by Bree Cariad
“No,” he said. “But the man isn’t going to court if he ain’t attracted. That’s the bottom line. Celie’s smart to make sure she’s attracted to any man who’s a possible suitor. It’s her who’s gonna have to live with him for the rest of her life. She should at least be able to appreciate what’s in front of her face every morning.”
Laughing aloud, Celie opened up the oven and tested the dough. Done. She lost much of the conversation in the living room as she mixed up the frosting and drizzled it over the tops of the rolls. Once everything was ready, she pulled one out and plated it, taking it into the living room for her grandfather.
“Ahh, of course,” he said, after taking a bite, “once that first attraction is made, good food can clinch the deal.” He winked at her making her grin as she walked back to the kitchen to grab the rolls. They were still nice and gooey when she arrived at the shelter.
Her time with the puppies went fast. There were only two of the Chihuahua babies left as three had already been adopted out and they were very happy to see her when she arrived. She spent time with them and a depressed Beagle before joining the crew at the desk where everyone was taking a bite of her rolls.
“These are good,” Cheryl said, humming to herself. “I’m surprised you haven’t been courted yet.”
“There has been interest,” she shrugged, taking a roll for herself, “but I’m as picky, if not more picky, than the men.”
“Here, here.” The deep voice made her look around and she smiled as Marcus walked out of the back, Vanna in tow.
“Celie!” she squealed, running forward and wrapping her arms around Celia’s leg. “Didja hear? Didja hear?”
“Hear what?” she asked, crouching down. Vanna’s eyes alighted on the roll and her mouth formed an O. Giggling softly, Celia looked up at Marcus. “Can she have some?”
“You eat yours,” he said calmly. “I’ll get one for her and me.” As he got them a roll, Vanna seemed to remember what she was saying.
“We got into the house! Daddy put my room together and we’re having a barbie on Saturday. Wanna come?” she asked hopefully.
“What’s a barbie?” she asked as he sat down on the floor nearby and pulled off a piece of cinnamon roll, offering it to his daughter who gobbled it down.
“Barbeque. Housewarming kind of thing,” he said, grinning as his daughter opened her mouth begging for another piece. “Chris and Stephanie Triton will be there and I believe Jerod and Camille Kinsley as well because they are now my neighbors and he’s Chris’s uncle. Tons of babies crawling around. You’ll have to watch where you step. But we’d love to have you.”
He gave his daughter another bite before taking one himself. “Whoa. Who made these?” he moaned, taking another bite.
“Oh, this is my newest success,” Celia admitted.
Pausing as he gave another bite to Vanna, he stared at her strangely. “How have you not already been courted?”
Heat infused her cheeks and she shrugged even as the butterflies let loose again. To get her mind off her blush, she asked, “So, Vanna, have you found your puppy yet?”
The little girl’s eyes lit up. “Not yet. Daddy’s looking.”
“Looking?”
“For a good golden retriever breeder.”
“There’s lots of great dogs here,” she reminded him with a grin.
“Are you two ganging up on me?” he asked in amusement. “Vanna basically said the same thing.”
“We could have one of the Chihuahuas,” Vanna chipped in, grinning. Celia had a hard time not laughing because the little girl pronounced the word chi-hooah-hooahs.
“I would prefer a larger dog,” he said, “someone who could protect you with something other than a growl.”
“They’ve got those, too,” Celia teased and he lightly kicked her feet with one of his. Giggling, she licked her spoon even as Vanna started to laugh as well.
“Definitely being ganged up on,” he mused. “What’s a man to do?”
“Ice cream!” Vanna cried, making them both laugh.
“I think you have had more than enough sugar,” he said, swiping a little of the frosting off his napkin and dotting her nose with it. “Come on. Need to go home and shower and then go get some dinner.”
“Wanna come?” Vanna asked again as he lifted her off his lap.
Celia so wanted to say yes, though she knew her grandmother would have a hissy-fit.
“She can’t, pumpkin,” he said gently.
“Why not?”
