"I had sandwiches and cake earlier."
I loaded my own plate, barely resisting the urge to pile it higher.
"Cake?" Declan said. "Nobody gave me cake."
Charlie's expression wavered between amusement and concern, like she couldn't tell if he was actually upset. She wrinkled her nose in apology. "Lemon cupcake, actually."
"Oh man. I love those."
"You love anything with sugar in it," Cassidy said, rolling her eyes.
"Nothing wrong with that," Declan said, taking the tongs from me.
The last time I'd sat at this table was ten years ago, and Hannah had been at my side. She’d pretended to fit in with my family, trading jokes with Declan and going toe-to-toe with Cassidy's sharp wit. I glanced at Charlie. She was quiet, watching the banter as if she were studying a foreign language. But I'd seen her fire. Charlie could hold her own. She'd fit in here just fine. She didn’t need to pretend about anything.
Charlie was real, and amazing, and she deserved better than Doug's betrayal. Hell, she deserved better than a messed-up cowboy with a ton of regrets. But I would always treat her as a partner. An equal. Not someone to manipulate or control.
Not like our father. That bastard had used manipulation as a weapon. Cassidy had given up the only man she'd ever loved because of him. Frank had told her the ranch needed her, and if she cared about her brothers, she'd do the right thing. She'd been twenty-three, already running half of Koolaroo's operations. Indispensable.
So, she’d sent the man packing. I bet Frank had made damn sure no one else ever got close enough to threaten his hold on her again. Manipulative bastard.
Bella slipped back into the room carrying a small plate with a single cupcake. She moved quietly as if trying not to interrupt the conversation.
Declan let out a groan when she set it in front of him. “Bella. Where have you been all my life?”
Bella gave a soft laugh. “Sicily,” she said, stepping back, like she didn’t want to be dragged into more chatter.
I caught the flicker of emotion in her eyes as she turned toward the kitchen. Nerves, maybe, or the look of someone who didn't want to be in the spotlight. Maybe even a little spooked. Made sense. My family could overwhelm a damn cyclone.
“We’re lucky Bella showed up when she did,” Cassidy said. “We’d been without a proper chef for weeks after the last guy took off without an explanation. Bella saved our asses.”
“He didn’t even leave a forwarding address,” Declan added around a mouthful of cupcake. “I’ve got no idea where to send his pay slip.”
Kayden snorted. “Good riddance. His cooking was shit anyway.”
The conversation flowed between them, familiar and strange at the same time. It had always been easier when Dad wasn’t at the table. Frank had a way of dragging everything down to some bullshit argument that sucked the air out of the room.
Cassidy kept glancing my way as if she was making sure I was real. Kayden’s jaw stayed tight, his eyes flicking between Charlie and me like he was trying to piece together a puzzle he couldn’t understand.
Bella came back into the room with another tray, this one holding neat little chocolate tarts topped with cream and placed it on the table without fuss.
Declan reached for one before she’d even stepped back. “Oh, my God. I’m in heaven.”
Bella smiled, soft and a little shy, the kind of smile someone gives when they’re not used to praise. When she turned to leave, the light caught her left ankle, and a tiny olive-branch tattoo flashed into view. Huh, didn’t expect that. Then she disappeared back into the kitchen.
Cassidy rolled her eyes and swapped her dinner plate for a dessert bowl. “All right, Mitch. Enough screwing around. Spill. What the hell happened out there, and how’d you two end up together?”
I glanced at Charlie, and she gave me a look that said she had no idea where to start.
"I found Charlie at the northern boundary when I was looking for Frank. She was digging up dinosaur bones."
The room fell silent, and all gazes turned to Charlie.
"What? No permit was issued for that," Declan said. "I'd have known."
Charlie's face went pale. "I know that now. I'm so sorry. Doug told me we had approval to excavate. I genuinely thought everything was legitimate."
"Who the hell's Doug?" Kayden snapped.