CEO.”
Deidre laughed, sure he was kidding. When he sipped his buttered rum, however, his expression entirely somber, she asked, “You’re not joking? What do working with horses and being a CEO have in common?”
“Instinct. I can read people because I learned how to read animals first.”
Deidre opened her mouth to reply, but paused at the sound of the back door opening and the stamping of boots on the back porch. Nick and Deidre stood from the table when Addy and Evan entered the kitchen. Nick started to introduce Addy and Deidre, as there hadn’t been the opportunity when they arrived.
“You don’t have to tell me who this girl is,” Addy boomed, surprising Deidre by giving her a big hug. “I recognized you the moment I saw you in the wagon. You’re Brigit Kavanaugh’s girl, Deidre. Who else could you be, looking like you do? I’ve got the perfect horse in mind for you, too,” she added confidentially.
Deidre laughed, feeling bewildered. “I didn’t realize you knew my mother.”
Addy looked taken aback. She gave Evan a meaningful glance. “ Knew her? Brigit’s daughter is standing here, saying she didn’t realize we knew her mother,” Addy said to Evan as if Deidre had been babbling nonsense. Nick noticed both Deidre and Addy’s confusion and intervened.
“Your mother has been a regular rider at the McGraw Stables a long time, Deidre,” Nick said.
Deidre looked at him, her brow crinkled. “How did you know that?”
He shrugged. “Addy and I got to talking.”
“I first met your Mom twenty-eight years ago,” Addy explained as she pulled a casserole from the oven. She seemed forever in motion. “Isn’t that right, Evan?” she asked her husband as he sat at the table and sipped some coffee.
“That’s right,” Evan agreed, nodding and smiling at Deidre. “Finer horsewoman I’ve never witnessed. You certainly do have the look of her.”
“Evan has always had a little crush on your mama,” Addy told Deidre with the air of someone telling a mischievous secret. Evan muttered under his breath and blushed.
“Deidre hasn’t been in Harbor Town for years now,” Nick tried to explain to the McGraws. “She’s been—”
“In the Middle East, and recently Germany, doing her nursing. We know all about it,” Addy assured him. “Deidre, the plates and glasses are in that cabinet there, the silverware in that drawer. Would you mind?”
“Of course not. It’s my pleasure,” Deidre muttered, hurrying to help, her mind spinning. “I think part of the misunderstanding,” she explained as she laid the silverware, “is that I never knew my mother even rode horses until recently.”
Addy did a double take from where she stood at the counter ladling gravy into a bowl.
“You didn’t know Brigit rode? Why wouldn’t Brigit tell you about that?”
Deidre kept her gaze lowered. Thankfully, Nick noticed her discomfort.
“None of Brigit’s children ride,” he said. “The Kavanaugh children’s athletic talents lie in other areas. Deidre, for instance, is an expert diver and water-skier.”
“Well that’s something,” Addy complimented her, even though she still looked puzzled. She walked over to the table and set down a delectable-looking platter of baked chicken surrounded by golden-brown roasted potatoes. She removed the lid of the casserole dish and Deidre inhaled the smell of broccoli and cheese. Her stomach growled despite a topic that disturbed her, for some reason. “You all sit down now and start to dig in.
“Even if you are a swimmer and a diver, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a horsewoman, Deidre,” Addy added a moment later as she set a basket of steaming rolls on the table and sat down.
“I keep telling her that,” Nick said, his gaze on Deidre as he forked a potato onto his plate.
Addy pointed at Nick. “Well if that boy, who knows horses better than Evan and I combined, says you’re a rider, then you’re a rider!” Addy declared, as if there was no
Deidre laughed, sure he was kidding. When he sipped his buttered rum, however, his expression entirely somber, she asked, “You’re not joking? What do working with horses and being a CEO have in common?”
“Instinct. I can read people because I learned how to read animals first.”
Deidre opened her mouth to reply, but paused at the sound of the back door opening and the stamping of boots on the back porch. Nick and Deidre stood from the table when Addy and Evan entered the kitchen. Nick started to introduce Addy and Deidre, as there hadn’t been the opportunity when they arrived.
“You don’t have to tell me who this girl is,” Addy boomed, surprising Deidre by giving her a big hug. “I recognized you the moment I saw you in the wagon. You’re Brigit Kavanaugh’s girl, Deidre. Who else could you be, looking like you do? I’ve got the perfect horse in mind for you, too,” she added confidentially.
Deidre laughed, feeling bewildered. “I didn’t realize you knew my mother.”
Addy looked taken aback. She gave Evan a meaningful glance. “ Knew her? Brigit’s daughter is standing here, saying she didn’t realize we knew her mother,” Addy said to Evan as if Deidre had been babbling nonsense. Nick noticed both Deidre and Addy’s confusion and intervened.
“Your mother has been a regular rider at the McGraw Stables a long time, Deidre,” Nick said.
Deidre looked at him, her brow crinkled. “How did you know that?”
He shrugged. “Addy and I got to talking.”
“I first met your Mom twenty-eight years ago,” Addy explained as she pulled a casserole from the oven. She seemed forever in motion. “Isn’t that right, Evan?” she asked her husband as he sat at the table and sipped some coffee.
“That’s right,” Evan agreed, nodding and smiling at Deidre. “Finer horsewoman I’ve never witnessed. You certainly do have the look of her.”
“Evan has always had a little crush on your mama,” Addy told Deidre with the air of someone telling a mischievous secret. Evan muttered under his breath and blushed.
“Deidre hasn’t been in Harbor Town for years now,” Nick tried to explain to the McGraws. “She’s been—”
“In the Middle East, and recently Germany, doing her nursing. We know all about it,” Addy assured him. “Deidre, the plates and glasses are in that cabinet there, the silverware in that drawer. Would you mind?”
“Of course not. It’s my pleasure,” Deidre muttered, hurrying to help, her mind spinning. “I think part of the misunderstanding,” she explained as she laid the silverware, “is that I never knew my mother even rode horses until recently.”
Addy did a double take from where she stood at the counter ladling gravy into a bowl.
“You didn’t know Brigit rode? Why wouldn’t Brigit tell you about that?”
Deidre kept her gaze lowered. Thankfully, Nick noticed her discomfort.
“None of Brigit’s children ride,” he said. “The Kavanaugh children’s athletic talents lie in other areas. Deidre, for instance, is an expert diver and water-skier.”
“Well that’s something,” Addy complimented her, even though she still looked puzzled. She walked over to the table and set down a delectable-looking platter of baked chicken surrounded by golden-brown roasted potatoes. She removed the lid of the casserole dish and Deidre inhaled the smell of broccoli and cheese. Her stomach growled despite a topic that disturbed her, for some reason. “You all sit down now and start to dig in.
“Even if you are a swimmer and a diver, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a horsewoman, Deidre,” Addy added a moment later as she set a basket of steaming rolls on the table and sat down.
“I keep telling her that,” Nick said, his gaze on Deidre as he forked a potato onto his plate.
Addy pointed at Nick. “Well if that boy, who knows horses better than Evan and I combined, says you’re a rider, then you’re a rider!” Addy declared, as if there was no
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