by Liz Isaacson
A thin veil of jealousy moved through Finn, and he didn’t even know why. Amanda wasn’t seeing Jason anymore.
“No,” she said. “We didn’t win. Celia is very good in the kitchen.”
“Oh, right.” He smiled, knowing exactly who Celia was. Graham had hired her at the lodge to cook, and she’d been there for almost as long as Graham had been back in town.
“I’ll find out if it’s partners or one-on-one, okay?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said.
“I’d love for you to meet everyone,” she said. “Is that too fast?”
Finn felt like lightning had struck him, the powerful waves of electricity moving through his muscles and frying them. He hadn’t even thought of meeting her sons, their wives, her friends, everyone at the lodge.
Of course, he already knew Graham and Beau. Meeting a few others wouldn’t be that hard.
“Sure,” he said again, wishing he could think of more to say. Thankfully, the band picked up the tempo, and she squealed as he spun her again.
By the time the night ended, Finn’s heart had really gotten a workout—and not only from the dancing.
He drove Amanda back to her private estate set back off the road and walked her to the front door.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in ages,” she said, smiling up at him.
“Me too,” he said honestly. He wanted to kiss her, but she put her hand on the doorknob and went inside.
“Night, cowboy,” she said, her voice sultry and full of flirt.
“Night, ma’am,” he said, tipping his hat to her and backing up.
She brought the door closed, and Finn sighed a happy little sound that held the promise of a kiss another day.
He couldn’t wait, and he wondered how long she’d make him do so. Or if she even wanted to kiss him at all.
With new worries in his mind, he drove back to Dog Valley and the three things that he never doubted: his dogs.
Chapter Nine
Amanda spent most of Saturday thinking about Finn, but she did not want to contact him first. She really liked the warm fuzzies she got when he asked her to dinner, to dance, or anything else.
She worked in her vegetable garden in the morning, and she bought all the ingredients for fresh salsa and spent the afternoon with tomatoes and cilantro. Finn hadn’t texted by evening, and she said yes when Andrew and Becca asked her to babysit Chrissy.
They pulled up to her house right on time, and Chrissy laughed as she waddled toward Amanda when they set her down just inside the door.
“Hey, baby,” she drawled, a smile on her face. “Come see Grandma. That’s right. Good girl. Come on.”
Beans tried to knock the two-year-old down, but Chrissy paused and patted the dog, who was the perfect height for her.
“Thanks, Mom,” Andrew said, coming in after his daughter. “How are things going with Finn?”
Amanda scooped her granddaughter into her arms and giggled with her. She needed a few seconds to gather her thoughts on Finn. No, she hadn’t kissed him last night, though he’d had the glint in his eye that said he was interested, and Amanda’s own nerves testified of the same thing.
But she was older now, and she wasn’t going to be ruled by her hormones, whims, or fancies.
“Going pretty good, actually,” she said, looking at her son openly.
Andrew leaned down, his cowboy hat bumping her forehead as he tried to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad, Mom.” He stayed close and said, “We’re having another baby. Becca didn’t want to tell anyone yet, but I’m super excited.”
Joy burst through Amanda, and she grabbed onto her son and hugged him. “Congratulations, Andy. I won’t say anything to anyone.”
He squeezed her tight and stepped back, happiness streaming from him too. “You should come have lunch at the office this week,” he said.
“Sure,” Amanda said. “Name the day. I’m pretty open.”
“Really? You’re not spending every day with Finn?”
“Oh, get out of here. Your pregnant wife is waiting for you.” Amanda swatted at him, but he easily dodged her playful gesture.
He laughed, backing up a few steps. “Love you, Ma.”
“Love you too, son.” She watched him walk out, happy for him and Becca. It had taken Andrew a long time to see there was more to life than Springside Energy, and she was glad he finally had. He and Becca both worked for the company, and without them, things would’ve fallen apart a long time ago.
