Country Pride (Belle Ridge Book 1)

by Charlene Bright

  Kinsley stepped away from the table to call Lynn. She briefed her on the situation and assured her she’d call as soon as the car was ready to be back on the road. The publisher was disappointed but understanding and promised to take care of informing the bookstore owner.

  Jared turned his attention to his daughter, who was sitting next to him nonchalantly thumbing through the latest edition of In Style, while Kinsley was on the phone. Kinsley glanced at the two hosts a few times before hanging up the phone.

  After ending her call, she rejoined the table, took another drink of the cool tea, and smiled. “So, guys, are there any hotels nearby in … this town? Where am I, anyway?”

  Jared and his daughter looked at each other in amusement and laughed simultaneously “We’re just outside the booming city of Belle Ridge,” he said.

  “Oh yes, I remember seeing that on the map.”

  “Surprised your eyesight was that good.” He laughed again, and Kinsley felt a warmth spread at the sound. “We use the term ‘town’ loosely for Belle Ridge.”

  She nodded and grinned back at them. “Like I told you before, I’m from near here so towns in quotation marks are pretty familiar to me. Anyway, does this ‘town’”—she used her fingers to make quotation marks—“have a hotel, Mr. Adamson?”

  “Why, Miss Griffin—is it Miss or Mrs.?” He paused, giving her an intense look. Nikki focused her attention on their guest as well.

  “Not a Mrs.,” said Kinsley, and felt the warmth again when a smile hinted at his mouth.

  “Well then, Miss Griffin, you happen to be sitting in the dining hall of the finest four-star hotel around these parts.” He raised his arms and looked around his home.

  Nikki put her hand on top of Kinsley’s. “Yes, please stay here.”

  “You really don’t have to do that. I’ve lived quite a bit of the last year in hotels—I’ve been in twelve in the last six months alone. I’m fine, really.”

  “The manager of this here hotel,” said Jared, “is afraid he’s gonna have to insist. And he’s certainly not going to try to argue with the mistress of this establishment.” He looked at his daughter, whose face took on a stubborn façade as she gave one strong nod at Kinsley. “I don’t recommend you try that either,” he added.

  Kinsley looked back at Nikki who narrowed her eyes and gave Kinsley an intense look. “I can already see that would be a futile effort,” conceded Kinsley.

  “Darn tootin’,” Nikki said jovially with a wave of her elbow to emphasize her words.

  Jared stood, threw back the last swallow of tea, and set his glass back on the table. “Well, that settles it. Come on, I’ll take you to get whatever you need for the night from your car.”

  The younger woman clapped her hands together as Jared stood. “And I’ll get dinner started. I’d say this is more of a bed-and-breakfast—or rather, bed-and-dinner-and-breakfast—than a hotel. I’ve got some chicken ready to fry and corn in the freezer from Granny’s garden.”

  “Thanks, hon,” Jared said and kissed his daughter’s cheek. He grabbed his keys from the coffee table and Kinsley finished her tea before joining him. “We’ll take my other horse,” he said as she picked up her purse from the couch, “the one with the motor. I must say that I haven’t thought to name him. Sorry about that.”

  Kinsley laughed heartily as she followed him out the door to a Ford Ranger that looked like it had a seen a few miles but had many more to travel. She patted the hood of the red truck as she crossed over to the passenger door. “Well now, that’s a Herbert if ever I saw one.”

  Jared was still laughing when they both closed their doors and he started the engine. It only took about ten minutes to get to J.J.’s garage, which was a good thing because Herbert apparently needed his air conditioner serviced. By the time they pulled into the gravel parking area, Kinsley’s chest and face glowed with moisture.

  They were greeted by a man wearing worn blue jeans and a gray button-up shirt with his name stitched in red on the breast. He looked to be about Jared’s age, with sandy-blond hair and dark-brown eyes. His tanned, dimpled face had streaks of black in a couple of places, and he wiped his wet hands on a red bandana, also with black streaks, before reaching out to shake theirs.

