“Please do,” Mrs. Chandler said. “I’d consider it an honor if you did.”
“Please, Miss Ivory? I want my cousins to meet you!” RaeAnne’s blue eyes pleaded with her from her sweet, little face.
Ivory could have said no easily to Chandler. She would have had a harder time saying no to Mrs. Hudson. But with RaeAnne chiming in as well, she was a lost cause.
“Okay. We’ll plan on coming next Monday evening and bringing rolls. Is there anything else I can bring?” She’d never been to anything like this, but she was pretty sure that that was protocol. Bringing something.
“No one ever turns down desserts. So if you have a special one, you can make it.” Mrs. Hudson’s eyes twinkled, and she looked as pleased as any woman Ivory had ever seen that she’d agreed to go.
“She makes the best honey rolls, out of her own honey, and she had blueberries in them and cream cheese. I’m not even sure what they were, but they were really fantastic. Maybe I could talk her into bringing some of those,” Chandler said, a little grin hovering around his mouth.
Of course he was relaxed; it was his mother and his home.
Ivory felt anything but relaxed. She didn’t return his smile. Although her heart did warm to know that he had liked them. He’d said so at the time, but she didn’t know if he was just saying it out of politeness. She kind of had to assume that, since he was suggesting she bring them now, he had truly liked them.
She nodded. “Okay. I’ll plan on bringing that too, along with some rolls. You need butter?”
“She makes a really good honey butter to go with the rolls. I’ve had it on toast. It’s pretty fantastic too.” Chandler’s offhand compliments were totally derailing her thoughts. She couldn’t have protested now if she wanted to.
“Well then, it’s settled. I’ll see you on Monday evening if I don’t see you before while we’re shuffling RaeAnne around. Or maybe we’ll see you in church on Sunday.” With that, Mrs. Hudson gave a little wave, took RaeAnne’s hand, and walked away.
“You don’t look overly happy.”
“I’m nervous. I’ve never been invited to anything like this before. I might end up doing something stupid and embarrassing you.”
She hadn’t meant to expose her insecurities, but Chandler just kind of looked down at her, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Finally, he said, “There’s nothing stupid you could do that my family hasn’t already done. And don’t be nervous. I’ll be with you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
It wasn’t exactly what she needed to hear to calm her nerves, but she knew he was doing the best he could.
She nodded, adjusting her wallet in her hand and walking into the store to pay for her seed.
Chapter 15
Chandler sat across the booth from Ivory and looked at the steaming plates of food Amy had just set in front of them.
Ivory acted like she had never been in here before, had no idea what the menu that he had memorized said, and couldn’t decide what to order. For a few minutes, he’d wondered if she could even read.
It was funny, but even if that were true, it hadn’t changed anything for him. Maybe it just solidified the fact that he liked her more with every minute that he spent with her.
She was proud and industrious and nothing like what the town might have thought of her reputation, but she’d been quietly going about forging her own identity and her own place in the world, and she hadn’t let anything stop her from doing what she felt was right. Not hardship, not lack of support, not lack of a social structure around her.
She’d been so sweet and kind to his daughter. Even though she had a ton of work to do, and would probably never get it all done, and certainly wouldn’t get caught up, she’d taken the time to play with her in the creek and taught her to make bread.
RaeAnne couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved and adored her.
Kind of like her father.
“Have you ever been in here before?” The question just slipped off his lips. The diner was kinda busy, and he saw some people he knew, including Wilder and his new bride who were neighbors to his parents’ ranch. They raised expensive racehorses.
Wilder might originally be from North Dakota, but they sure grew them smart up there, because the guy knew his horseflesh.
“No.” Her word was soft, her face pointed down at her food. She had a spoon in her hand, but she hadn’t taken a bite. Maybe she was waiting for it to cool.
“Are you okay?” He kept his voice pitched low, although there was enough murmuring and talking that he didn’t think anyone would overhear them.
“I’m just not used to being out this much and around so many people.”
He nodded. He could see how being on the farm all the time would make her feel isolated and unused to social situations. Her experiences with those hadn’t exactly been good either.
“Do you want to leave?”
Her head jerked up. “You haven’t eaten yet.”
“I don’t need to if it’s going to make you comfortable.”
She shook her head. “Normal people do this all the time. I can do it.”
“I think we already figured out that I’m not normal. I guess it kind of makes sense that you aren’t either.” He slid to the end of the booth.
Her eyes widened. “You’re not really leaving?”
“It’s more important to me that you’re comfortable than I’m not hungry.”
She glanced around the room, her eyes wide. “Sit down,” she hissed.
He hadn’t stood up, but he had been getting ready to. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Just eat fast.” She grinned a little.
He slid in, grinning back at her. “Try your food. You might find it’s good.”
“Good will taste like sawdust right now. Maybe tomorrow I’ll remember that it was more than edible.”