“He’s doing great, Ron,” she whispered to the empty house, drawn back to reality by the babbling baby in her arms.
“Cream, cream, cream,” Chrissy said, wiggling to get down.
“Yes,” Amanda said. “Ice cream. Let’s go get it, baby.” She followed Chrissy at a snail’s pace, nothing else to fill her time but this sweet little girl. “Chocolate?” she asked. “Strawberry?”
She opened the freezer and pulled out both containers, crouching down in front of her granddaughter. “Chocolate or strawberry?”
“Berry,” Chrissy said, and Amanda put the chocolate back in the freezer.
“That’s my favorite too, baby,” she said. “Beans loves it too.” She scooped up three bowls of ice cream and put Chrissy in the booster seat at her kitchen table. Beans got her tiny spoonful on the floor, and Amanda sat at the table too.
Babysitting Chrissy was easy, because she was a happy, chubby little girl who liked blocks as well as puzzles as well as coloring. Or Amanda could put a movie on, and Chrissy would be asleep in an hour.
Her phone snapped out her texting sound a few minutes later, and she glanced at it. Finn had finally texted.
Want to come out to the farm one day this week? I’ll make you my favorite meatballs and gravy, with scalloped potatoes.
Amanda grinned at the invitation. Finally, ran through her mind, and she realized maybe she just needed to slow down when it came to him. Relief filled her that she hadn’t kissed him last night, even if they’d both been thinking about it.
Amanda knew better than most that there was a huge difference between thinking about something and actually doing it.
Sounds like winter food, Amanda typed out. But there’s nothing I like more than meat and potatoes.
He didn’t answer right away, and she got up and put all the bowls in the sink. “Ready for coloring?” she asked Chrissy, who clapped her hands.
Amanda got out paper and crayons before Finn texted again. Tell me what day works for you.
She wanted to see Finn sooner rather than later, but she didn’t want to seem overeager. Tuesday? she sent.
Tuesday it is. See you then.
Amanda felt like she could walk on water as she watched her granddaughter scribble on the paper in front of her. “Should we put on some music?” she asked, turning toward her Internet radio speaker and telling it to play nursery rhymes.
Chrissy looked up, her smile instant. “Humpy,” she said, laughing as the song for Humpty Dumpty started playing in the house. She babbled along happily to the music, getting some of the words in the right place.
Amanda smiled, content with her life in this moment. A beautiful granddaughter. A date on the horizon with a handsome man.
Not just a man, she thought. A cowboy.
And the thought was just fine inside her mind. In fact, it fit right inside her life.
The next day, she spent the morning in church beside Beau and Lily, one grandson on her lap and another sitting beside her on the bench. She barely heard the pastor, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She helped Ronnie with his shoelace while she held books for Charlie.
Afterward, she rode with Rose and Liam up to Whiskey Mountain Lodge, and it was a nice break from having to answer her son’s questions about Finn. In fact, no one at the lodge asked her about him, and she had a great afternoon in the backyard of the lodge with Celia’s famous potato salad and the scent of hot dogs and hamburgers filling the air.
Bailey rode horses while the littles played
in the sandbox or got pushed in swings by their parents. Becca said nothing about her pregnancy, though Amanda noticed a glow about her that felt obvious.
Vi, however, stood up once Celia brought out the ice cream. She looked around at everyone, and burst into tears.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked, jumping to her feet.
Vi pressed her lips together and shook her head, Rose going over to her as well, the three of them the famous Everett Sisters who’d given up their country music career to live in Coral Canyon, marry cowboys, and be mothers.
“Are you sick?” Rose asked, glancing at Todd. “Is it Todd again?”
Todd stood up, a smile on his face. He looked nervous, but he put his arm around Vi and said, “We’re going to have a baby. Two, in fact.”
Lily sucked in a breath at the same time Rose shrieked. She jumped up and down before covering her mouth with her hands. “Two babies?” she said through her fingers.
