“Danielle?” Tyler asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Lacy.”
Dylan seemed to be listening but didn’t say anything. Finishing off his meatball, he hesitated, then speared a second one. “So when are you gonna tell us where the money came from?”
Jesse wondered if he should share his news about his win out at Devil’s Bowl. Rather than answer, he chomped on the savory ball of meat and shrugged. “Man your wife can cook, Dylan.”
Dylan was still watching him carefully, as if judging whether or not Jesse was really going to try to steal Ronnie from him. Yeah, like that could happen in this lifetime. “Give it up, Dylan, you know Ronnie’s only got eyes for you.”
Dylan finally relaxed and Tyler nudged him. “She’s partial to Dylan ’cause he married her to spring her out of jail.”
Dylan shook his head as he stuck his fork in another meatball. Taking a bite, he chewed, swallowed, and grinned. “My woman’s a great cook, and I hated the thought of seeing her behind bars, but that wasn’t why I married her.”
Jesse and Tyler shared a knowing look. “Must be some hidden skill that she possesses.”
Tyler laughed, but Dylan didn’t. “She sure as hell isn’t gonna show it, or share it, with anyone else but me,” Dylan ground out.
“Hey, no offense, big brother,” Jesse said, backing away with his hands up in front of him to ward off the impending attack, “but she’s taken the edge off of you. The old you would have planted a fist in my face by now.”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
Tyler grabbed for the bowl of meat and sauce. “So who’s gonna tell Ronnie what happened to dinner?”
The three looked at one another and broke into gales of laughter. Jesse dug into the potato salad and heaped it onto a plate. “She and Emily really take good care of us,” he said, looking at the plates, utensils, and cups Emily had left out for them to use. “I can’t wait till Danielle and Lacy get here.”
His brothers waited for him to say more, but in the end were left wondering. He wasn’t ready to say anything else. By the time the hole in his belly was satisfied, they’d polished off most of the potato salad and half of the noodle salad. “Maybe Ronnie won’t notice that we ate some of the meatballs,” Jesse said staring at the bowl.
Dylan smacked him on the back of the head. “Some? Hell, we ate half of it!”
Tyler smiled. “It’ll be worth catching hell for.” He reached for a sandwich and sat at the table.
“Dylan will have to sweet talk her so she doesn’t stay mad at us,” Jesse said. “I’d hate it if she got mad and stopped cooking for us.”
As one, the brothers paused to stare at Jesse as that thought sank in. “Damn,” Tyler rasped.
Dylan’s smile was just this side of wicked. “I’ve got a secret weapon, don’t you boys worry none.”
Chapter 9
Danielle wondered if she’d ever sleep through the night again. She’d tossed and turned but couldn’t get the memory of Jesse pulling her close and kissing her out of her head. Lord, the man could kiss.
Looking over at her daughter, she smiled. Lacy had been good as gold today, and she wondered if it was because her favorite cowboy had tucked her in last night or because they were headed to the Circle G. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and help Uncle Jimmy?” Although she already knew the answer to that particular question, she still waited to hear what her daughter would say.
She was surprised when Lacy answered. “I promised Unca Jimmy we’d help all day tomorrow. Will cowboy Jesse be waiting for us when we get there?”
Danielle sighed. “He didn’t say exactly what time this afternoon he’d be able to meet us, but he will be there. Until then, you will have to learn some patience, sweet pea. Besides,” she said, hoping to redirect Lacy’s attention, “Jesse called earlier to say that we’ll get to meet Ronnie and Emily—his brother Dylan’s wife and his oldest brother Tyler’s fiancée. They’re going to be home when we get to the Circle G.”
“I gots to see him, Mommy. I forgot to tell him something.”
“Don’t worry, you will. Now, pay attention, sweet pea,” she said to distract her. “I need you to be on the lookout for a big old tree standing all alone right next to the road.”
“Why?”
“That’s the road into the Circle G.”
