I arch a brow, silently asking if everything’s okay.

“He’s not happy I won’t be joining him at my parents'. I’ve told him not to go if he doesn’t wanna, but he’s stubborn.”

I listen to her chat about her hubby for a few more minutes, but my mind wanders. My mom always makes lunch for my little sister, Ivy, and me, then I go to the Bishops’ for a huge dessert buffet. After everything that’s happened, it’d be too awkward to be there.

“I’ll work for you,” I offer.

“But—”

“Trust me when I say I’ll be happy to cover your shift. I don’t wanna be around the twins right now. They fight enough without needing another reason. It’d be…tense.”

“But just think, instead of stuffin’ the turkey, they could stuff you,” she taunts as we clean up our mess.

“Stop puttin’ ideas in my head,” I mock as we take the elevator back to our floor.

“Are you really sure you’re okay with this?” she asks once we’re at our stations.

“Positive. You’d actually be doing me a favor because I’m not ready to face them.”

Especially at the same time.

She pulls me into a tight hug. “Thank you! You’re seriously the greatest. I can’t wait to tell him tonight. He’s gonna be thrilled. My parents can be a little much, and he’s super introverted, so he gets uncomfortable.”

“I understand. If your parents are anything like the Bishops, they’ll ask about every little detail of your life.”

She chuckles. “Yep, that’s exactly how they are. Gosh. Thank you again.”

“No, thank you. This buys me some time to figure out what I’m gonna say or do. I can’t just go there and act like nothing happened, and I guarantee you half the ranch hands already know the whole story. So avoiding it altogether and blaming it on work is the best option right now.”

Plus, I need to talk to Knox and find out what happened with him and Kane. Does he know that Kane came over and confessed? If he does, I wanna know how he feels about it, if anything. There’s too much up in the air to even try to think it through.

“Totally understand.”

We go our separate ways and stay busy and hustle during codes. My shift flies by, and I’m shocked when I see the night nurse come in.

Abbie and I grab our things, then walk out to the parking lot.

“I’m a little jealous. I haven’t dated in a decade, but I remember the cat and mouse games. Those early dating days of never getting enough and the honeymoon phase of sex, sex, sex. Luckily, I get to live out this soap opera through you instead. Just don’t forget to keep me in the loop.”