She sat up as fast as she could, given her six-month pregnant belly, her heart now pounding through her body.
She hadn’t told him happy birthday this morning, and shame filled her. She also remembered why she’d wanted him to go down to Link’s today and take the kids with him. It was so she could get the house ready for his surprise birthday party that evening.
She’d looped Link and Misty in on the plan, as well as Duke and Zona, their kids, and Brandon. Their job was to keep Dawson busy outside of the house all day long, even during lunch and even past the time when he normally quit. That would allow Caroline to get the house decorated, the food done, and all of their friends there before Dawson came home.
“I can’t believe I forgot,” she said, quickly swiping her phone from the nightstand.
She found that Zona had texted a couple times that morning. Though it was only eight-fifteen, she quickly tapped to call her, and Zona answered on the second ring with, “Hey, there you are.”
“I totally forgot what was going on today,” Caroline said.
Zona laughed. “So you want me to take Joy to the library?”
“Could you?” Caroline asked.
“Yeah, of course,” Zona said. “We’re leaving at nine-forty-five and I promised the girls lunch after. Shiloh wants to stop by the western wear store too, so we probably won’t be back until….”
She trailed off as someone else yelled in the background on her end of the line.
“Oh, I guess April wants to go to the bookstore too. And I have to stop by Wilde & Organic to get a bunch of groceries for Brandon, who’s moving out tomorrow.”
“Oh, right,” Caroline said. “I pulled all those towels and our extra sheets for him.”
“Great,” Zona said. “I’ll make sure he gets them.”
Everyone seemed to be struggling with Brandon’s move to a homestead north of town, about ninety minutes from Hidden Hills. Caroline would miss him, but she hadn’t quite gone into the stew that Duke and Dawson and Zona had.
April—Duke and Arizona’s second daughter—had also been less than happy about Brandon’s departure. He’d told them all it was for a few months, and he’d be back.
But Caroline had laid awake with Dawson as he confessed that he worried Brandon wouldn’t come back to Hidden Hills…at least not permanently.
Caroline knew why. The land wasn’t his—and it never would be. Brandon had a huge personality, and he wanted more than Hidden Hills could ever give him.
Dawson and Duke knew that too, but tomorrow would still be an uncomfortable day for all of them.
Caroline hung up with Zona and padded into the kitchen to get Joy a breakfast bar. With the little girl snacking on that, with Caroline’s tablet playing her favorite cartoon, Caroline got in the shower.
Once dressed and ready for the day, she sent a text to Dawson.I can’t believe I was so out of it this morning! I forgot to tell you happy birthday. So happy birthday, baby! I love you so much and can’t want to see you tonight.
He didn’t answer right away, which meant Link had definitely played his role flawlessly and put Dawson to work. Caroline got Joy dressed and they sat on the front porch for a few minutes before Zona rolled up.
“Go on, sweetheart,” Caroline said as the door on the dark blue minivan started to open. “Aunt Zona is taking you to the library.”
Joy cheered and babbled baby words all the way to the van, where April grinned at her, picked her up, and put her in the carseat Zona kept in her van despite not having any children younger than fifteen.
She waved to Zona and April, and she stayed in her rocking chair until the dust kicked up by the van’s wheels settled. Then she got up and went inside, ready to spend the rest of the morning turning her house into a western-themed wonderland, with a menu to match.
She mixed up cornbread muffins and made them in a miniature tin. She peeled and boiled and made salad out of potatoes. With that chilling in the fridge, she mixed up a huge bowl of cowboy caviar and shredded the three pork roasts she’d put in the oven last night.
“Now.” Caroline pressed one palm against her belly as the baby tried to stretch out. “The cake.”
In went the sugar, butter, flour, and chocolate. While the German chocolate cake baked, Caroline turned to décor. Burlap runners went across the long dining table, and she went out onto the back deck to string twinkle lights along the pillars and railing.
By four o’clock, Duke and Arizona arrived with their kids—and Joy—and they got benches and folding chairs set up on the deck and down in the yard around the fire pit. With the number of people Caroline had invited, they’d need all the seats.
“Howdy-ho,” someone called, and Caroline turned to find Finn and Edith Ackerman entering the backyard. He carried a crock and Edith herded the kids and carried a big stack of paper bowls.
“Hey,” Caroline said easily, a measure of comfort filling her from top to bottom. “What did you bring?”