“Actually, after tasting your cooking for the last week, I doubt anything they have in here will compare.” He took a bite, chewed, and swallowed before he said, “Maybe you can sell some of your honey here. They might like it.”
“It’s a drive, but I can sell all the honey I produce in Springfield. Easily. I’m not really looking for new markets. Right now, I’d like to get more hives up. That’s one of the biggest moneymakers on the farm, with some of the least amount of overhead.”
“And you like it.”
She nodded, surprise coloring her features, like she hadn’t thought he’d notice. “I do.”
“Maybe you get more money for it in the city, but I think it would be popular here too.”
She nodded like she was considering it. Maybe she was. But he noticed that she avoided doing business in town if she could help it.
He wondered how much of that was because of the way she’d been treated when she was younger that had left the stigma in her mind about the way she’d be treated now.
He hadn’t noticed anyone snubbing her or being unkind. Sometimes it was just hard to let those memories go. Like the way she’d held onto them with him.
Not that he was excusing himself, because he deserved her condemnation and wrath for what he’d done. And maybe these other people did too. But to think that they were doing it now... He didn’t think that was true.
Maybe Ivory and he would never be anything more than almost friends, but possibly he could help her a little bit to find her place in the town or at least help her realize that the town didn’t see her the way she thought they did.
“I’m glad you agreed to go to my mom’s for Memorial Day. I would feel guilty going if you hadn’t been going too, and I’d really like to see RaeAnne enjoy a holiday with my family.”
“You’re so good with her. How much time do you get to spend with her?” Her question was a little hesitant, almost like she was afraid she was prying. But he thought she meant it as a compliment. Because she just called him a good dad.
“Jessica has full custody. I didn’t fight her on it. At that time, my career was ju
st taking off, and an ugly custody battle would’ve been hard on everyone. I wanted to do what was best for RaeAnne.”
“So you see her during the summers?”
He nodded. “Depends on shooting schedules. I can go visit her anytime I want. So when I’m not shooting film, I usually do. But Jessica and I can only spend so much time together before we want to kill each other.”
He smiled a little at that, but Ivory’s brows drew closer together. “Why?”
He set his jaw, his smile fading, and he sighed, looking at his plate. “I always kinda thought we both had an ego that was too big to get along with the other one. I have no idea how we stood each other long enough to get married. Just one of those infatuation things that wore off pretty quick, I guess.”
“Couldn’t you make yourselves get along?”
He shook his head. “She accused me of cheating on her, but when she left, she moved from my house directly into someone else’s. Half the time, I wonder if she wasn’t cheating on me, which is why she accused me of it.”
Ivory nodded, her white blond hair moving on her shoulders. It looked as fine as spun silk, and he wondered what it would feel like.
He tore his eyes away and ate another bite of his meal.
She looked down at her plate and didn’t say anything.
“What’s the matter? I’m kind of getting the impression you feel like I should have tried harder or something. It’s not like I didn’t try.”
“Sorry.” She looked up, and although her eyes were sad, they also held no accusation or judgment. “I didn’t mean to imply that at all. I just felt bad for RaeAnne, because I know what it’s like to grow up without a father.” She lifted her chin as though challenging him to talk about her father.
He’d never been one to back down from a challenge. “You had a dad.”
“I did. He didn’t live with us.”
He felt bad immediately. “I had the ideal childhood. My parents loved each other, we grew up on a farm. I had a lot of freedom, although we were made to work hard too. But we worked hard, and we played hard. I was blessed.” He looked at his fork, suspended in midair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you a hard time.”
“I’m glad you see that.” Her eyes were serious, and she looked into his, meeting his gaze. “If I ever have children, that’s exactly how I would want them to grow up. Just like you did. With a mom and a dad, and plenty of space to run around, and plenty of work to keep them occupied and busy. I don’t think there’s any better way to raise children.”
Before he could close his mouth, he grinned a little, and the words slipped out. “So you got the farm, you got yourself, now you’re looking for the dad? Who’s in the running?”
He thought he might have offended her or made her uncomfortable. For a minute, her brows did draw together.
But he supposed she deliberately decided to goof off with him, because she kinda tossed her head and a little grin tugged her lips up.
“You’ve seen how I live. I haven’t found the guy who’s willing to put up with all of that long enough to sweep me off my feet. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be waiting awhile.” Her words were light and teasing, but he kinda thought there might’ve been a certain sadness behind them, because who wanted to be alone?
He did. After dealing with Jessica, he’d decided that women and marriage weren’t worth the aggravation. Although, maybe he was kinda changing his mind. Not sure if it was because he wanted Ivory, or because being with Ivory made him want what he didn’t think he’d ever want again.
Whether that was with Ivory or someone else.
But even at that thought, he recoiled immediately. He didn’t want someone else.
He swallowed, staring at the woman across from him. She was truly one of a kind, something fresh and unique and innocent when he wouldn’t have thought there was such a thing left in the world.
