artwork she had added to the lounge room in the lodge to the foundation work that the guys had done for the event room they were adding onto the back of the building.

“We’ll be hosting our first wedding here next winter,” she said proudly.

“Is it hosting if it’s your own wedding,” Nate teased.

“You’re getting married?” Somehow I had missed the beautiful ring sparkling on her left hand. “Congratulations.”

“You should be congratulating them,” Lily said, hooking a thumb over our shoulders to where Chase and Nate were following close behind us. “They are the ones who will get to have me be part of their family.”

I had known her for less than an hour, but I already understood why Nate had been so sure I would like Lily Jameson. She was smart and witty and had no problem putting the Sullivan men in their place. Lily had the kind of confidence that I envied.

“We are lucky indeed,” Chase said, swatting Lily’s ponytail. “Especially Nate. He’s found himself his own outsider to woo and trap here in Crestwood. Evan will be proud.”