“The fertility treatments finally worked?” Lily asked, holding onto Vi’s shoulders. “Really?”
“We heard the heartbeats on Friday,” Vi said, her voice much too high and choked off. Her parents joined the Everett girls, and all the congratulations began. Amanda watched them, happy for Vi and Todd, though there was no blood relation between them.
When there was a break in the excitement, Amanda stood up and gave Vi a hug too. “Congratulations, dear.” She moved to Todd. “And to you, Todd.” She beamed at them, so much love up at this lodge.
She’d enjoyed so many events here with Jason, and she really wished she’d invited Finn to join her this afternoon.
Next week, she told herself, settling beside Graham and leaning closer. “Can I invite Finn to lunch next week?’
“I don’t own the lodge,” he said, not looking away from the horse Laney led with Bailey and Ronnie on it.
“Yes, you do,” she said. “And you pay Celia.”
“You’ve never asked me to invite your boyfriends before,” he said, zeroing in on her now.
“I’m not asking if I can bring him,” she said. “I know I can bring him.”
“Then what are you asking?”
“I’m asking if it’s too early to bring him to this kind of family gathering.”
“I don’t know, Mom. You do what you think is right.”
She hated it when her sons threw her wisdom back in her face. For some reason, she couldn’t decide what was right when it came to Finn.
Graham got up in the next moment, laughter spilling from his throat as his children did something cute with their horse. Amanda smiled at them. Smiled at Fran and Jack Everett. She belonged here, sure. But she felt removed at the same time.
She got up and went into the kitchen, almost hoping someone would call her back. They didn’t. Celia stood there, setting the coffee cups into the maker. “Leaving already?” she asked, glancing up quickly.
“You know what?” Amanda asked. “I want to, but I don’t have a ride.” She turned back to the mudroom that led into the backyard, her plan to drive to Dog Valley and spend a couple of hours with Finn disappearing before her eyes. “I didn’t think about that….”
“I’m headed back,” she said. “Let me just go tell the kids that their coffee is on.” Celia flashed her a smile and slipped out of the house. Amanda let her go, because she wanted to get back to her house and out to Dog Valley. And Celia probably didn’t mind.
Five minutes later, she met Amanda in the parking lot in front of the lodge, another smile on her face. “Ready?”
“Yep.” Amanda slid into the passenger seat of Celia’s car and buckled her seat belt. The radio filled the silence, and it was a comfortable drive.
About halfway down the canyon, Celia said, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” Amanda said, looking at the other woman. She was probably seven or eight years younger than Amanda. Not quite her generation, but close. She had some gray coming into her hair, especially in the front, and she’d had a short cut for as long as Amanda had known her.
“You’ve dated quite a bit since Ron died,” Celia said, her fingers loosening and then tightening on the wheel. She swallowed. “How does one…I mean, if I wanted to start dating, how would I do that?” She shot Amanda a glance, and all of Amanda’s unease at what Celia could ask fled.
She giggled and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t meant to laugh.” She sobered and looked at Celia. “You’re ready to start dating again?”
“Christian died fifteen years ago,” Celia said. “I thought I was happy. I am happy. I just….”
“You’re lonely,” Amanda supplied. “The kids are great. You’re great. You like your work. But there’s something missing.” She watched the pine trees. “Am I close?”
“Dead-on,” Celia said.
“Let’s go to lunch this week,” Amanda said. “I’ll tell you all my secrets.”
And now her week was very, very full of lunch dates. Amanda smiled at the thought, glad she could help her friends and see Finn again.
Chapter Ten
Finn answered Amanda’s call when it came in, pulling off a glove to do it. “Hey,” he said easily, glancing down the row in the henhouse. He hated the smell in here, and if was going to talk for any amount of time, he’d need to go outside.
He turned toward the door, deciding the eggs could wait a few minutes while he spoke on the phone.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Out on the farm,” he said.
“Oh, do you…would you mind if I joined you?”
