Ryan goes to head back to the golf cart but I put my hand on his arm to keep him in the clearing. He looks back to me as I say, "Let's discuss this here before running off and throwing ourselves into more chaos."
"What do you mean?" He asks with his body still angled toward the cart.
"I mean, it's a nice sunshiney day. It's pleasant out, a massive Delilah-sized weight has been lifted from our shoulders and I just want to enjoy a moment with my husband. Rory is taking over our lives once again and I just want a moment before we go relay all of this to Austin and I lose you to work." I tell him and I watch him frown. I run my hand along his stubbled chin and I watch as he gives into me. He pulls me into him and we stand in the shade with a slice of sunlight warming our heads. While tucked into his chest I ask, "You're spinning out aren't you?"
He remains silent while we sway back and forth and he finally replies, "I'm wonderin' where to leave you that will keep you the safest."
"Up in a tower somewhere. Preferably with a drawbridge and a moat," I reply and I hear a throaty scoff.
"Is there one of those in Hollis?" He asks me but I shake my head. He kisses the top of my head and then pulls away from me, "I'm tempted to stick you back in the carriage house until Monday. Their house is pretty impenetrable."
I let out a light laugh, "You must really be concerned if you are thinking about handing me over to Jackson."
"Your ex-boyfriend came to warn me about your safety and I am considering calling your ex-fiancè to help protect you. Hell hath frozen over," he jokes and I pull him toward the golf cart. Once we are back inside I look to him before he starts the ignition, "Tell me one thing that's happening in your life that doesn't have to do with the trial." His hand lingers on the key stuck in the ignition as he looks at me, "What?"
"You heard me. I want to make sure Rory is not consumin' your every thought. So I am checkin' in to make sure this isn't taking up all of your energy again or that you're going to lose your shit." I tell him. As I was holding him, I could feel the tension across his shoulders. I feel him rollin' about in the middle of the night and Austin has been looking at him with caution. He slumps back onto the padded backing and replies, "I dunno, you want something that's not related to Rory? I guess...I am about to wrap up my first case as a P.I and even though I can't tell you about it, I feel like it's going to come back and bite me in the ass."
Confused, I push my sunglasses onto my head as I look to him, "What? Where is this coming from? I was thinking you were going to tell me you scheduled another tee-time with Austin or something normal."
He drops his head into his hand and pinches the bridge of his nose, his fingers pushing up his glasses. He shakes his head and then looks back to me, "Our marriage was supposed to force things back to normal. Burgers at Tansy's and drinks at Mel's but something about Hollis has changed." I'm trying to keep up with this change of subject.
"Hey I went and worked on Founder's Day parade floats and dodged Dash's questions about my love life," I tell him. "Not that much has changed."
He grimaces before saying, "I just mean that Hollis used to be...it felt like home."
"It doesn't now?" I ask him and he shrugs, "I think maybe because we're living with Austin and dealing with Rory and Sebastian and your mother hasn't been this massive presence in your life lately that it just...Can we get that normal back?" I look to him before slumping against the seat next to him. We stare ahead at the open meadow and I haven't noticed that I have been in Hollis, but not a part of Hollis since we got back.
"I guess life is a bit different now. Gus and A.B are all wonky and my mother is focused more on our wedding than society events at the moment. I haven't been to the winery since I got fired and I have been dodging town folk and their questions. But if we would have gone to the pageant today, it would have had that southern charm you've been missin'."
"Oh I am fine we missed that southern mess," Ryan admits and I laugh. I grab his hand and he adds, "Maybe after Monday we can like...plan a barbecue or something. Grab a beer or just drive around in your dad's truck."
I smile, "Why don't you tell Austin to meet us at Mel's? It will be loud enough so no one will overhear us and the parking lot has security cameras so your truck will be safe." He looks to me for a long moment and then gives in. He pulls his phone out to text Austin and then drops it in the cupholder. He starts the ignition but before we leave the woods I give him a long kiss and hold his head with my hand as I say, "Don't think I forgot about that little tidbit you mentioned about your case biting you in the ass. We will be discussing that over cheese fries."
