by Jaci Burton
Katrina thought about it a moment, visualizing where it would go. "Southwest of the pool. On the side of the house. Yes, I agree, there's plenty of space for several beds. Of course, during the season he's not there. He'd have to have someone tend it for him."
"That's true. But he loves working the land here. He's been in the garden with me, harvesting vegetables."
Katrina slid a surprised look at Lydia. "Really. I can't see him doing that."
Lydia patted her arm. "Trust me. We'll have him pick some corn with us over the next few days. He's a lot more outdoorsy than you know."
Outdoorsy? Shirt off and sweaty? Yes, she would definitely like to see that. She'd look forward to watching Grant in the garden.
In fact, she was already getting a preview as she heard the noise of an engine starting up, and she could tell from the sound it wasn't a car. She saw a large green tractor with a giant scoop in front of it coming out of the barn. A shirtless Grant was driving. He turned left and disappeared around the corner of the barn.
Easton and Leo followed behind on foot, the two of them engaged in conversation. Her brother didn't even look her way. Or acknowledge her.
Obviously, Leo was comfortable with Easton. She was happy about that.
"Oh, good, they got the tractor started," Lydia said. "Come on, let's follow them and see what they're intending to dig up."
Katrina was glad she'd worn her tennis shoes, because Lydia had one heck of a fast stride, and considering Katrina was taller with longer legs, it surprised her how hard she had to hustle to keep up with Grant's mom.
But she did, and soon they'd made it to the other side of the barn, where Grant had engaged the bucket on the front and was scooping up a large pile of dirt, then relocating it to another area away from the barn.
She and Lydia stood and watched for a while. Katrina was impressed with how well Grant knew the operation of the tractor, how he could shove the bucket into the pile of dirt, scoop it up, and then maneuver the tractor between the two barns so effortlessly.
Wow. Who knew watching a man operate a tractor could be such a turn-on?
"I've been after Easton to move that pile of dirt between the barns for two weeks now. He'd dug it up to lay some drainage, and then the big tractor conked out. I'm so glad Grant was able to get it working again. Now they can get the job finished. Come on, let's go back to the house. It's hot out here."
Katrina could have stood out there for hours and watched Grant, but she followed Lydia back to the house and poured herself another glass of tea.
"Okay, about the sleeping arrangements. You and Grant will stay at one of the other houses," Lydia said.
"Oh. Okay."
"Flynn, Barrett, Tucker, and Mia aren't coupled up. I think I'm putting Barrett and Tucker at the guesthouse, and I was wondering if it would be all right if Leo and Anya stayed here at the main house with us."
"Um, you don't have to keep them here. I'm sure they can stay wherever I do."
Lydia offered up a knowing smile. "Then how will you and Grant get to be alone?"
The woman was entirely too knowing. "That's not necessary, you know."
"Please. I was young and dating once, too. I know what it's like to try and grab some time alone. And with your brother and sister along, I know you haven't had a lot of moments to yourselves. There's another house a few miles from here. You and Grant can stay there. There are five bedrooms in this house, so plenty of space for the kids."
This was the most bizarre conversation she'd ever had.
"Okay. Thank you."
"Not a problem."
She wanted to tell Lydia that there wasn't anything serious going on with her and Grant, but she supposed that would be up to Grant to discuss with his mom. It wasn't her place to define her relationship with him to his mother.
"How about I drive you over to the house? You can get your things unpacked and settle in and we can come back here and start dinner. Tucker should be here soon, and if Flynn hasn't arrived by the time we eat, then he can grab leftovers when he does."
"I don't want to put you out, Lydia. If you give me some directions, I'm sure I can find the house myself."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm so happy to have another female here. Mia and I both are. You noticed she absconded with your sister as soon as she could, didn't you?"
"I did notice that."
