Page 95 of Porter's Angel
Liv let out a watery giggle. “I’m sorry about the belly,” she said. “There isn’t much room for you with the two of us here.”
“Four,” Cadence said, and let out a shy smile. She might as well include her baby in the mix.
“Yes,” Liv said. “What a fun way for our babies to meet.” She winked.
Cadence laughed and scooted back into her seat, grateful that she’d managed to escape the hug without humiliating herself by crying again, though she felt a suspicious moisture caught in her lashes.
Liv seemed to sense her dilemma and quickly changed the direction of their conversation. “Are you doing anything tomorrow night?”
“N-no.”
“Well, my sister-in-law is doing a Harvest Ranch concert. My husband too… actually… he’ll be opening for her, and he’s got a little surprise for her, but…”
“Wait.” Cadence felt like she’d been living under a rock. “Are you married to River Mackenzie?”
Liv nodded.
“You’re Emily’s sister-in-law?”
“Yes.”
Relief swept through Cadence. Liv had been the one to marry River! It made sense. If anyone had the magic touch to settle that man’s restless soul, it was Liv. This meeting was definitely meant to be. “Emily and I are great friends,” Cadence said. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of her forever.”
“Come to the concert tomorrow,” Liv said. “You can be my special guest. We can surprise her!”
“I’d love that!”
“I’ll be taking tickets for a bit.” Liv said with an easy laugh. “I’ll be the pregnant lady sitting down while everyone does the work.” She shrugged. “The special events committee is asking for volunteers to help out—it’s the cutest thing—and I guess I volunteered when I was feeling more energetic. River is not happy that I’m taking so much on myself before the baby comes.”
Cadence loved how everyone pitched in to help bring tourism to this small town. “I can help! Goodness, I can take your spot. River’s right. You must be exhausted.”
“Well, you don’t need to do that.”
“Believe me, I’d enjoy it. It might get my mind off… things.”
Liv brightened. “Well, if that’s the case… you can take over for me halfway through. I always like to give River a good luck kiss before a concert.”
Just then, a petite Native American woman strolled around the corner wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope around her slender neck. She smiled brightly. “Are you ready, Cadence?”
Liv’s brow popped up. Cadence’s shoulders tightened.
Yeah, her name wasn’t Angel, either.
Liv didn’t seem bothered by the update, only intrigued. She patted Cadence’s hand. “See you tomorrow, friend!”
Chapter Thirty-One
Bright yellow ribbons and strings from green and purple balloons had been tied to the slats of the gazebo in his mother’s rose garden. Porter’s mother had found all of Charlie’s favorite colors for his eighth birthday party.
Porter collapsed on a chair under the gazebo’s red tiled roof. His jeans and boots were still dusty from a day’s work out on the ranch. His family was lucky that he’d found a T-shirt at the last second to peel on.
It had been a rough few weeks, to say the least.
He might’ve forgotten to shave again today. Porter ran his hand over his face, feeling the rough sandpaper of his cheek against his palm. Poor Cadence. Was this what she had to put up with when he kissed her?
He’d make it up to her. They already owed her so much. The ideas that Porter had implemented from Cadence’s blueprint were charming. Though challenging to put together, they kept his mind off her sad looks. He’d thought they were over the worst of their problems after they’d found out the truth about who he was…and who she was, but man, was he wrong.
She’d grown unnaturally silent since Lacy’s texts.