“She’s courting. Do you remember me telling you about courting?”
She nodded, her little mouth forming a pout. “Yeah. Can’t she eat while courting?”
Celia smiled. “You’ll find out. Dinner and guys are part of the courting thing, Vanna. I can’t have dinner with a man unless he’s interested in courting me.”
The little girl listened seriously and then turned to her father. “Why don’t you court her? Then she could come to dinner with us.”
A few muffled chuckles came from the other people standing nearby even as Marcus smiled and picked up his little girl. “Well, you’re full of all sorts of ideas, aren’t you?” He dug his fingers into her ribs making her shriek with laughter and carried her out of the shelter.
Thankfully nobody teased her about Vanna’s suggestion and once she was done with her roll, her shift was up, so she emptied the few rolls that were left onto a plate and took the pan, heading home. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, Vanna’s final words kept replaying in her head. “Why don’t you court her? Then she could come to dinner with us.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
Saturday morning dawned and Celie elected to stay in bed for a little longer than normal. Always an early riser, staying in bed until nine was a luxury she didn’t afford herself too often, but when she did, she fully enjoyed it. When she finally pulled herself out of the comfortable four-poster bed, she took a long, leisurely bath and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. A hike sounded like a wonderful idea and she headed downstairs to let her grandparents know where she was headed.
“Not a word, Jude,” Pappa said firmly. “This is not your decision. We will go, enjoy ourselves, and you will act pleasant. Understand?”
Startled at his firm tone, Celia paused at the base of the stairs, unsure of where to go. Turning around and going back up the stairs would make it obvious she had overheard and yet continuing on seemed like an invasion of privacy. Thankfully her grandfather looked up and spotted her. “Ah, good morning, Celie. Slept in this morning?”
“A little. It was nice.” She stepped off the stairs and joined the two of them in the living room. “I wanted to talk to you about today,” she said quietly, casting a glance at her grandmother who looked rather subdued.
“Ah, about today,” he said, nodding. “We have an invitation to a party tonight. Your name was included. Nothing fancy. Just food and good conversation. Plus you can meet some more people from the town.”
“Oh! That sounds fun.” It would be nice to get out away from the house for dinner. Plus, this meant there was no incoming suitor. Since Celie was finding herself wishing Marcus would court her, that was a good thing. Currently no other man could stand up to him.
“We’ll leave about a quarter to five.”
“That’ll work. I’m gonna go hiking and will be back way before then.”
“Wonderful. Your Nana made some breakfast rolls. Take a couple with you.”
It felt good to be out doing something physical. Since she’d been in Hyacinth, her exercise had consisted of walking and once she started driving the Bug, not much of that. Stretching her muscles felt good and by the time she got home, she felt sore and calm. After a quick shower and changing into a pair of jeans and a teal camisole top, she pulled on a pair of low-heeled boots and headed downstairs.
Her grandmother was still quiet which made Celie wonder what it was about this invitation that bothered her so much. “Are you ready?” Pappa aske
d with a smile.
“Sure. Where are we headed?” she asked, following the two of them out to his car.
“Not far. Only fifteen minutes. Housewarming party in Hins Creek.”
Her heart sped up and Celie slowly lowered herself into the backseat of the car. Housewarming party in Hins Creek. Today. Surely there couldn’t be two of them. Were they headed to Marcus’s home? She crossed her fingers and hoped.
The roads in Hins Creek were even windier than those in Hyacinth and none of them were paved. Pappa’s car crunched over the gravel and dirt as he smoothly moved through the winding lane they drove down. As he slowed down, she leaned forward, looking through the front windshield at the only house in sight. A two-story, modified craftsman style home, it was painted in green and burgundy and nestled in amongst some trees, it was definitely cute. He parked the car and the three of them got out, walking up to the house where the door was open but a baby gate stood in their way.
“Hello?” Pappa called. A few minutes later Marcus walked up to the door smiling. Celie’s heart sped up and she found herself smiling incredibly widely.