  “They just got her pulled in a few minutes before you got here.” He gestured to the side of the metal garage and they followed him. The car was still attached to the tow truck. After getting J.J.’s okay, Kinsley popped the trunk and pulled out one rolling suitcase. Jared immediately sprinted over to her to take the bag.

  “It’s not really heavy. I hadn’t planned on being gone for more than a couple of nights,” she protested—fruitlessly, she realized, when he still reached for the bag.

  “Now, Kinsley, I’d be disowned by my whole community, not to mention shamed in front of my buddy J.J. here, if I didn’t carry this for you.” He nodded at the aforementioned man and gave her a pointed look.

  She relented and walked alongside the mechanic, trying to recreate the sounds the car had made when it stopped running, much to the amusement of both men, while Jared put the bag in the bed of the truck. After thanking J.J., who said he would get started on it first thing in the morning and would call as soon as he knew what was going on, they stepped back into Jared’s truck and Kinsley wiped at the sweat on her neck.

  ***

  Dinner smelled delicious when they returned to Jared’s house with Kinsley’s overnight bag. She felt compelled to once again thank her hosts and tell them they shouldn’t go out of their way.

  Jared feigned a disappointing look, “I thought you said you grew up around here. If that’s truly the case, Miss Griffin, you know the code of honor.”

  She sighed and threw up her hands. “You got me there … and I know I started this, but we have to do away with this Miss and Mr. crap.”

  He took off his cowboy hat, giving her a first look at his wavy blond hair, with a hint of red. Then he put the hat over his chest and bowed slightly. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “That includes ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir,’” she chided.

  His eyes crinkled around the edges as he laughed. “Let me show you to your room, Miss—um—ma’a—um—Kinsley.”

  She followed him upstairs, and he led her to the room at the end of the hall before pointing toward another door. “That’s the bathroom. You’ll be sharing it with Nikki. Her room is there.” He pointed to the door just next to the bathroom. “And that’s my room,” he said, indicating the door at the other end of the hallway. “I’ll give you a little time to settle in and freshen up.” His eyes suddenly widened. “Not that you look like you need to freshen up. I didn’t mean—”

  She shook her head, feeling the sweat on her back. “No, it’s very kind of you. I do need to freshen up. Thank you.”

  He headed back downstairs as she went into the room to set down her bag and make herself at home. She noted the paisley wallpaper and red curtains with matching red bedspread. She rubbed her hand along the bed and pushed down. It seemed to be just as firm as she liked it. Then she looked over and noticed a vase of fresh flowers on a vanity. Nikki must have brought those up to welcome her. She walked over to the flowers, a mix of sunflowers and daisies. They made her think of her grandparents’ yard, where there were always flowers of all kinds, including the biggest, most beautiful hydrangea bushes all along the porch.

  After refreshing herself in the hallway bathroom and checking that her deodorant hadn’t failed, she rejoined them just as Nikki was setting the table. Kinsley offered to help, and soon the three were enjoying the meal and conversation.

  After she had ravenously devoured her meal, Jared retrieved a bowl of banana pudding and three smaller bowls and spoons. Kinsley had forgotten how delicious homemade banana pudding was. “Did you make this?” she asked him, digging in for another bite.

  He nodded, and Nikki jumped in, “It’s his specialty.”

  “I can’t take credit for it,” he protested and gestured to Nikki. “It was her mother’s rec
ipe.”

  Kinsley noted the ‘was,’ but wasn’t sure it was okay to ask. “Well, it’s the best I’ve ever had.”

  As she took her last bite, Nikki stood. “How about some after-dinner coffee?”

  “I’d love some. Thank you,” agreed Kinsley, giving the young woman an appreciative smile.

  Nikki went back into the kitchen, and Kinsley found herself suddenly experiencing a rare state of struggling with something to say. She and the man sat in awkward silence for a couple of moments until Nikki came back through the swinging kitchen door, carrying two cups of coffee. She set one in front of Kinsley.

  “Do you take cream and sugar?” the young host asked.

