He paused and took a deep breath. There were extenuating circumstances. This girl and her sister were currently residing on property that didn’t belong to them—property that belonged to him—and he was in a definite quandary about the situation. If not for that difficult situation, he wouldn’t be here chatting with a young girl. He desperately hoped no one would ride by and jump to conclusions.
“You’re a good guy,” she said adamantly, breaking into his thoughts.
“Well, yeah, although not everybody’s particularly fond of me,” he admitted with chagrin, and then wondered why he’d said it.
“Really?”
“Oh, well, yes. In my line of work…”
“What do you do?”
He gave a dismissive wave. “Let’s not get into it. I haven’t actually ‘done’ my work for a while, well, since I went on a long trip…”
“Where’d you go?”
“All over the world,” he replied simply.
“I’d love to travel,” she said wistfully. “Someday I will. Driving here with Holly was the longest trip I’ve ever taken.” She glanced around, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Washington is really beautiful, isn’t it? It’s so green, even though it’s still summer.”
“It’s pretty country, that’s for sure,” he said with a sigh.
“You don’t … really like it here, do you?”
“I … do. It’s … complicated.”
Boy, that was an understatement, he thought. It was complicated and getting more complicated by the passing second. He found himself feeling bad that this girl and her sister seemingly loved their new home and as Jim had said, he was about to pull the rug out from under them, literally.
“Well, I’d better get moving.” He remembered he was coming by later, to see Holly. “I’ll see you later today.”
“You’re coming back?”
He nodded. “I need to talk to your sister.”
“Any … message I can give her?”
“No, this is something I need to do myself,” he said woefully.
She furrowed her brows. “You sound so sad.”
“I’ll see you later.”
She reached for his arm. He turned and she grinned into his face. “Don’t worry. I think she likes you too.”
He pulled back, surprised. “What…?”
“I mean, as I said, I haven’t known her long, but I can already read her face pretty well. She thinks you’re hot.” She smiled. “I mean, how could she not? You’re drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Oh, well, thanks. I think.”
“Just ask her out. Short and sweet. Painless. You can practice on me if you want to.”
Ryan froze and his mouth dropped open in surprise. “Uh, that’s not what this evening is about…” And he certainly didn’t need any tutoring when it came to asking out a beautiful woman.
She folded her arms across her chest and pinned him with a look. “You like her.” Her eyes held a challenging gleam. “Tell me right now you’re not attracted to my sister.”
He raked a hand through his hair, spun on his heel, and jogged to his truck. He was inside in a heartbeat and backing out of the drive before the kid could say another word.
The truth was, he was attracted to Holly, the recent transplant to Washington State who was about to be homeless—or rather, property-less, courtesy of him. Yeah, he definitely liked her, but she wouldn’t like him for long—if indeed she actually did.
He felt sick to his stomach. He should have stayed gone. He should have extended his trip. He should have forgotten about this plot of land that had been a pain in his backside for as long as he could remember.
He ought to hand it over to his sister and let her do whatever she wanted with the place. He could simply walk away. Maybe Harrison would sign up for the aggravation of developing the property into some sort of equine paradise, along with Annabelle.
What was he going to do?
As he drove toward home, he wondered, should he offer to sell Holly the property on which her home sat? No. He couldn’t do that. Well, if he sold the property to the would-be buyer, he couldn’t do that. They wanted the entire acreage, inclusive of Holly’s little corner.
If he held onto the land, he could sell it to her, provided Annabelle was in agreement, and she would be. His sister had a heart of gold—particularly when it came to those less fortunate—and Holly and Brianna were certainly in a tough spot.
It killed him to think he had something to do with putting them there. Every day that he allowed her and her kid sister to grow more attached to their home and environment, he was playing with their emotions.
If only there was a solution to the problem…
Perhaps Holly could move the home to a lot in a nearby manufactured home community. He remembered the closest was an over fifty-five development, which would preclude Brianna from moving in. There was another community several miles away. Moving the home would be expensive, and then Holly would face a monthly rental charge for a space in the park. Could she afford it?
He pushed the thoughts aside. It wasn’t his problem. The truth was, he’d come home to unload the acreage and then move on. This was business and he of all people had learned to separate personal issues from his work life. Unfortunately, the division wasn’t so simple in this case, but…
The outcome was the same. He’d sell the property, walk away with a tidy sum, and move on to the next endeavor. It wasn’t his fault a young woman and her teenaged sister had been misinformed, or rather, not been informed at all as to the ownership of the land beneath them.
And it really wasn’t his job to inform them of anything. It had been wholly unprofessional for Forrest to leave town without tying up any loose ends. He should have clarified via a letter to Holly that the property beneath the home did not belong to her. It should have been so simple.
He found himself growing angrier and angrier at the attorney. He’d really made a mess of things. Maybe it was time to find a new attorney…
Or, he would simply track down Forrest. Surely his assistant knew where he was. He could make a simple phone call, urge the attorney to do the same, and … problem solved. Let Forrest be the bad guy…
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Holly said to the woman who had just introduced herself as Annabelle.