"Trust me. There are a lot of men on this ranch. You just haven't seen them all yet. Easton's brother, Elijah, lives here as well. He's not here at the moment, but he'll be back tomorrow. Anyway, since his divorce six years ago, Elijah spends a lot of time hanging around us. Not that I mind. I love my brother-in-law very much. But the testosterone overload when those two get together is enough to make my head explode. You'd think they were teenagers again the way those two get on. I was happy having Mia home again for the summer, but she comes and goes a lot, as all kids her age do."
Katrina nodded. "Yes. I was just thinking the other day how it won't be long until Anya will be leaving for college. She's not my daughter or anything, but I think I was having some empty-nest pangs. I've been responsible for her since our mother died ten years ago."
Lydia grabbed a set of keys from a drawer. "Wow. That's a lot of responsibility for a young teenager to handle. Should we drive over to the house now? I'll text Mia to let her know where we are." As Lydia and Katrina made their way outside and climbed in a bright red truck, Lydia asked more questions about Kat's parents and what had happened.
Katrina found it easy to tell her about her mother and father and raising the kids on her own as they made the drive over to the other house. It was odd to be so open and comfortable with Lydia, since it wasn't a story Kat typically told anyone.
Except Grant. And now his mother.
"That must have been so hard for you, being basically Anya's age when you had to become an adult."
"I managed."
"You did. And you managed well."
"Thank you." She never wanted kudos for doing what had been, for Katrina, the obvious choice. She couldn't imagine her life without Leo and Anya in it.
They approached the house. She'd expected something small, like a guest cottage, but it looked just as amazing as the main house ... and almost as huge.
"Does someone live here?" she asked as Lydia stopped in front.
"Not at the moment. When we bought the property there was a home here, but it was run-down and in dire need of renovation. So we fixed it up, knowing we'd have family and friends who'd want to stay over."
She grabbed their bags and followed Lydia inside.
"There's a master bedroom at the end of the hall."
Lydia led her past a spacious living room and dining area, and a wide-open kitchen with a lot of room, much like the main house, only on a slightly smaller scale.
The master bedroom was good sized as well. Katrina put their luggage in there and turned to Lydia. "It's beautiful."
Lydia smiled. "Easton and I enjoyed the renovation, and I had fun decorating."
"You must get a lot of guests."
"Easton has a big family. I have two sisters. And of course all his football friends. There seems to always be someone visiting. Which we love, of course. Plus I'm waiting for the day these kids decide to settle down, get married, and start giving me grandchildren. We have a few houses on the property."
Lydia gave her a pointed look.
Uh-oh. Time for Katrina to make Lydia understand it wasn't going to be her and Grant. "Won't that be fun for you?"
"Yes. I can't wait." Lydia looked around. "Anyway, did you want to unwind and take a nap?"
"Oh. Not at all. I'd like to help you get dinner started. I'll go on back to the house with you."
"Great."
They drove back, and this time, since Katrina wasn't in deep conversation explaining her past, she had the opportunity to gaze out the window. She spotted deer in the thick woods, and saw a creek running parallel to the road.
"It's beautiful here," Katr
ina said.
"It is. I fell in love with the place as soon as Easton and I saw it, and I knew we had to buy it. The terrain changes in so many places. There are high hills and low valleys, and sparse vegetation along with lush greenery. It's really amazing."
"I can see why you love it so much. I live in an apartment in Manhattan that has zero greenery other than the plants."
"Oh, but Central Park is lovely. I've been there several times."
Katrina nodded. "It is, but it's not exactly my backyard, and I think they'd frown on me trying to grow a vegetable garden there."
Lydia laughed. "That's true. But you could surely buy another place out in the country somewhere if you wanted to."
She could. But the idea of being out somewhere remote with just her and the kids kind of unnerved her.
They pulled up to the house and she noticed an additional car parked out front.
"Oh, Tucker must be here," Lydia said.
"We went to one of his games the other night. He's very good."
Lydia put the car in park and turned to her. "Did you get to meet him?"
She shook her head. "No, he had to leave town for an away game."
"We'll take care of that now. Come on."
When Lydia opened the door, the noise level had increased. Katrina spotted her sister in the kitchen with Mia. Grant was in there, too, along with his dad and Leo. And another guy who had to be Tucker, because she noticed the glasses.