Lacy was practically vibrating with excitement when she spotted the tree. “There!” she shouted, scaring the life out of Danielle. Before she could remind her not to yell when they were in the car, unless it was a dire emergency, Lacy started bouncing in her seat. “We’re here, we’re here!”
It was another mile or so before they reached a huge gate.
“Why is there a C in a circle?” Lacy asked.
“That’s a G sweetie. It stands for Garahan.”
Her heart was beating just a little too quickly for comfort, but she put the car in park, patted her daughter’s hand, and said, “Sit tight and watch me.”
Lacy grinned. “OK!”
When she opened the gate and got back in the car, Lacy turned to her. “It’s like in the movies, isn’t it, Mommy?”
She smiled and nodded. “OK. Now wait here.”
Lacy did as she was told and was waiting patiently for her to get back in. “Do you think it’s much further?”
“I can’t see the ranch house from here, can you?”
Her daughter shook her head so hard, her cowgirl hat flew off. Out of the corner of her eye, Danielle saw Lacy’s hand move toward the seat belt-release button. “Don’t even think about it, or I’ll turn this car around so fast your head will spin.”
“But, Mommy—”
“I mean it. You promised to be on your best behavior today. Unbuckling your seat belt before I stop the car isn’t behaving.”
Lacy hung her head but put her hands back in her lap. “Sorry.”
Danielle didn’t notice the fork in the road until Lacy was pointing at it. “Which way?” she asked. “I don’t see the house.”
Danielle frowned. “I don’t either. I didn’t remember hearing that the road forked.” Kicking herself for not getting the telephone number for the ranch house, she turned to the left and followed the road, hoping it was the right direction. If they got really lost, she could always turn around or call Uncle Jimmy.
“Oooohh.” Lacy pointed to the pond. “Can we go swimming? I’m hot.”
Danielle laughed. “Not right now. I think we’ve gone too far. We should have seen the ranch by now. Let’s turn around.”
“Can’t we just go over and look at the water?”
The plaintive note in her daughter’s voice swayed her. It was a pretty sight, with the grass blowing in the hot afternoon breeze and the water rippling as it moved across the surface. “We’re only going to look at it.”
“Yay!” Lacy was out of her seat belt in a flash and had her hand on the door latch.
“Wait up!” Danielle called out, but her daughter was already out of the car and running toward the water. Hurrying to catch up, she reached Lacy’s side as her daughter got down on her knees and bent toward the water. “I’m just gonna touch it,” she said, looking up at her mother. “OK?”
Moved by a similar need, she agreed. “Let’s see if it’s a cool as it looks.”
Running their fingers through it wasn’t enough; they bent farther until Danielle had Lacy around the waist and her little arms were wet up to her elbows. “That’s enough for now, or you’ll end up head first in the water and then we’ll have to go back to Uncle Jimmy’s.”
Lacy sat up so fast they tumbled over into the sweet smelling grass. Laughing, Danielle hugged her to her heart, and Lacy’s little arms wrapped around Danielle’s neck as she pressed her lips to Danielle’s cheek. “I’m ready to go.”
How many more moments would there be before Lacy was too old to want to throw her arms around Danielle and kiss her? Letting her breath go out in a sigh, Danielle gathered her daughter in her arms and got to her feet.<
br />
“You don’t have to carry me.”
“I want to.”
Lacy leaned her head against the side of Danielle’s. “I like it out here.”
Danielle’s heart stumbled in her chest at the realization that she did too. “It’s pretty special out here by the pond, isn’t it?”
Lacy nodded and her hat flopped around from her back to her shoulder. Putting it on Lacy’s head, she set her little girl on her feet and opened the door. “Let’s go.”
Backtracking, they were at the fork in the road again. Danielle marveled at the beauty of the sweeping pastures and trees lining the road.
“There! It’s right there!”
Up ahead, the road widened into a huge area that encompassed the driveway and the road that led to the barn just past it. The old two-story farmhouse was picture perfect with its bright white paint and colorful flowers spilling out of pots on the steps and planters on the porch railing. The back door opened and a pretty redhead stood smiling in welcome. “We thought you’d never get here.”
