Tracy popped the soda bread she’d prepared into the oven, and then went over to sit at the table with Steve. “It might be time to renovate your kitchen. Put in some appliances from the eighties and not the sixties . . .”
He shrugged. “I’m not much of a cook. I throw a Hungry Man dinner into the oven, and I’m good to go.”
She shook her head. “Man cannot live by TV dinners alone . . .”
“This is true. And it’s why you’re here to cook for me.”
“I guess so . . . but I’m not here every day.”
“Yes, but I can have my Hungry Man on days you’re not here. Or go into town and eat at the diner . . . or there’s always Comida . . .”
“This is true . . . I need to see the kittens after we eat. The bread will be done in thirty minutes, and the stew will be ready about then. This is one of the recipes I plan to serve at the pub.”
“Are you going to have American food as well?” He reached down and ruffled Ringo’s fur as he talked to her, and she could tell they were both used to the affectionate gesture.
“I’ll probably have burgers and chicken fried steak. But it’ll be mainly Irish fare. Fish and chips, Irish nachos, Irish stew, shepherd’s pie . . .”
“Sounds delicious. As long as I can get a burger there on occasion . . . I’m working on getting my herd to be as lean as possible. Making the beef that comes from them healthier. I feel like I should be your meat supplier.”
She laughed. “I have no idea how I’m going to make that work. I haven’t really thought about my meat supplier, but I have a feeling, I’m not going to be working directly with a rancher . . .”
“Probably not. But you should keep me in mind . . .”
“I’ll do that! What movie did you choose?”
“I went with Twilight Zone, the Movie. I thought it would be fun.”
“Oh, I haven’t seen that yet, and I want to! You might have to follow me home and check for monsters under my bed when we’re done, though.”
He laughed. “If I need to, you know I will.”
“Heather’s going to get here Friday for the wedding. She’s staying with Mom and Dad, but I’m going to get her from the airport after work on Friday.”
“Do you want me to drive with you? I’m assuming she’s flying into San Antonio?”
“She is. Would you mind? It would be nice not to have to make the drive alone.”
“I would love to have more time with you. You know that.” Steve frowned at her for a moment. “You know that you’re an addiction, right?”
“How am I an addiction?”
“It’s been years since we were close, and suddenly, you’re filling my every thought. I’m not quite sure how this happened so quickly.”
“I think it’s just the natural flow of things. We were such good friends as teenagers, and now as we’re getting to know each other again, it seems like we belong. I don’t know if that makes sense . . .”
“Sure it does!” He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Why didn’t I ask you out as soon as you got back from Europe?”
“Because I was going to college and working at the car dealership, and I had no time for anyone or anything. It’s only been the last couple of years that I’ve slowed down a little, but I’ve been picking up as many hours as I could so I could save up for the pub. No, it’s really the right time for us now. Fate has had a hand in our relationship.”
“Fate? You believe in fate?”
She shrugged. “Maybe not in the traditional sense, but I think God has a hand in when things happen to and for us. I think He knew it was time for us to be together, so He sent you my way.”
“Maybe.” The oven beeped then, so he sat back in his chair and waited for her to get the bread from the oven. “That smells so good!”
“The bread or the stew?” she asked. Tracy couldn’t believe how excited she was for him to try her stew.
“Yes!”
She laughed, digging in his cabinets for bowls and filling them with the stew. Then she cut the bread and buttered two pieces, putting them on small plates and taking them to the table. “What do you want to drink?”
“There are Cokes in the fridge. Just grab a couple.”
She nodded and went to his refrigerator, getting out two bottles of Coke and opening them with the opener he had as a magnet on his fridge. “Your fridge only has one magnet! That’s so sad!”
“Should refrigerators have more than one magnet?” he asked, not sure where she was going.
“You haven’t been in my kitchen, obviously. I have at least fifty magnets covering the front and one side of my fridge. It has all my travels and everything that amuses me covering it.”
“That sounds fun. I’m going to have to see your fridge sometime soon.” He picked up the spoon that was beside his bowl. “This stew looks amazing.”
“I hope you like it as much as I do.”
He took a bite and nodded, smiling. “It’s fabulous!”
After their meal, they did the dishes together, and she told him again he needed to remodel the kitchen. “There’s not even a dishwasher!”
“Do I need a dishwasher? I usually just eat from the foil package.”
She sighed. “You need a dishwasher. You need a modern kitchen.”
“Maybe someday.” He dried the pot she had made the stew in and put it away. “Okay, let’s go see the kittens.”
She grinned. That was the reason she’d come, after all. To see his kittens. She followed him out to the barn, determined not to fall in love with one of them. She loved animals, but she really wasn’t home enough to take care of one.
Ringo ran alongside them, obviously at home all over the ranch. Tracy loved to watch Steve with Ringo. They had a special bond.
He led her to the back of the barn, to a small mound of hay, and there was the mother cat, lying on her side while the kittens nursed. He reached down and picked one up, handing it to her.
