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North’s older brothers.”
    I frowned at him wondering just why he sent me over if he was coming over anyway . “What are you doing here?”
    “I was in the field rounding up cows, and thinking about what I wanted to do with the left over pot roast then realized I didn’t put some of the vegetables on the list if I was going to make beef and vegetable stew.” He turned from me to face Hadley again, “I don’t generally keep celery and tomatoes in the house as a rule because it goes bad faster than I can use it. And they won’t eat it as a snack.”
    “Makes sense,” Hadley said amicably and Wesley nodded at her.
    “Then, I realized I didn’t grab my cell phone, and since I was in the field already it would be faster for me to just finish walking over here than tromping the whole way back to the house. You know,” Wesley’s attention turned to the wall that the fireplace rested on, “if you paint that wall a cotton candy pink , we’ve got a very female sitting room set we bought for Ma on her thirtieth birthday. It would look great in this room I think. Especially if you put a pretty floral area rug down. I can have North and Rhett, the youngest of us–he’s still in high school, bring it over later if you’d like.”
    “I already offered.” I said through clenched teeth, slightly aggravated at his lack of manners. And I didn’t like the idea he was stepping on what I had already considered my responsibility.
    “Really? That’s good. Anyway, I found Morgaine walking across the yard, and she handed me her keys and told me–I imagine a short version–of what’s going on. So the truck’s downstairs and North and I will load her up. And Avala came out to speak to Morgaine on her way to the greenhouses , so I imagine Avala will be over shortly, possibly with her truck. Then we can get all of this out in one go.” Wesley had roamed the room as he talked and stuck his head down the hall before walking it and checking out the other rooms.
    I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to release some of the tension my brother had created. Could he be any more rude? Hadley wasn’t Avala or Morgaine. She wouldn’t understand the friendship our families had, yet. “I will apologize for my brother’s rudeness.” I said to Hadley.
    Hadley shook her head and her smile stayed in place . “I think it’s nice. Y’all should get started if you want to get all of this junk out before suppertime. It’s good to be around people that are comfortable with each other.”
    “She’s right on both accounts.” Wesley slung an arm over my shoulders as he returned from the back. “I’m pretty sure we can get the majority of this big stuff on Morgaine’s truck if we take it down in the right order.”
    Since Hadley couldn’t lift, let alone carry any of the heavy stuff , she sat in the window seat with her legs pulled up, so not to be in the way. She wasn’t physically in the way, but I felt her eyes every time I was in the room with her. I didn’t look at her in case I was being an idiot and she wasn’t looking at me.
    It didn’t take long to get most of the junk out and Wesley had been right about Avala. She not only brought her truck but Thierry too. Her truck was just as full as Morgaine’s by the time Thierry and Avala were carrying out the remaining stands.
    Hadl ey followed us down the stairs and tugged my arm as we came to the bottom. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
    I glanced around and noted Avala was already outside with Thierry and Morgaine was still upstairs with Wesley doing a final run through. We were virtually alone already but she seemed to want a little more security than that.
    “Sure,” I stepped away from the door angling closer to the skating rink. “What’s up?”
    Hadley gestured with an arm to the skating rink. “I won’t be using the rink for the foreseeable future, but it shouldn’t just sit there.”
    I watched as pain and sorrow flickered through her eyes before it was