“Glad you could make it, Mr. Compton,” Marcus said warmly, opening the gate. “Sorry for the obstruction but there are tons of babies here tonight. Didn’t want any of them escaping out the front door. Good evening, Mrs. Compton,” he said as she walked through ahead of her husband. As Marcus’s eyes fell on Celie, they turned a soft gray. “And a good evening to you, Celie.”
“You too. Thanks for inviting us.”
“You’re welcome. Now, most of the crowd is in the kitchen, so if you’ll follow me.” He led the way toward a small hallway but before they could go far, a little figure in a jumper dress darted across the room.
“Celie!” Vanna squealed, hugging her leg. “You came! You came! Wanna see my room?” She gleefully looked up at Celia who smiled back.
“Why, of course I do! While your dad shows my grandparents where the party is, let’s go see your princess room.”
Beaming, Vanna grasped her hand and would have tugged her toward an unobtrusive set of stairs that sat against one of the walls except her father put his hand on her shoulder. “First, Vanna, let me introduce you to Leyton and Jude Compton. These are Celie’s grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Compton, this is my daughter, Cavanaugh.”
Vanna leaned in against Celie and looked up at them shyly. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Compton.”
Jude smiled at her while Leyton crouched down. “Well, aren’t you a cutie. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hotham.” Giggling, Vanna hid behind Celie’s legs. He squeezed Celia’s shoulder as he stood back up. “Now, you had best go check out this little girl’s room.”
“I’m off,” Celie said with a grin and laughed as Vanna tugged on her hand and they climbed the thin but usable staircase to the second floor.
The second floor had been neatly divided down the middle length-wise. Each side had a bedroom and an attached bath. “This is my room,” Vanna announced, walking into the door on the left. The room was thin, but long, and Celia beamed as she looked around.
“It’s wonderful, Vanna.” All four walls were painted pink, just like she had mentioned and the bed was the one in the image she had shown, but it was the rest of the room that made Celia feel like a child again. The ceiling was painted to look like the sky with clouds and a few Pegasus flying around. A hammock hung in one corner filled with stuffed animals. In another corner was an old-fashioned chest with toys peeking out from under the lid. On a dresser which was also painted pink, sat a huge stuffed frog who looked very well-loved. His fur had been rubbed down to where there wasn’t much left, but he still looked happy enough splayed across the surface.
But in the corner by the head of her bed stood Gwen the unicorn. She was big enough to ride with a silver and gold saddle. “Wow,” Celie whispered, walking up and looking at her, taking note that on the wall above the large stuffed equine was an 8x10 framed picture of Vanna’s mother.
“Isn’t she great?” Vanna asked, crawling up on her bed and leaning on her headboard to look at the unicorn. “Daddy got her for me a year ago but this is the first place where I’ve had her out in my room. She likes it here.”
“Of course she does,” Celia agreed, backing up and taking a seat on Vanna’s bed. “This is a wonderful room, Vanna. I bet you hate leaving it.”
She grinned and crawled over, sitting next to Celie and curling up to her. “I love it here. Daddy says we have some land so we can walk and walk and never leave.”
Smiling, Celia wrapped an arm around the little girl. “You’re gonna love it here.”
Vanna beamed up at her and nodded and in the way only small children could do, she changed the conversation with no intro. “I’m hungry. Let’s go get hamburgers.”
The backyard seemed filled. When Celia counted, there were only eight adults among three babies and Vanna, but it still seemed like a lot of people. “Hamburger!” Vanna called, dropping Celie’s hand and skipping over to where her father was manning a small grill.
“Can you get some plates?” he asked her and she bounced over and got them. Celie loved how happy she was. Seeing her grandparents talking to a couple she hadn’t met, she walked over to them.
“Celie,” her grandmother said with a warm smile. “This is Christopher and Stephanie Triton. He owns Hyacinth Inn. Mr. and Mrs. Triton, this is our granddaughter Celia.”
“And our baby girl Bethany is the one currently eating grass,” Stephanie said with a sigh. “Excuse me a moment.” She crossed the backyard quickly and picked up a baby who was stuffing grass into her mouth.