He spun toward the house, but he could only see the corner of the deck from here. “You’re in Dog Valley? Or on your way out?” Finn hoped she’d come, but he hadn’t wanted to ask her. He’d opted for inviting her for lunch, hoping she’d find him downright irresistible if he cooked for her. Women liked that—at least he hoped they did.
“I’m standing on your porch, cowboy, and the wind is worse here than in Coral Canyon.” She conveyed plenty of flirtation in her voice, and Finn sure did like it. At the same time, he worried she’d left her family needlessly, and that he couldn’t spare the entire evening to spend time with her.
“Walk around the side,” he said. “Past the deck. There’s a road that runs behind the house. Go left. You’ll see the henhouse. I’ll get the eggs, and meet you.”
“All right,” she said, to his surprise. “See you in a minute.”
“Bye.” He hung up, standing still for another moment, sure he hadn’t heard right. Amanda was coming out on the farm. She didn’t like farms.
“Or cowboys,” he reminded himself. At the same time he pressed down his hat against that wind she’d spoken of, he remembered the sheer desire and delight in her eyes from Friday night. He’d lain awake for hours thinking about that look in her eye and wondering when he could ask her out again.
He’d made himself wait for twenty-four hours, and they had a lunch date on Tuesday.
And right now, he had eggs to gather. He ducked back into the henhouse, the stench twice as powerful as it had been five minutes ago. He started collecting the eggs, their shells an array of colors that brought peace to his soul. Light blue to white to brown, he loved the fresh eggs his hens provided.
When he finally burst out of the henhouse, he found Amanda standing there in a pair of sneakers, jeans, and a red windbreaker.
She took his breath away, but some of that power belonged to the wind too. Dust kicked up into the air, obscuring the farm and making visibility only a few feet.
He squinted and said, “Holy cow,” before reaching for Amanda’s hand. “Let’s go in the stables.” He ducked his head against the dust and wind and headed for the building next door. As he reached for the door, the first rain drops fell.
Surprise mingled with his adrenaline as he burst into the stable. She laughed, and Finn’s heartrate picked up with the sound of it.
“Whew,” he said, taking off his hat and shaking the dirt o
ff of it. He stepped over to the window, careful not to drop his eggs, and checked outside. “Looks like we’re going to hunker down here for a minute.”
The pounding sound of rain on the roof met his ears, and Amanda looked up to the ceiling. “It’s so loud.”
Energy filled the stables, and Finn turned toward his horses. He’d just brought them in before heading to the henhouse, and he hadn’t seen the storm coming. Amanda apparently hadn’t either.
“You want to meet the horses?” He set the eggs on a workbench and took her hand again. Feeling a bit reckless and a lot brave, he pulled her right against him, carefully wrapping both arms around her as he stared into her eyes. “It’s good to see you.”
She smiled and stroked both hands along the side of his face, taking his hat off in what felt like an extremely intimate gesture. “Good to see you too.”
“No family this afternoon?”
“I went to the lodge and had lunch with them,” she said, her voice pitched slightly higher than normal.
“Wasn’t enjoying yourself?” He cocked his head, feeling very exposed without his hat. Maybe Amanda just saw things in him that no one else had before.
She shrugged as much as she could in his arms. “I wanted to see you today.”
He drew in a breath, and it was part perfume and sunshine, and part leather and horses. Stepping back, he put some distance between them. “I didn’t think you liked farms or cowboys.” He moved toward the first stall, where he kept Dark Beauty, a female racehorse who had great potential. In his heart of hearts, Finn knew he’d watch her win titles in the future.
“This is Dark Beauty,” he said to Amanda when she didn’t confirm or deny that she didn’t like farms or cowboys. Frustration moved through him that she’d ignored him again, though the last time had been a week ago when he’d asked her about her family.
Maybe it was an oversight. At least that was what he told himself as the equine that could be a queen diva lifted her nose over the door of the stall. She huffed at him, but he didn’t have any treats for her.