When she said she was Ryan’s sister, Holly hadn’t been the least bit surprised. Both were dark-haired and boasted the same heavily-lashed brown eyes. The sister was petite and looked to be about Holly’s age.
“It’s so kind of you to come by,” Holly said, though she was as yet uncertain as to the reason for the visit. She’d just gotten off work, had just climbed out of her car, and the woman had pulled in behind her. Like her brother, she drove a pickup truck.
“I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood,” she said, spreading her hands and indicating the countryside around them.
“Thank you.”
Brianna popped her head out the front door. “Hey, Holly.”
“Oh, hi there. Annabelle, this is my sister, Brianna.”
Annabelle extended a hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Annabelle is Ryan’s sister,” Holly informed.
Brianna joined them on the porch and accepted her proffered hand. “You live in that beautiful home with the horse barn,” she observed with a smile.
“Do you like horses?”
“I love them,” she gushed. “I used to have a horse of my own, but…” Her words dwindled off and both women could see the pain in her bright blue eyes.
“How long has it been since you’ve ridden?” Annabelle asked with interest.
“It’s been a few years,” she admitted. “I miss my horse so much.”
“What was your horse’s name?”
“Wind Song,” she said with a sigh. “She was my best friend.”
“You know, you’re welcome to come over to my place and ride when you’re free.” She watched her intently. “How old
are you?”
“Fifteen.”
“I don’t suppose you could use a part-time job for the summer. I could use a hand tending to my horses. With Ryan off gallivanting across the globe, and all the work to do around the property… Anyway, I’d love the help.”
“Are you serious? You’d pay me to spend time with your horses? I’d to it for free!”
“Well, I spoke too soon,” she said, laughing, but sobered when she realized she should have asked Holly for permission before bringing up the job offer. “Holly, I apologize. I should have…”
Holly gave a dismissive wave. “Actually, we both appreciate the offer.” She laughed. “Brianna is bound and determined to get a horse, but until we’re more settled and…” Her words trailed off. There was little point in explaining that finances precluded a big purchase at the moment. “Anyway, it would be wonderful if she could enjoy yours for now.”
Brianna was practically bouncing with excitement. Holly was pleased to see her enthusiasm and happy her kid sister would finally have an opportunity to spend time with her favorite animal.
Suddenly, Ryan drove up and pulled in behind his sister’s truck. Even from a distance, Holly could read the quizzical expression on his face.
“Oh, I wonder what Ryan is doing here,” Annabelle said with a subdued smile.
“Maybe he spotted your truck in the drive,” Brianna observed, but then remembered that earlier he had mentioned coming over later. “Oh, wait. He said something about coming by later when he dropped off the rocking chair.”
Holly didn’t miss the speculative glance Annabelle sent her way and felt compelled to explain about finding the chair on the side of the road, and Ryan’s stopping to help transport it. “He’s a Good Samaritan, that brother of yours,” she said, feeling awfully self-conscious all of a sudden.
“My brother?” Annabelle said loudly, for Ryan’s benefit, as he strode toward them. “A Good Samaritan? Hardly.”
“You don’t know me at all,” he said drolly, as he approached. “What’s up, Sis?”
“I just stopped by to welcome Holly and Brianna to the neighborhood, and,” she added, enunciating carefully, “to invite them to dinner.”
Only Ryan looked more stunned than Holly and Annabelle.
“Yes,” she said brightly, “I thought it would be nice to get to know our new neighbors.”
Holly smiled self-consciously. She could see Ryan was taken aback, though he tried to hide his surprise. She sensed his hesitation and didn’t miss the pointed look he gave his sister. “That is really nice of you,” she said hastily. “But we’d hate to trouble you. And I do believe Brianna mentioned having dinner on the table when I got home from work…”
She smiled at Brianna, willing her to answer in the affirmative.
Instead, she winced. “I’m sorry. I got distracted for awhile. Dave disappeared for several hours and I got worried and…”
Holly forced back a sigh. Her little sister definitely needed work on recognizing her cues. They would have to have a conversation about that later.
Annabelle waved her hand. “It’s no trouble for me to cook. The truth is, I’m not much of a cook, but I’m learning. I’d like to think I’m improving. Do you think so, Ryan?”
He appeared to shake himself, as if to gather his thoughts. “Oh, yeah. Annabelle can cook when she sets her mind to it. Sort of.”
“That’s hardly a ringing endorsement, brother.” She turned to Holly. “Will you join us, please? I would really enjoy the company.” She smiled sadly. “I miss Ben so much…”
Holly met her gaze and saw the flash of pain there. Annabelle’s eyes clouded, but she quickly pulled herself together. She attempted a smile, but then her eyes widened in horror. “Holly and Brianna, I’m so sorry for your loss. I should have said so earlier. I adored Ben. He was like a second father to me. You must miss him so much.”
“I’m afraid we really didn’t know Ben,” Holly informed. “I was stunned when he sent me the key to his house and wrote he was leaving it to me.”
