Mr. Robertson rubbed his protruding belly. “I don’t know if I’ll eat for the rest of the week after tonight’s meal.”
They all laughed, and the Robertsons turned toward the cabins.
Everly pulled the phone out of her coat pocket. When she finally got it out, she huffed a nervous breath. “It’s the realtor.”
“Well, don’t just look at it. Answer it!” Stella said.
Everly pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Miss Cooper, it’s Janice. How are you?”
“Fine. And you?” Everly’s tone was rushed, but she’d been waiting days to hear something about the house.
“I’m well. I’m sorry, but I have bad news. Someone else made a better offer on the Riverview Road property. It’s under contract now.”
Everly’s jaw tensed. She’d known this was a possibility, but nothing could have prepared her for the disappointment. “I understand.”
“We can keep looking. There are a few other properties that match your budget and requirements, but they’re closer to Cody,” Janice said.
“Thank you. Can you send me the links for those? I’ll call you about them tomorrow.”
“I will. Again, I’m sorry. I know you had your heart set on that one.”
Everly rubbed her forehead. “Thanks. I’m sure there will be another one.”
“Right. Stay optimistic. We’ll find you a home you’ll love,” Janice promised.
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Everly lowered the phone and cradled it in her lap.
“Bad news, I assume,” Stella said.
“Yeah. She has some others she thinks I’ll like. I just got excited about this one.” Everly looked up at Stella. “It’s stupid. It’s just a house.”
Stella wrapped her arms around Everly’s shoulders, squeezing her close. “It’s not stupid. You want a home. That’s what everyone wants. And bless your heart, you haven’t ever had one that wasn’t temporary.”
Everly rested her head on Stella’s shoulder. “Thanks. I’ll be fine. I may have to take Mr. Chambers up on the offer to stay at the main house until I can find something.”
“Eager to get out of Ridge and Blake’s place?” Stella asked.
Everly scrunched her nose. “Kind of.”
Stella leaned in, barely containing her grin. “Why’s that?”
“You know why.”
Stella was one of Everly’s best friends, and there wasn’t much secret between them.
Except the bold truth about how Everly felt about Blake.
“I need to hear you say it,” Stella said.
“I like Blake, okay.” Everly threw her hands in the air. “I like him. A lot.” She resisted the urge to blurt out that she loved Blake. He should be the first to hear that news, whenever she got the courage to tell him. “He’s always been there for me, and he’s a great guy, and I can’t believe he likes me too, and…”
Everly stopped, breathing hard after quickly spilling her guts.
“Don’t stop there! Keep going!” Stella coaxed.
“I want to be with him, but we can’t. At least not until I move out.”