Chapter 6
Stella announced breakfast with the little bell that hung to the side of the back door. Cole and his siblings had rushed home at its beckoning nearly every night during their childhood. Today Jamison came in with Butch and Cassidy at his heels. All three smelled like cattle and hay, which made Cole wish he had gone to help out, if only for the sake of his own routine. The ranch smells couldn’t compete with the smell of bacon and eggs with waffles fresh out of the iron, though, and most of Cole’s concerns redirected towards his hunger. Stella apologized for the previous night, but Cole assured her it was fine, casting a brief but approving glance at Emmett, who smiled back.
Jamison was quiet for much of breakfast, as was everyone else. Most of the sound came from the scrape of s