“I’d love to tell you about him,” Annabelle said. “He was a wonderful man.”
***
A half-hour later, Holly and Brianna were driving over to the McGraw’s place. Holly glanced over at Brianna, who was virtually bouncing in the seat.
“I cannot wait to see the horses,” she declared. “It’s been soooo long.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Holly said testily.
“What does that mean?”
“If you climb on one and ride off, remember, the McGraws know where we live.”
Brianna laughed. “I’m no horse thief.”
“By the way, we need to have a code word of some type, so you’ll know when I would prefer to stay home, rather than join our new friends for dinner.”
“You … didn’t want to go to dinner?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Why not? It’s nice of them to ask us over.”
“I know, but I don’t know…” She shook her head. “I got the impression Ryan really didn’t want us to come over.”
“Really? I don’t get that vibe at all. I think he’s into you.”
“No. I don’t think so. I saw the look of abject terror on his face when Annabelle invited us over.”
“I think you’re mistaken.” Her eyes twinkled. “I think he likes you. Maybe he was upset that his sister was getting involved in his business, but he definitely likes you.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Maybe, being his sister, Annabelle sensed that Ryan likes you and decided to take matters into her own hands.”
“You mean, by throwing us together across a dinner table?”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t know. I do know that we’ll try to get out of their hair as quickly as possible.”
“But … what if Annabelle invites me to ride a horse? Holly, I can’t say no,” she said, watching her with imploring eyes. “It’s been so long. Holly, I’m a horse person.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Are you?”
“I have no idea. I’ve never met a horse, up close and personal.”
Brianna grinned. “Tonight’s the night.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never felt any real inclination to get to know a horse. And from what I’ve seen on television, horses can be temperamental.”
“Some can be,” Briana admitted. “But you just have to let them know you care about them.”
“How? Do you come bearing gifts?”
“Actually, an apple can’t hurt.” She turned in the seat. “You have to go horseback riding with me sometime. It would be so fun.”
“We’ll see. Looks like we’re here,” she said, as she steered along the circular drive in front of the McGraw house, which was even more impressive from close range.
“It’s huge,” Brianna whispered. “Do you think they have a maid and a butler?”
“I have no idea,” Holly said as she parked the car. “But listen, Brianna. We honestly can’t stay too late tonight. I’m really tired from my late evening yesterday and then my early morning today. I was hoping to turn in early, so…”
Brianna nodded. “I know. You’re right. We shouldn’t stay too long.”
“Thank you for understanding. I do appreciate it.”
They left the car and walked together to the front door. Brianna rang the bell, and to her dismay, Annabelle answered the door. “Welcome,” she said, “we’re so pleased you’re here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Holly took a shoring breath and followed both Annabelle and Brianna into the home. She was glad she’d taken the time to change into a nice dress and to freshen up, because Annabelle looked gorgeous in a skirt and blouse.
“Come on in,” their hostess said, and led them past the home’s foyer and through an expansive archway that opened into a massive great room. A chef’s kitchen encompassed a large section of the room and opened to a gorgeously furnished family roo
m. A Western theme was predominant in the room, though the space wasn’t as masculine as one might have expected. Holly could see that Annabelle had managed to retain a subtle feminine touch throughout.
“I love your kitchen,” Brianna said, staring in awe at the commercial grade appliances. “Your stove is even nicer than the one…” Her words trailed off and she promptly bit down on her lower lip. She’d made a decision to never again compare anything in her current life to that of her past.
“Your kitchen and family room are beautiful,” Holly said.
“If you’d like, I can give you a tour of the whole house after we eat,” Annabelle offered.
“Really? That would be great,” Brianna enthused, before Holly could respond. If truth be told, Holly didn’t especially want a look at the house. Certainly, it was gorgeous and she and her brother were fortunate to live in such a beautiful home, but frankly, she wouldn’t trade her manufactured home in her own little corner of the world for anything. She felt as if she’d finally come home.
Her attention was drawn to a French door at the back of the room when it opened. Ryan stepped inside. “Hello,” he greeted her with a smile, and then turned to Brianna. “Did you want a look at the horses before we eat?”
She glanced at Holly and Holly sensed her hesitation. She wanted to see those horses more than anything but was trying to stay true to her promise to Holly. Holly smiled and gave her an encouraging nod. “It’s okay. Go ahead.”
To her dismay, Annabelle spoke up. “Hey, I wanted to show her. Come on, Brianna, let’s go.”
“Okay,” she said, still unsure.
Holly gave her another reassuring nod and Brianna followed Annabelle toward the French doors. Annabelle hesitated at the threshold. “Holly, did you want to see the…?”
“She’s not really into horses,” Brianna volunteered, and Holly winced. She wasn’t especially pleased that her sister had intimated she didn’t like horses. She had no idea how she really felt about them and would have liked to see them. Unfortunately, when she opened her mouth to say as much, she yawned.
By Summer's End (Christian Fiction) Page 9