She heard her brother's voice from the porch.
"You look terrible, mom."
"I know, I haven't slept much."
"You should."
Hadley walked down the hall, meeting her family in the living room. Her brother's fiance softly smiled as she rocked the newborn.
"Hadley." Her brother spoke, giving her a hug.
"How have you been?"
"Could be better." She mumbled, letting her brother go.
He looked different, like a businessman.
"I'm shocked you came, you look as if a speck of dirt would kill you."
He laughed at her comment.
"It's nice to visit the ranch every once in a while. The circumstances are unfortunate, but it's nice to be with family."
She smiled softly, looking at the child in his fiance's arms.
"How old are they?" She asked, sitting on the loveseat.
"3 months." He spoke, sitting beside his fiance.
Her mother brought them all coffee, and then some food.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour." She spoke, sitting in the rocking chair. She turned to Hadley.
"Maybe Cade would like to come for dinner?" She asked. Her brother perked up.
"Cade?' He asked. "Who's this Cade you speak of." He looked at Hadley, curiosity on his face.
"Your sister's man."
"Finally! I was wondering if you would ever bring a boy home." He spoke, grinning.
"Jackson!" Her mother scolded, rolling her eyes as she sipped her coffee.
"My bad," He chuckled. "When do I meet this boy?"
Hadley frowned.
"Maybe tonight. We'll see."
She also drank her coffee. She messaged Cade, asking if he'd like to come for dinner.
He said he would be there asap.
What a guy. She chuckled, watching her mother rock the baby. Her brother turned on the TV, watching the hockey game. Flames against the Canucks.
Cade knocked, removing his hat. Jackson opened the door, looking at the boy.
"You must be Cade. I'm Jackson, Hadley's eldest brother." He stuck his hand out to shake.
Cade shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Jackson." He stepped inside, removing his boots and walking to the living room, sitting beside Hadley on the couch.
Jackson stretched out beside his fiance, holding his daughter as she slept.
"Shhh, baby's sleeping." He spoke, before groaning softly.
"Hadley, fetch me and this gentleman here a beer, will ya?" He said loudly, receiving a glare from his fiance. He winked at her.
Hadley stood up, rolling her eyes and bringing out three beers, handing one to her brother and Cade. She cracked open her bottle, taking a sip as she sat beside Cade.
"So, Cade, how'd you meet my sister?" He questioned, taking a swig from his beer.
Cade grinned.
"Well, I first noticed her in school. But I actually met her in the bar about a month ago." He spoke, resting his arm around her shoulders.
"The bar? Hadley, why are you in bars?"
"I'm drinking away the everlasting hatred of this town." She muttered.
Cade looked at her with a shocked expression.
"I'm only joking, calm your tits." She spoke, causing Cade to chuckle.
Her family stayed silent. She wasn't joking.
"You had me worried for a second, darlin'."
Jackson laughed.
"Cade, I'm gonna ask you a really big question." He spoke, setting his now empty beer bottle on the ground.
"In a relationship with my sister, where do you see yourself?"
"Married with two kids, on a ranch living the life. We make money off our cattle and farming."
"Oh so you're a farmer?" He asked, raising a brow.
"My father owns two large fields that he harvests from."
"So you're a farmer then?"
"Yes, sir."
"Farming and cattle, huh." He muttered, thinking for a moment.
"Dinners ready." Her mother spoke, getting up and going to see the table.
Hadley took her bottle to the sink, leaving it there and sitting down at the table.
"You're an amazing cook, ma'am." Cade spoke, grinning at Anne.
"Thank you." She smiled.
Hadley carried empty plates into the kitchen, placing them in the sink and rinsing them as Jackson walked in with more.
"Hads, talk to me." He spoke, leaning against the counter.
"I see you finally took off that ridiculous suit jacket and tie."
He chuckled.
"The city ain't that bad. I've got a solid, well-paying job. A beautiful home in a wealthy neighbourhood, a beautiful fiance and baby." He smiled.
"The wedding's in the summer, right?"
"Next July." He corrected, drying a plate. A year.
"Sweet." She spoke, placing the last dish in the tray and draining the sink, wiping down the kitchen counter.
She walked back into the dining room, to find the three left in there conversing. It was already 8?
"Oh, good. Sit down you two." Her mother spoke.
"The funeral is on Sunday. Are you leaving after, Jackson?' She questioned.
The funeral was in 3 days. Lovely.
"I'll leave on Tuesday, work calls mama." He chuckled.
"Jackson, love, I was thinking it would be a great idea to have the wedding here, at the ranch." Faelyn spoke, gently rocking her daughter.
"That's a great idea, dear." He smiled. "If it's okay with you, mom?"
Anne grinned.
"Of course! It would be beautiful." She clapped her hands together before standing.
"However, this old lady must get herself to bed. Goodnight, family." She hugged everyone, including Cade.
When she left the room, Cade spoke.
"Does that mean I'm family now?"
"Yup. Better treat my sister right, or I'll shoot you dead with my father's gun." Jackson warned, kissing his fiance's cheek as she took their daughter to bed.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Cade chuckled, nodding at Jackson.
"Hadley, I've got to get home."
"Are you sure you'll be able to drive?'
"Of course, dinner soaked up the beer. Goodnight, love." He mumbled, gently pecking her lips before he went and slipped on his boots.
"Night."
"Night? Where's the good?"
"It's leaving." She spoke, a slight smirk on her face. He chuckled, blowing her a kiss as he walked out the door.
YOU ARE READING
Tailgates and Whiskey
RomanceHadley desperately wants to get out of this small town. Then she meets Cade, a sweetheart she went to high school with. They fall in love, but was it enough to make her stay?