Danielle turned to help unbuckle Lacy, but her daughter was already running toward the back porch. She was shaking her head as she got out.
“Me too,” her daughter said, grabbing a hold of the woman’s hand. “I’m Lacy and that’s my mommy.”
Laughing, Danielle bent to touch the tip of her finger on her daughter’s nose. “Someone was really impatient to get here.”
“We were starting to worry that you’d missed the turn off.”
Danielle looked up as a beautiful brunette joined them on the porch. “Welcome to the Circle G.” She held out her hand, and Danielle shook it.
“Thanks. In case you didn’t hear the introductions, this is my daughter, Lacy.”
“And you’re Danielle Brockway,” the redhead answered. “I’m Emily Langley and this is Ronnie Garahan.”
Danielle smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Thanks for letting us visit.”
“We’ve been wanting to meet you,” Emily said. “Jesse’s been so busy lately that we didn’t think we’d get to before the celebration.”
“What are you celebrating?”
Emily smiled at Lacy’s question and bent down and brushed wisps of hair out of Lacy’s face. “Our town.”
“Take Pride in Pleasure Day,” Ronnie finished for her.
“Can we come too?”
“Absolutely,” Emily said, getting to her feet. “I’m going to be making brownies and helping my cousin with the entertainment for the day.” She stared at Danielle for a few moments and then smiled. “It’s going to be quite a hit with the ladies.”
“Sounds intriguing.” Danielle figured she’d be hearing all about it before their visit was through.
“I wish I could chat, but I have to fix a second dinner.”
“What happened to the first one?” Lacy wanted to know.
“Somebody ate most of it.”
“Did they break down the back door?”
Ronnie smiled. “No, they walked right in and helped themselves.”
From the way the ladies were smiling, Danielle had a good idea who the culprits were. “Did they leave any clues behind?”
“Other than demolishing half of the meatballs I made early this morning, so I wouldn’t have to cook in this heat?”
“Oh.” Danielle knew what that felt like. She and her uncle worked hard to do the same. “Uncle Jimmy and I do most of the baking and prep work a day ahead.”
“Me too!” Lacy chimed in.
“You too, sweet pea.” Looking up, she saw the undisguised interest on the faces of the two women. She wondered just how much Jesse had told them about her and Lacy. “We’re here a little earlier than planned, but Jesse said that would be OK.”
“So, I hear you want to learn to ride.” Ronnie seemed excited about the prospect.
“Yes!”
Laughing at the way little Lacy jumped up and down, Ronnie held out her hand. “How about if I introduce you to a couple of our horses? They love visitors.”
“I thought you had to make dinner,” Lacy said, taking Ronnie’s hand.
“I changed my mind. Jesse and his brothers can have the leftover sandwiches they didn’t eat earlier, since they ate half the pot of sauce and meatballs.”
“It was cowboy Jesse and his brothers who stole the meatballs?”
Lacy’s horrified look had Danielle reassuring her that Ronnie was only kidding when she said someone had walked into the house to steal food.
“I’m sorry, Lacy,” Ronnie said. “I was joking. Those men come and go, and eat us out of house and home. It’s hard work to keep up with their appetites.”
“Especially when they work so hard during the day,” Emily added. “They use up every ounce of food they eat by lunchtime.”
“But they didn’t eat their sammiches,” Lacy pointed out.
Ronnie smiled. “Not all of them.”
Lacy grabbed a hold of Ronnie’s hand and danced along in front of Danielle and Emily.
“I learned to ride when I was your age,” Ronnie said, smiling down at Lacy. “And when I was old enough, I learned how to barrel ride.”
“Really?”
“Truly. My parents let me take lessons back East.”
“I thought you were from Texas.”
“I’m from New Jersey,” Ronnie said and Lacy started to laugh. “What’s so funny?”
Lacy tugged on her hand and said, “There’s no cowgirls from there.”
Ronnie patted the mini pink Stetson and reminded her, “That’s where I’m from, and I can tell you, they not only have horses back home, they have cows, sheep, and llamas.”