“You deserve the very best that God has offer you. I hope you get it.” He used his napkin to wipe his mouth and put it on his plate, shoving it toward the end of the table. “Do you want dessert?” His tone was clipped, and he didn’t try to modulate it.
“No.”
“Then I’m going up and paying. As soon as you’re done, we can leave.”
He knew why he was suddenly in a hurry to leave and couldn’t stand sitting there for one more minute.
They were way too different for there to ever be anything between them that could be worked out; he shouldn’t even be thinking it. Or admiring her. But the idea of God having a man for her somewhere had irritated him to the point where he just couldn’t sit still.
DEACON AND CHANDLER finished the room the next day.
RaeAnne, Chandler, and Ivory fell into some sort of routine, time-wise if not work-wise, for the next few days.
Ivory had to admit every morning she woke up nervous about the Memorial Day picnic. If she were being honest, she also had to admit that every day she woke up eager to work with Chandler.
She wouldn’t have thought that she was the kind of person who needed other people around. In fact, she would have thought the exact opposite. But now that Chandler had been here, she was dreading his leaving.
He and RaeAnne made mealtimes more fun, and it was nice to have someone to talk to about the things that needed to be done, what priorities they should have, and how they could share the workload. He did a lot of the heavy work for her, and she knew when he left it was going to be hard to go back to the way she’d been.
Sunday morning, they went to church again, and there weren’t as many smirks or behind-the-hand laughing as there had been the week before.
Chandler had assured her that it was because of her buying him and had nothing to do with her. But she wasn’t so sure. All her life, people had laughed at her, it seemed. Nothing changed.
Except, she’d been going to church for a while, and people hadn’t been laughing at her. She had to figure it was probably because Chandler was a big movie star and she was who she was. Seeing them together—such polar opposites—made people laugh.
All day Sunday, they took it easy, resting from their week of hard labor. They played in the creek and took a walk on the hill and talked about where she wanted to build her house someday far in the future when she’d saved enough money.
Sunday evening, they sat on the porch of her house and watched the sunset. RaeAnne had run around, catching a few butterflies that still flittered about as the sun went down.
She’d gotten tired and come over, and to Ivory’s surprise, she’d settled down on Ivory’s lap, cuddled up with her head tucked under Ivory’s chin, with her feet curled up.
“Daddy, sing me a song like you used to.”
Ivory blinked. She hadn’t realized that Chandler sang. But then she vaguely remembered that he’d had a singing part in the school musical when they’d been in high school.
She knew her mouth was open, and he could probably see it, even though darkness was starting to fall. But she didn’t want him to be self-conscious and was going to tell him so.
She should have known better than to be concerned, because he smiled, an easy, confident smile.
“Which one do you want, baby?”
RaeAnne moved and shifted deeper into Ivory’s arms. “The one about the starlight and the moonlight, Daddy. Please.”
“Sure thing, baby.”
Ivory readjusted her arms around RaeAnne and couldn’t stop the twirl of her heart as Chandler began to sing.
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are awaiting thee;
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day;
Led by the moonlight have all passed away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life’s busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
His voice trailed off as the song ended. Ivory kind of thought
that RaeAnne might be asleep with the slow steadiness of her breathing as she rocked her gently back and forth.
But Chandler didn’t ask; he simply started into another song. An old hymn, “Abide with Me,” that Ivory vaguely remembered from her childhood.
He sang all four verses, and by the time he’d sung three more hymns, RaeAnne snored softly. Ivory herself was feeling sleepy, and her eyelids drooped.
Chandler stood, gracefully for such a large man, and moved closer on silent feet. “Here,” he whispered. “Give her to me. I’ll take her and put her down.”
He lifted his daughter from Ivory’s lap, leaning close, his breath blowing in her ear, moving the hair around her face. He smelled clean and fresh and like the strong, sturdy air of Missouri. It was a scent that reminded her of honest labor and close family. It started a longing in her heart to have that for herself.
He straightened, disappearing inside, and she stayed there for a few minutes, knowing that what she wanted was impossible and wishing that the longing that she had wasn’t so strong.
Wishing too that he were leaving immediately. She wanted him to go before her complicated feelings got worse and she couldn’t stand to watch him leave.
She heard his footsteps on the porch and realized she’d never stood up to go in herself. She stood and turned.
He was directly behind her.
She looked up.
“The last few weeks with you have been some of the best weeks of my adult life. Thank you for letting me come and for allowing me to bring my daughter here. I think this was about the best thing that could have happened to RaeAnne and me.” His voice was soft, but she couldn’t doubt the sincerity.
“I’ve benefited more than you have.”
She wasn’t exactly talking about the room that he’d added onto her house or all the things he’d done around the farm.
She was talking more about the bitterness that had faded away as she got to know him. About the joy she’d had in working with RaeAnne, and how he shared his daughter with her.
And yeah, even the feelings that he’d stirred inside her. Feelings she’d never dreamed were lying dormant in her chest.
Sold! In the Show Me State Page 13