****
It felt good to walk into Mel's. Nothing had changed since I was last here except they added a cardboard cut-out of Chase Elliott near the pool table and a hot pink bra was draped over his shoulder.
"Is this what you were missin'?" I ask Ryan with a smirk and he nods while pulling me through the crowded space over to a pub table. Mitsy comes sauntering over to us, clutching onto two plastic menus, "Well hey strangers! I hear you're a married woman now!" I flash her my ring and she then slugs Ryan on the shoulder. "Good on you for nabbing her before the British wanker could!" Ryan just shakes his head and she then asks, "What can I get for ya?" She asks with a massive smile. Her hair is teased into a high ponytail and neon pink lipstick covers her lips.
"I'll do whatever IPA you have on tap," Ryan orders and then glances to me. Mitsy nods and replies, "Red or white Sawyer?"
With a wave of my hand I reply, "Oh, you know...I'll just have a sweet tea." She shoots an overly plucked eyebrow up and asks, "You're either sick or pregnant." I remember that this is why we have been avoiding our usual places in town.
"Nope, just sober." I tell her but her eyes still dart to my belly before spinning around. Light floods the small bar when the door is pulled open and we see Austin saunter inside. Ryan raises an arm to get his attention but Austin catches Mitzy before she gets back to the bar. When he makes it over to us, he looks to me and says, "You got the pen?" I nod before pulling it from my purse and then I slide the pearl pin from my blonde curls. I drop them both into his outstretched palm and he asks, "Who has the thumb drive?" Ryan reaches into his jean pocket and slides the black drive out. The bar is crowded enough that people won't over hear us, but not loud enough to where we have to shout at each other.
"I'm going to figure out who the rat is that handed this over to Kit," Austin says and he snatches it from Ryan, his annoyance on full display.
"Well Dot managed to get Sawyer's medical records, so that shows us how far their money can take 'em," Ryan responds and then they both look to me.
"Guess I have no reason to keep my pregnancy on the down low now," I admit but Ryan still looks reluctant.
"Aren't you still supposed to keep it quiet for the first few months anyway?" Ryan asks me and I shrug, "I mean yeah, there could still be complications but I am almost three months along now."
"I don't think we should admit to anything until you are showing. I feel like you can tell close friends and family, but let's just wait a while before we allow your mother to announce it in the Herald."
"Speaking of the Herald, Dash asked if I wanted to give an interview for his gossip column. I was thinking I could go on the record about mine and Sebastian's relationship. He gave us the drive, the least I can do is help distance himself from me."
"It sounds like that could be for your own good too," Austin reminds me and Mitzy comes to drop our drinks off. Austin charms her into getting us a basket of fries and she's flushed after he winks to her.
"You can afford fries cheap ass," I tell Austin but he shrugs, "It's when she starts charging me that I'll know I've lost my looks."
"If you lose your looks, you won't just lose free cheese fries. You'd lose your wife as well," I joke but he scowls at me.
"Margot is not that shallow," he replies but he hardly sounds like even he's convinced.
"Have you heard from them? I know the pageant is kind of an all day thing," I ask him and he nods, "She checked in a little while ago. We have two officers as well as three undercover officers there, which is the only reason I agreed to partner with you on Sebastian. I told her their driver is not allowed to leave the vehicle and if anyone looks suspicious to call me immediately."
"Do you think we should stay with your mother? I am wondering if I trust leavin' Sawyer at your house now that we have the drive," Ryan asks Austin. He shrugs before replying, "Do they think we are dumb enough to keep it on hand?"
"Theo and Molly have enough reasons to want the drive to stay with the F.B.I. They could be suspects too," I suggest but Ryan shakes his head, "I think the Cunninghams know we'd want it more, and we'd know it was missing before anyone else."
"He's got a lot of charges being thrown his way, if he weasels out of the possession and distribution charges he could just walk away with a hefty fine. But the rape, assault and battery charges...that will get him the prison time," Austin says and then he adds, "I am sure he's going to plead not guilty to everything on Monday."
