“Looks great.” Mrs. Ryan joined them, gripping a large pot. “I made mulled cider, to help chase away the chill.”
“Smells good,” Dean said.
“Thanks, Auntie,” Lucy joined in.
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Ryan. I know I’m freezing, so this will definitely help,” Tatum agreed, ready to get inside. “It will go great with the stew I made.”
“You go on in,” Spencer called down. “We’ll finish up out here.”
“I’ll carry it,” Tatum offered, taking the large pot from Mrs. Ryan and heading up the path.
“I’ll be in, in just a minute,” Mrs. Ryan offered, making the three men groan. “Oh, shush, I only have a few ideas.”
Lucy hooked arms with Tatum and headed inside.
“The cider was totally a ploy.” Lucy laughed. “It’s hard to argue with her when she’s bringing you something to eat or drink. She’ll probably have them out there another hour.”
Tatum glanced back at the group, the three men stooping to hear whatever Mrs. Ryan was telling them. “Smart woman.”
Lucy nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, she loves to take care of people too. Especially her family.”
The word family had become somewhat bittersweet to Tatum in the last few months. Most people took their loved ones for granted. But knowing she didn’t have anyone was a very eye-opening experience. If and when she was ever lucky enough to find someone to love, she’d make sure they knew it every single day.
“I’m sorry about the divorce...about Brent being a cheating dickwad.” Lucy’s words ended her introspection. Her friend put the pot on the stove and hugged her. “God knows you’ve had more than your fair share of hurt.”
She nodded again, hugging her friend. “Wanna know something funny? It was hard to accept he’d cheated on me. But when I figured out who it was with, I was devastated.” She stepped back, pulling soup bowls from the cupboard. “Kendra is a couple of years younger than me, but not much. It’s just...she and I weren’t so different. I’d done everything he said he wanted to make him happy.” She shook her head. “It turns out he really wanted a smart, career-minded woman—exactly what I had been when we married. Apparently Kendra is also terrific in bed.” She shook her head. “Don’t ask. Apparently Brent wasn’t the first husband she tried to steal. Just the wealthiest.”
“Miss him?” Lucy asked.
Tatum shook her head. “No. And I don’t miss who I was when he was around.” She smiled. “It’s sort of liberating.”
“And now you’re free to explore other options—like Spencer.”
She definitely wanted more exploring time with Spencer. Tatum pulled silverware from the drawers to set the table. “What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Nope. I’m not sure if it’s the psychologist thing, having two brothers that happen to be cops, or the working for the police department, but guys seem a little...hesitant to date me.”
Tatum looked at Lucy. She knew men looked at her friend—there was plenty to look at. Lucy was petite with killer curves and sassy pale blond curls. While they were both blonde, Lucy had a confidence Tatum had never felt. She remembered feeling invisible next to her in the halls of Greyson High School. Unless she was with Spencer. With Spencer, she’d felt special, beautiful and important.
“Their loss,” Tatum murmured. “Maybe we need a girls’ night? We can see what kind of prospects are out there.”
“Maybe.” Lucy shrugged. “Right now I’m happy to focus on my career.”
They chatted a bit longer, laughing over some of Lucy’s more memorable bad dates until Dean, Jared and Spencer joined them in the kitchen and sat at the table.
“Where’s Mrs. Ryan?” Tatum asked, ladling the stew into bowls.
“She only brought the cider to soften us up,” Jared explained.
“She wants us to redo the lights,” Spencer said.
Tatum looked at them. “Are you serious?”
The three of them nodded.
“Too many holes.” Spencer took the bowl she offered, smiling up at her. “I’ll just add a few more strands and it’ll be fine.”
Once everyone had stew and bread, she sat beside Spencer. His hand rested on her thigh, making her jump. She saw his grin out of the corner of her eye.