Chapter 6: Ties That Bind—and Break

I went back to the party with Derek, and from a distance heard a woman’s big, warm laugh.

The sound boomed across the yard, drawing everyone’s attention. Derek’s mom, always larger than life, waved us over with a grin. She wore a denim jacket over her dress, boots caked with the dust of the road.

“Lisa, look at these two—aren’t they just perfect together?”

It was Derek’s mom, but nobody echoed her. You could feel the whole yard lean in, waiting to see if Mrs. Thompson would throw a fit or just smile and sip her tea. Even though my engagement to Caleb wasn’t public, after Mrs. Jennings got a polite but sharp rebuke from Mrs. Thompson for trying to set me up with her nephew, everyone in Maple Heights more or less understood the situation. So, no one said anything, all waiting to see what Mrs. Thompson would do.

There was a hush, the kind that falls before a thunderstorm. I could feel all the ladies’ eyes on me, gauging my reaction. In a town like this, gossip traveled faster than wildfire—one wrong move, and it’d be all over social media by sundown.

The expected anger didn’t come. Mrs. Thompson smiled, sipped her tea, and said, “I think so too.”

Her voice was steady, her eyes kind. She raised her glass in a quiet toast, as if daring anyone to contradict her. For the first time in a long while, she seemed to let go of the old expectations. It felt like permission to breathe.

The ladies were all surprised. After exchanging glances, they quickly chimed in with compliments.

Compliments flowed like punch—about my dress, Derek’s height, our supposed childhood romance. The mood lightened, laughter rising in the spring air. I felt the tension slip away, replaced by a buzz of curiosity and goodwill.

Someone said, “I remember Sheriff Hamilton took his family up north. So Derek and Natalie must be old friends?”

Her voice carried, drawing more smiles. Derek and I shared a look, both fighting not to burst out laughing at the memories.

Derek and I exchanged a look and I ducked my head, trying not to laugh. Back then, he loved calling himself ‘Little Sheriff’—who would’ve thought he’d actually become one?

He rolled his eyes, grinning. “Don’t remind me,” he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. It brought back images of him parading around with a plastic badge and a lasso made of twine.

Seeing my face turn red from holding back a laugh, Derek gritted his teeth and muttered, “Natalie, is it really that funny?”

I bit my lip, trying to look innocent. The effort made my cheeks ache. Around us, the women exchanged knowing glances, amused by the inside joke they couldn’t quite decipher.

Seeing his grumpy face, I could only shake my head, denying it.

It was a silent promise—I wouldn’t embarrass him, not today. Our friendship was a lifeline in a sea of small-town scrutiny.

I hadn’t noticed when Caleb came over, but now he was looking at Derek and me, clearly annoyed.

He stood just outside the circle, jaw tight, eyes narrowed. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon, but tried to play it off, nodding at Derek like they were just old buddies. For a moment, I wondered if he’d say something, but instead, he just watched, frustration etched on his face. The air crackled with tension.

“Mom, what are you all talking about so happily? Why not let your son in on it?”

His voice was low, polite on the surface but with a pointed edge. He looked directly at me, as if daring me to answer. The conversation stilled—everyone waiting to see what would happen next.