"And then there will be the spectacle of a trial," I mumble but Ryan looks to me, "I dunno, according to Sebastian, the Cunninghams don't want to drag this out. I wonder if they'll go for a plea deal or make him plead guilty in hopes he'll just be slapped with fines."
"I don't see him pleading guilty to the rape charges," I reply and both Austin and Ryan nod. Mitsy comes waltzing over with a tray covered in mugs and our basket of cheese fries. She drops it down and Austin pops a fry into his mouth and gives her a wink. I over exaggerate an eye roll but he just smirks and grabs his beer.
"When do y'all move out?" Austin asks and I welcome the change in subject.
"We pushed it a bit to do some small renovations, so after Monday, we'll probably get more focused on getting that done," Ryan replies while reaching for the basket.
"Small renovations? So, a month? A couple months?" Austin asks and I frown, "Are we not the ideal roommates for you?"
"No, I was just wondering...if Rory pleads not guilty and is denied bail, I imagine Dot and Kit will stick around until his trial, which could be a couple months. I wasn't sure if y'all had thought of that," Austin asks and I know I haven't.
"I'm hoping I can get back to normal as soon as possible. I want to get back to the winery, I want to live in our own house, I want to plan Founder's Day and get the nursery started. I'm not putting my life on hold for another few months if he decides to stick around," I tell him but I can see Ryan is reluctant to agree with me. I look to him and add, "We need to start preparing for a baby. Our life doesn't stop because of Rory."
"Speaking of baby," Austin interjects and I flick my head toward him, "I saw A.B at Wade's yesterday picking up some cupcakes. First time since I've known her that she's tried to dodge me."
"Are you serious?" I ask, partially annoyed and partially surprised.
"Yeah, I went to go congratulate her on the baby, but she barely let me look at him before she whisked him off in the stroller," Austin says, he too seems surprised.
"Her and Gus are not in a good place and I guess her and I aren't either," I tell him.
"I was surprised when Gus said he'd make the draft tomorrow. I figured on a Sunday with a new baby you'd be autodrafting," Austin says and before I am able to ask what they are talking about Ryan says, "Shit. That's tomorrow ain't it?"
"It was clearly planned before Rory's arraignment was scheduled," Austin replies and I finally add, "Oh wait, are you talking about Fantasy Football? That's already starting?"
"Tomorrow. Theo is hosting. I don't know if I should go," Ryan admits.
"I can handle being alone for a couple hours Ryan. I can go do wedding stuff with my mother if you're worried about me," I tell him but he shakes his head, "No, I mean yes, I don't want you alone but it's more that there might be someone there that I'm trying to dodge."
"Who?" Both Austin and I ask.
"I can't say. He is connected to the case I was hired for. I think he knows I've been snooping around in his business and I don't think he's going to like it when he finds out what I sniffed out."
"This is what you said is going to bite you in the ass earlier?" I ask him and he nods.
"I have a feeling I am about to be put in a tricky spot and I'm not sure how to get out of it," he confesses. He takes a long swig from his mug and I wish I could ask, I want to know what LulaBelle hired him for and how the Carmichaels are connected.
"Not goin' to lie buddy, I've been dyin' to know what you've been up to since I did you that little favor," Austin admits and I hate that he has a piece of the puzzle that I don't have.
"Like I said, it's Hollis. I imagine this little tidbit will bump your Sebastian affair right out of the gossip columns," Ryan says. "But I imagine my name won't be left out of my clients mouth when she reveals what was discovered."
"So your client is a woman?" I ask, just to test the waters but he glares at me.
"You will wait with the rest of the nosey busibodies until the information becomes public," he tells me but then after a moment he adds, "Unless you're thrown right into it." He said it more to himself but I can tell whatever he's hiding is weighing heavily on him. When I call up Dash for an interview, I might just have to ask him if he's gotten any tips about LulaBelle lately.