They seemed to all be arguing about something.
"They're arguing the curveball again," Lydia said. "A frequent argument around here. Mainly because Tucker's is so good. It mystifies them."
"You can't argue physics," Mia said. "It's a natural curve."
"Bullshit. It's an optical illusion," Grant said.
"And you're just jealous because you can't throw a baseball like that," Tucker said, offering up a smug smile to his brother.
Grant leaned against the island and folded his arms. "No, but I can throw a sweet spiral that'll land a wide receiver in the end zone. Which you can't do. There's a reason you chose baseball over football."
"Yeah," Tucker said. "Because I'm damn good at it."
Easton rolled his eyes. "How about we end this argument, and Tucker, give your mother a hello hug."
Tucker turned and grinned. "Hey, Mom."
Wow. Katrina was right. Up close, Tucker was incredibly good-looking. Very tall, a little leaner than Grant, but still built just ... fine. And those glasses did nothing to detract from how very handsome he was. In fact, Katrina swore the glasses made him look even hotter.
When he pulled away from Lydia, his gaze zeroed in on her. "So I've met Anya and Leo. You must be Katrina."
"I am. Nice to meet you, Tucker."
"You, too." Tucker cocked his head to the side. "So my brother was lucky enough to do a photo shoot with you. I've seen your work. It's very impressive."
"Thanks. I've seen your work with a baseball. Also very impressive."
Tucker grinned, then looked over at Grant. "See? Your girlfriend thinks I'm impressive."
Grant shrugged. "Only on the field. She thinks I'm impressive off the field as well."
Dear God. Katrina hoped the floor opened up and swallowed her.
Easton only laughed. "Damn glad to have you boys home again."
Tucker lifted his gaze to his brother. "So ... Kat and her family were your four tickets, huh?"
"Yeah," Grant said, coming over to put his arm around her shoulders.
She was surprised he'd show this kind of familiarity in front of his family. Putting his arm around her. Talking about the two of them as if they had some kind of ... she didn't know. She wasn't sure what to think about it.
"Good call," Tucker said, looking at his brother, then turning his attention to Katrina. "I hope you liked the game."
"I liked it a lot. You're quite the athlete. My brother follows your statistics, as does my sister."
"That's what the world needs. More statisticians," Mia said to Leo and Anya with a wink.
Anya grinned.
"Okay, enough of all this," Lydia said. "I need you all out of my way so I can start fixing dinner."
"We'll help," Katrina said. "What can we do?"
"Easton will cook the steaks tonight out on the grill, but there are still a few side dishes I'd like to make. I've already made potato salad. I thought a big green vegetable salad and fruit salad would go well. I don't really want to heat up the kitchen cooking anything since it's so hot outside."
"Fortunately, Katrina and I wield knives very well," Anya said.
Mia pulled one out of the knife block. "As do I."
"Great. Now if you guys will get out of here, we'll start slicing."
"You okay in here?" Grant asked.
She smiled. "Doing just fine. Go hang out with your dad and your brother. How's Leo doing?"
"He's in heaven. Don't worry about him."
"Okay."
The guys disappeared outside again, leaving the women in the kitchen. They washed their hands and got started slicing.
"Are all of the fruits and vegetables from your garden, Lydia?" Anya asked.
"Most of them, yes. I grow the strawberries and melons."
"I'm going to have to move out of New York City," Anya said. "I have to live somewhere where I can grow things besides an herb garden in my bedroom window."
The words tugged at Katrina's heart. But the one thing she'd tried to always foster in the kids was a sense of independence, of knowing their own self-worth so when the time came for them to be out on their own, they'd have the confidence in themselves to fly.
"Any thoughts as to where that might be?" she asked Anya.
"Not yet. But Mia showed me some great websites and I have a few thoughts."
"I can't wait to talk about them with you." Now that she knew what her sister's career path was, she'd do everything in her power to see her dreams fulfilled.
"I need more tomatoes," Lydia said, frowning as she surveyed the bowl.