  “Just some half-and-half if you have some.”

  “You happen to have come at the right time. If I weren’t here for the summer, there wouldn’t be any half-and-half. He takes it black.” She made a look of disgust and put the other mug in front of her father.

  Jared went on the defensive. “Why on earth would anyone want to bury the taste of coffee? What are you drinking it for if you don’t like the taste of it?”

  Kinsley admitted he had a point, but the half-and-half was still a necessity, especially when the coffee was an after-dinner drink. Before Nikki left to retrieve the cream, her father took her hand. “Thank you for taking good care of this old man. You’re the best there is. Thank goodness you got more of your mama than you did of me.”

  She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “I got the best of both of you, and if you think calling yourself an old man will make me feel obligated to wait on you hand and foot, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  Kinsley found her opening. “Is your mom not home tonight?”

  Nikki and Jared looked at each other with only a small hint of sadness before looking back up at Kinsley. “Mama died four years ago. I figured Daddy would have told you.”

  He looked at Kinsley with an unreadable expression. “It hadn’t come up yet. Doesn’t seem very natural to say, ‘Hey, I’m Jared. Looks like you need help. My wife is dead.’”

  Kinsley froze for a second, but the young woman’s laughter rang out as she slapped her dad on the back, slightly harder this time. He grinned and Kinsley relaxed. It did not appear that this was a landmine she needed to be extra careful of.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said simply, still afraid to invade into the why and how of it.

  Nikki turned back to her, a kind smile on her face. “We were lucky to have her while we did.”

  “Love carries a high price,” Kinsley said thoughtfully.

  “That’s for sure,” Jared agreed as he turned to the young woman again. “Let’s not let our guest’s coffee get cold waiting on something cold to ruin it.”

  Nikki saluted them and Kinsley watched the door swing shut behind the young woman as she nearly skipped into the kitchen..

  “Hiking accident,” Jared said suddenly, startling Kinsey so that she looked at him with surprise on her face, taking a second to connect to what he was saying.

  “That’s what you wanted to ask, right? How did she die?”

  “I didn’t …” she stammered.

  He smiled and took another sip of his coffee nonchalantly. “It’s okay. It’s natural to wonder. Figured I’d save you the awkwardness of trying to figure out how to get it into the conversation.”

  Nikki returned with cream and her own cup of coffee and sat down. “Mama loved the outdoors, the wilderness,” she said, picking up the conversation. “She often went hiking alone. There are some great trails nearby. We don’t know if something spooked her or she tripped and injured herself. In any case, when she didn’t return home after a few hours, we went looking for her. Some neighbors joined us, and we found her at the bottom of a trail. We think she died instantly of a broken neck. I hope I’m as lucky to die instantly with no suffering while doing the thing that gives me the most peace.”

  “Our only regret is that it happened when she was so young,” agreed her father.

  Kinsley looked into her coffee cup and watched the clouds of cream swirl and transform from black to caramel as she stirred.

  “But that’s enough of that,” announced Nikki, putting her hand on Kinsley’s arm to pull her back into the circle. “Tell us more about you. I’m honored to have a celebrity staying at our establishment.”

  Kinsley chuckled and took a sip of her coffee before answering. “Hardly, but if you have a copy of one of my books, I’ll be happy to autograph it.” Everyone laughed and she felt warmed by the feeling of ease that had fallen over the room.

  “There’s really not that much to tell of me. Grew up in small-town Tennessee and found a talent with words, or maybe not a talent but the ability to use a lot of them. Got a psychology degree and decided I didn’t want to go into practice. So, I put together my two passions and then moved to Chicago and started telling people how to live their lives. That’s pretty much it.”

  “That’s it?” asked Nikki, studying Kinsley closely from her hand to her face. “Are you married?”

  Kinsley shook her head.

  “Have a boyfriend?”

  She rolled her eyes but not before she noted the slight reddening and the look of interest on Jared’s face.