Grinning, Christopher pulled his gaze away from his wife and now squalling baby. “How are you enjoying Hyacinth?”
“So far, so good. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m getting used to it, Christopher.”
“Please call me Chris. I moved here as a transplant as well. It’s different, but I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else now.”
“How do you know Marcus?” Leyton asked, much less formally than her grandmother who always referred to him as Dr. Hotham.
“Mark and I go way back,” Chris admitted. “Since we were four or five, I think. I had no idea he was even moving into town and suddenly he and little Vanna walked into Hyacinth Inn one day. It’s been nice to have him around.”
“You just wanted a partner in crime,” said a deep male voice and the other man she hadn’t met walked up. She recognized him as being one of those in the Covington group at the picnic.
“Well, you wouldn’t do it,” Chris said with a grin. “Celia, this is Jerod Kinsley, my uncle. His wife, Cami, is trying to corral their twins.” Celie looked over to where a pretty redhead was teasing her two children, acting as though she was going to catch them which just made the two squeal with laughter and toddle forward. “Jerod, this is Celia, Leyton and Jude’s granddaughter.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well,” Jerod said with a kind smile. “Are you enjoying your stay in Hyacinth?”
“Yep. My first few weeks went by so fast, before I know it, my year will be gone.”
“Courting does that,” Chris said in amusement.
“Burgers!” Marcus called and everyone turned toward the grill and ambled forward.
There was an easy warmth to the barbeque. Everyone seemed to know one another and the teasing was light, without anything catty or mean said. Vanna curled up on her father’s lap eating her burger while everyone talked. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening and Celia barely noticed as the sun began to lower in the sky until Cami and Jerod exchanged a glance and stood up.
“Thanks for asking us,” Cami said as Jerod picked up one of their children and put her in her mother’s arms and then picked up the other. “But we need to get these two to bed.”
“Thanks for coming,” Marcus said, placing his daughter on her feet and standing up before walking them out.
“We should probably get going as well,” Jude said, standing up.
As Pappa stood up as well, Celie was disappointed. She would have loved to stay and talk with Chris, Stephanie, and Marcus for a little longer.
“So soon?” Stephanie asked in disappointment. “I haven’t even gotten much of a chance to get to know you,” she said to Celie.
“We’d be willing to drive you home if you’d like to stay,” Chris offered.
“I’d even let you ride up front so you didn’t have to be in the back with a crying baby,” Stephanie added with a grin.
Celie’s grandmother looked slightly alarmed, but her grandfather spoke before she could. “Thank you. Celia, would you like to stay? You need to get out and enjoy yourself more without us along.” Nana looked up at him in shock, but he ignored her.
“Actually, Pappa, I’d love to stay.”
“Wonderful. Come, Jude, let’s leave the evening to the young people.” He placed a hand on her lower back and guided her back into the house.
“Thanks,” Celia said in relief. “I haven’t gotten out much and am enjoying myself tonight.”
“Hyacinth rules make it hard to go out and have fun unless you already have a group of girlfriends,” Stephanie agreed. “I grew up here and had my gaggle. The year without them was so lonely.” As she spoke, Vanna yawned and walked over to Celie, crawling into her lap. Within seconds, her breathing deepened as she fell asleep.
“Did you go away?” Celie asked, toning her voice down so as not to waken the little girl even as she wrapped her arms around her to keep her from sliding off.
“Kind of a long story. But when I was back with them, everything was better. Three of us meet weekly for coffee. You’re welcome to join us, but I’ll warn you. Besides all the regular fun, we’re all mommies so our discussions do tend to focus on babies, diapers, and ‘oh, have you heard about this diaper cream.’” Her eyes rolled making Celia laugh. “Okay, we’re not that bad. But, you’ve been warned.”
“Where’s the fourth?” Celia asked as she watched Stephanie’s little girl Bethany crawl up to her father. He lifted her into his arms and the little girl snuggled close, falling asleep almost instantly.