Danielle watched her daughter laughing with Dylan’s wife and felt a sharp tug in the vicinity of her heart. She was grateful that her uncle had invited them to come out for the summer. If they stayed—well, best not to think of that right now.
Wanting to make sure that they didn’t wear out their welcome, she said, “If Ronnie said she learned to ride horses in New Jersey, then you should believe her.”
Ronnie was laughing as they disappeared into the barn.
“Ronnie’s an excellent horsewoman,” Emily said as they were walking toward the house. “She won’t let anything happen to Lacy.”
With one last look over her shoulder at the doorway to the barn, Danielle stopped. “If you’re sure.”
“She’s great with kids and will watch Lacy like a hawk.”
They were by the back steps when Emily asked, “How long are you staying in Pleasure?”
There was something open and genuine about Emily’s question, so she answered honestly. “I’m not sure, that depends on whether or not I can find a job and support Lacy and myself.”
“Ah, so you’re not married?”
She tried not to smile at the obvious interest behind the question. “Divorced.”
“Oh,” Emily said, her tone sympathetic.
Danielle wanted to ask her if she’d been married once before too, but heard a faint whinny from the barn and knew she needed to be with Lacy in case she got nervous around the animals.
“Look—” she began.
“Why don’t we go see what they’re doing,” Emily suggested.
Relief speared through her. “Thanks.” Danielle ran the last few feet and entered the cool, darkness. “Lacy?”
“Back here, Mommy!”
Her daughter sounded ecstatic. “We’re introducing her to two of our older horses,” Ronnie said. “On your left is Trigger, he’s eighteen, and on your right is Champ, he’s nineteen.”
Danielle moved closer so she could rub the blaze between Trigger’s eyes. “He kind of looks like the real Trigger, doesn’t he Lacy?”
“Uh-huh, just like in the shows Gramma watches.”
Emily was smiling when she asked, “Did you meet Champ too?”
Danielle moved to the other stall and scratched the inquisitive beast behind his ears. “Hello, boy.”
Champ lifted his head
high and whinnied in appreciation.
“What do you think of these two, Lacy?” Emily asked, coming to stand next to Danielle.
“They’re big.” She stood on her tippytoes and couldn’t quite reach Trigger’s velvety-soft muzzle. “How am I gonna get all the way up there?”
“I can lift you up,” Ronnie offered. “But there are some things you need to learn before you sit on the back of a horse. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Jesse?”
Lacy’s eyes opened wide. “He won’t mind, will he, Mommy?”
“I don’t know.” Danielle looked at Ronnie, who shrugged.
While Ronnie talked to Lacy about the different parts of a horse, which side to approach first, and which side spooks the horse, Danielle wondered if it was going to be too hard for her little one to remember, but Lacy proved to be an excellent pupil.
“So, I’m gonna talk nice to him, be careful not stand by his back legs ’cause if I scare him, he could kick me.”
Ronnie smiled. “That’s right. You’re a fast learner.”
Emily and Danielle were impressed by Ronnie’s patience. “Have you worked with kids before?” Danielle wanted to know—not that it would make a difference; she had a gut feeling about Emily and Ronnie and trusted her daughter with the women. At least she could read women; it was men that she had a problem understanding.
“I have some younger cousins that I taught to ride before I got divorced.”
Danielle was immediately intrigued. “Dylan’s not your first husband?”
The other woman grinned. “No, but he’ll be my last.”
Their shared laughter lightened Danielle’s heart. Lacy smiled up at them. “I like it here, Mommy.”
Danielle smiled. “I do too. You know, it’s funny,” she said. “I took a wrong turn and ended up by this beautiful pond. The air smelled so wonderful: fresh, clean, different. It’s hard to explain.”
Emily and Ronnie shared a glance and a secret smile. Apparently, they shared similar feelings about the pond.
“I hope it was all right that we stopped there. We didn’t disturb anything—”
“We touched the water,” Lacy added. “It was cool and felt good. Mommy let me reach in up to my elbows.”
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