Katrina swiped her hand on the towel. "I can go get those for you, Lydia."
"Would you? I'd appreciate it."
"I'll be right back."
She headed out the door and walked back toward the gardens, trying to recall where she'd seen the tomatoes. She finally remembered, and when she found them, bent over to survey the tomatoes, wanting to make sure she picked only the ripest ones.
When a set of arms went around her waist, she nearly shrieked.
"You're going to fall face-first into the tomato vines." Grant flipped her around, and before she could say anything, his mouth came down on hers in a kiss hotter than the steamy weather outside.
They hadn't had a second alone since they'd left his house, and she had to admit, she'd missed feeling his arms around her, and his lips on hers. She leaned into him and tangled her fingers into his hair, enjoying the heat of his body and the taste of his tongue licking against hers. The feel of his hand sliding down her back to cup her butt only intensified her need for him.
Until someone cleared their throat. "Aren't you a little old to be making out behind the tomato patch, Grant?"
Grant broke the kiss and shot a glare at Tucker. "Aren't you a little old to be spying on your big brother, Tucker?"
Tucker just shrugged. "I'm on my way to get the steaks. Not my fault that on my way happens to be past Mom's garden. You two should get a room." He winked at Katrina and moved on.
Grant laid his forehead against Katrina's. "Sorry. The drawback of a big family--even on a ranch this size--is very little privacy."
"Your mom is putting us up--and by us, I mean just you and me--at one of the other houses."
He grinned. "Alone?"
"Apparently."
"Remind me to give her a big hug and a kiss for that."
"I need to pick some tomatoes and bring them into the house before she thinks I got lost."
"Okay." He brushed his lips against hers. "Later."
She
picked several ripe and juicy ones and brought them inside. She was certain her hair was mussed up and her lips were kiss swollen, but Lydia never said a word. They finished up the salads, then went into the immense dining room to set the table.
The table was rectangular, dark and distressed, and looked handmade. "Who made this table?" she asked as they were setting the utensils.
"Easton and the boys." Lydia ran her hand lovingly over the surface. "It's reclaimed maple, and one of my treasured possessions. It's held up well over the years, and can seat at least twenty people. He even built extra leaves so we can expand it for larger parties."
Katrina nodded. "It's massive. And so impressive."
"Easton worked night and day on it for six months. The boys all pitched in and helped. Every gouge and nick has part of them on it. I love it so much."
Her heart clenched at Lydia's words. "I can see why. It's beautiful."
"Now, it's time for all of us ladies to have cocktails. Except for Anya, of course, who's going to have the virgin variety of whatever we have."
"Curses," Anya said, then smiled.
Katrina laughed, and they followed Lydia into the kitchen where she mixed up a very tempting concoction containing watermelon, agave nectar, lime juice, orange juice, and tequila. After shaking up the mix, she filled each glass with ice and decorated it with a wedge of watermelon.
"Melon margaritas for everyone," she said, though she'd fixed a special pitcher for Anya without the tequila, much to Anya's irritation.
"Someday I'll have tequila. Lots of tequila," Anya said as they made their way out to the front porch and grabbed seats.
"And someday I'll explain the tequila hangover to you," Mia said. "Everything in moderation is not just something adults say to be mean to you. Trust me on this."
Lydia laughed.
Katrina sipped the drink. It was cool and refreshing with just enough of a tequila kick. "This is so good, Lydia."
"Thank you. I like to experiment with icy cold drinks in the summer. And I do like watermelon."
"You also like margaritas, Mom," Mia said.
Lydia swirled the liquid around in her glass, then took a sip. "This is true. More than half the drinks I make have 'margarita' in their name."
Katrina laughed. What a lifestyle the Cassidys led. It seemed relaxed, yet busy at the same time. It didn't appear as if Lydia was sitting around bored. She had a garden and they'd remodeled two homes. She'd raised four boys and a girl. She must have been going nonstop for years.
"Do you miss your job as an attorney, Lydia?" Katrina asked.