Tracy cuddled the kitten under her chin, loving the feel of the fur on her neck. “He’s so soft!” She dropped to her knees in the hay, still snuggling the kitten, reaching out to stroke another. “Are you trying to find them homes?”
He shook his head. “Nah. It won’t hurt for them to wander around here forever. Barn cats are good for a ranch. They keep the mice and rats at bay.”
She shuddered. “I don’t want to think about mice and rats. I hope I don’t have a problem with them in the pub. I didn’t see signs of them, but with as long as the building has been vacant, there’s a good chance.”
“Just get an exterminator in there right away. Not a big deal while it’s still vacant. When do the contractors start their work?”
“Well, I have to have my offer accepted first, but I’m planning on June and July. Realtor says we can close pretty fast with as long as the building has been on the market.” She grinned at him. “I can’t believe I’m finally doing it. All of the blocks are in place.”
“I’m really excited for you!” He held his hand down to help her up as she set the kitten down. “Wanna go watch our movie?”
She nodded. “Yeah, let’s go. I wanted to see that while it was in theaters, but I was always too busy. I need to get my priorities straight. Twilight Zone should always be at the top of my list.”
“Yes, it should. I’ve seen all of the old ones. I think I’m going to buy the whole collection.”
“That would be awesome! I’d watch them all with you.”
“It’s a date.” They held hands as they walked out of the barn. He led her to the stable. “I have a new foal as well. He’s six weeks old. Want to see?”
“Are you trying to romance me with baby animals?” Tracy asked, looking at him skeptically.
“I don’t know. Is it working?”
“Absolutely!” Tracy walked to the foal and stroked its head. “He’s beautiful!” Ringo stayed back, as he had with the kittens. He obviously knew it wasn’t his place to mess with the baby animals.
Steve grin
ned at her. He remembered her love for animals from high school, and he’d use anything at his disposal to get her to fall for him. He needed her in his life. He knew she was right, and neither of them had been ready for a relationship before. He’d been busy dealing with his father’s cancer, and she’d been working toward her pub. This seemed like just the right time of life for them.
After she’d spent a few minutes with the foal, they went back into the house, and he put the tape into the VCR. “I wish I could get the remote to work, but it’s been finicky.”
“Let me see.” Tracy took the remote from him and closed her eyes. “The connector that touches the battery is dirty. Just needs to be cleaned off.” She opened the back of the remote and removed the battery. Sure enough, there was a green mark on the connector, and she scraped it off with her thumbnail. “There. It’ll work now.”
He stared at her for a minute. “How did you know that without looking?”
She bit her lip. “What do you mean? You saw me take the back off.”
“But you told me what was wrong before you took the back off.”
“Did I?” She couldn’t believe she’d messed up that way. She needed to be more careful. People were going to think she was insane.
He sat down, caught her hand, and tugged her down with him. “Tracy? What aren’t you telling me?”
She sighed. “So you have heard rumors about my family, I’m sure. How we’re all weird?”
“Yeah . . .”
“It seems like the youngest son of the seven always has some sort of strange power. Peter has the ability to see the future . . .”
“But you’re not the youngest of seven sons.”
“No, I’m not. But apparently everyone in the family has some sort of latent power. And last year, all of my sisters were together, and something happened. There was a loud zapping sound and a power outage . . . and we all suddenly had strange powers. Mine is the ability to diagnose what’s wrong with any object by touching it.”
“Really?” Steve wasn’t sure if she was pulling his leg, despite what he’d just seen her do.
She nodded. “And I usually know immediately how to fix it. I knew what was wrong with your truck when you brought it in, and I told the mechanic, and it was an easy fix, so we were able to get you top dollar on your trade-in. I know it’s weird, but it’s true.”
“And your sisters all have strange powers now, too?”
“Yup. It’s fun sometimes. We just told our mom about it on Sunday. Gaylynn and I were in the kitchen together, and it just slipped out.”
He sat back against the couch, staring straight ahead for a moment. “That’s really weird.”
“Does it freak you out? Do you want me to leave?”
“Of course not. It just may take me a little while to process it. I will say, you having the ability to do that will be really handy around the ranch . . . I might keep you.”
She laughed. “Well, as long as you’re not running away screaming into the wind, I guess we’re all good.”
“Then we’re good. I can’t see myself ever running away.” He pressed the button on the remote, and they settled back, watching the movie.
As they watched, she realized that she felt completely relaxed with him. Whether it was because he now knew her secret or because he’d always been a big part of her life, she wasn’t sure. What she was sure of was that she was glad it was him she’d told and not someone else. There was something almost magical about how she felt about Steve, and she wasn’t going to take it for granted. Ever.
After the movie, which she’d barely watched, he walked her to her car and kissed her goodnight. The kiss was soft and lingering. “How am I supposed to be able to drive home now that I’m weak in the knees?” she asked.
He laughed. “Keep your eyes on the road.” As she got into the car, he leaned down and looked in. “When do I get to see you again?”
She sighed. “I’m working ten-hour days all week. Friday for the airport will be the first time. And you can be my date for Marti’s graduation party on Saturday night.”