  “What? You’re a beautiful, talented woman, who doesn’t seem to have trouble making friends. So then tell me, Kinsley Griffin, what’s wrong with you?” The girl’s eyes sparkled with the tease. “I’m on chapter four of Forever 21, Eventually 40,” she admitted, referencing a passage from the book.

  Kinsley smiled delightedly and felt slightly embarrassed at the attention. “What’s wrong with me? Oh, hon, we don’t have that kind of time.” As the warmth grew around the dining table, Kinsley realized that she really liked this girl and felt more at home than she had felt in months. When she looked at Jared, she saw he was watching her carefully and gave her a slight nod as if he were reading her mind and telling her she was indeed welcome.

  After Nikki helped get her set up in the guest room and bathroom upstairs, Kinsley pulled on her silk pajamas and peeked through the curtain at the dark pasture lit up by the nearly full moon. She wondered how many cattle and horses the Adamson Pride sheltered. When they had first arrived, she had seen a few black-and-white cows and was delighted by two small calves hiding out in the shade under the older ones. Jared had also mentioned chickens and a litter of kittens he’d just found. Kinsley was looking forward to getting a tour, if she didn’t have to get right back on the road the next day. She found herself hoping the car wouldn’t be fixed tomorrow, then she made herself comfortable in bed and called Carley.

  “Wow, two nights in a row. You must be missing me,” her best friend answered

  “Always. Just wanted to let you know that my plans have been … slightly … altered.” Kinsley glanced at the bedroom door.

  “Meaning?”

  “The rental car broke down.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “Yep. I decided to—get ready for this shocker—take the advice of my best friend.”

  Carley let out a dramatic gasp.

  “I thought I’d slow down and take a scenic route to the next event.”

  Her friend almost squealed with pride. “Good for you.”

  “Oh, it gets better,” Kinsley said, conspiratorially, remembering the look Jared had given her when she said good night to them.

  “Do tell. My ears are wide open.” Kinsley could almost hear her friend settling down to hear a good story.

  “So, the car breaks down on this beautiful, winding, country highway, where there’s no cell service—”

  “Of course.”

  “And who comes along to help but a gorgeous cowboy on a horse.” She thought back to her first good look at Jared when she’d stepped out of the car.

  Now came the squeal she had been expecting. She pulled the phone slightly away from her ear. When the decibel dropped, she picked up the conversation. “Are you through?” Her best friend had defi
nitely been spending too much time with children and not enough with adults.

  Carley lowered the enthusiasm in her voice from the excited teenager level to a level more appropriate for thirty-something-year-old women having a phone conversation. “Okay, I’m in control now. Keep going. Should I make some popcorn for this?”

  “So, I’m staying at his house while we wait on the mechanic to diagnose and fix the car,” Kinsley said, ignoring the popcorn comment.

  “You’re sleeping with him?” Again, the decibel rose so that Kinsley was afraid Nikki or Jared might hear her in the other room or across the hall.

  “I said I was staying at his house, not in his bed,” she chastised her friend in a low voice hoping to bring down Carley’s volume by example.

  “Yet …” added Carley, stretching out the word, her voice low but still filled with glee.

  Kinsley rolled her eyes, but her stomach was still fluttering an hour later when she crawled into the soft bed and went to sleep with a smile.

  5

  Jared stood in front of the sink, looking out the kitchen window at the cattle in the far field, just barely within sight. He took a sip of his coffee and turned his thoughts from his daily chores to the beautiful woman sleeping, he imagined, a few feet away. He glanced at the clock. She may have grown up in a small town, but either she had not spent a lot of that life on a farm, or the city had gotten into her. It was nine o’clock and he had been up a couple of hours. Of course, he reminded himself, those dark circles under her eyes meant she probably needed this sleep, so he should not judge.

  He turned as he heard the door swing, and Nikki entered the room. Speaking of late sleepers …

  “Morning, Daddy.”

  “Morning, sweetheart, but it’s not morning much longer.”

  “It’s morning for three more hours, and anyway, I’ve been up for a while now. I was talking to Chance.”