He frowned. “That’s a really long time away.”
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
“I’m not so sure about that . . . I’ll miss you this week. Can I call?”
“Absolutely. I should be home by eight thirty every night.”
“I’ll call around nine. Will that work?”
She nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.” As she drove away, she realized that she couldn’t imagine a day without him any longer. What had she done to herself?
Chapter Seven
True to his word, Steve called every night that week. On Friday afternoon, he drove to Tracy’s house, and they took her car to the airport in San Antonio. It was odd that she missed him so much when they were apart, because they’d been dating less than a week, but she remembered how it had been in high school, when he’d filled her every thought.
“So Heather got married when? January?” Steve asked.
“December. They had a Christmas wedding.” Tracy carefully changed lanes as they drove through Austin on I-35.
“Was it here? How did I miss there was a McClain wedding happening?”
“It was here. It was around the time when your dad was in the hospital, though, so I think that’s probably why you missed it. It was a quick wedding. They planned it all in two weeks.”
“She wasn’t pregnant, was she?”
Tracy laughed. “Everyone always asks that. No, she wasn’t pregnant. She was just ready to live in the same state as the man she loved.”
“I can see that. Is her husband coming down with her?”
“No, he didn’t want to spend that much time away from the ranch. He was here for over a week in November, and his brother ended up getting hurt running both ranches, so he will stay where he is this time. Michael’s a good guy, but it’s really Heather who needs to be here for the graduation and wedding.”
“Yeah, that makes sense to me. Does she know I’m going to be with you to pick her up?”
“Nope. She doesn’t. She’ll figure it out when she gets there, I guess.” Tracy debated for a moment but decided to tell him about her sister’s power. “Remember how I told you that all of us got strange powers from the zap?”
“Yeah?” Steve remembered every word of that conversation. She’d not mentioned any of it since, and neither had he, but he really hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. If he married her, would his kids have strange powers, too?
“Well, Heather’s power is that she can see when a couple should be together. She said there’s something about their hues or auras that blend together to make them compatible or not. So, she’s going to have something to say about the two of us, whether we want to hear it or not.”
“Will she tell you in front of me? Or when you’re alone?”
“She doesn’t know that you know about the powers, so she’ll wait until we’re alone. She doesn’t even know we’re dating. It’s so new, and I haven’t spoken to her in a couple of weeks.”
“You didn’t even confirm the flight?”
“Nope. We just knew we were going to do it this way, and she knows I’m dependable. Mom called and confirmed this morning to make sure I was still taking off work to go get her. Dad had a conference in Austin today, and Mom doesn’t like driving into San Antonio, so it was up to me.”
“None of your other sisters could do it?”
“Who? Rebekah’s getting ready for med school. Jessica is planning her wedding. Gaylynn is planning her wedding. Candice is busy being Candice. Marti is sleeping off exams. Nope, it’s up to me today.”
“Well, I’m glad it is, because it gave me an excuse to be with you. It’s been since Monday, and I was missing you desperately! I’ve only eaten Hungry Man dinners since I last saw you. I need a real meal!”
“Are you only dating me because I can cook?”
Steve laughed. “Of course not. I didn’t know you could cook until after we
were dating. Of course, now that I know you can cook, I’m going to take advantage of it.”
“What did you eat when your dad was still alive? Did he cook?”
“Oh, sure. He cooked two Hungry Man dinners every night.” Steve shrugged. “I was raised on them!”
“I see. Some family tradition. I need to teach you to cook.”
“Or marry me and cook for me!”
“Umm . . . we’ve been dating for less than a week. It has to be at least two weeks before I can agree to marry you. That’s the law or something.”
He frowned. “I’m not so sure about that being the law, but whatever. I can wait a week for the proposal, I guess.” He had his mother’s engagement ring in his pocket, and he planned to ask at the first opportunity. The first decent opportunity that was. He wasn’t going to really ask her while they were driving fifty-five miles per hour down the interstate. High speed engagements weren’t all they were cracked up to be.
When they got to the airport, they parked in the short-term parking and checked the gate to see where to go and wait for Heather. Some people preferred to wait outside, but Tracy’s family had always met their family member at the gate. It felt so much more personal.
After going through security, they went and sat at the gate to wait. “We’re thirty minutes early. Sorry about that. I didn’t time it as well as I thought I had.”
“Way better to be early than late. And you never know what it’s going to be like at this time of day.”
“That’s true.” Tracy watched the tarmac, hoping her sister would land early. “I bet Heather is going to be desperate for Mexican food when she gets off that plane. She told me that the Mexican food in Idaho leaves a lot to be desired.”
“That would make sense. I can’t imagine there would be good Tex-Mex in Idaho.”
“According to Heather, Tex-Mex doesn’t exist in Idaho at all. They have Taco Bells and call it Mexican food, and there’s not even a Taco Bell near her. She’s in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere.”
“That’s sounds like she lives near us,” he said, making a joke about a neighboring town called Nowhere.
Tracy grinned. “It really does, doesn’t it?”
Tracy (Seven Sisters Book 5) Page 5