to order a new security system. He wants to put cameras up all around the ranch.”
“That’s probably not a bad idea,” Matt agreed. “If someone tries this again, we’ll catch them in the act.”
“Excuse me?” a timid voice called from the front of the barn. I looked up and saw a short, skinny woman with long brunette hair standing in the doorway. I wiped my hands on a nearby rag and walked towards her.
“Hello, can I help you?” I asked. The woman looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“I hope so,” she blushed. “My name is Marci Brewer. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for Cole Rogers? I’m an old friend of his. We knew each other in college. I just moved to the area, and I wanted to talk to him about buying a couple of trail horses.”
Marci Brewer! I think she’s the one Daddy dated in college! What in the world is she doing here? I never gave James her name; I couldn’t remember it. Did he find her on his own? God, I’m being rude…
“I’m Willow Rogers. Cole is my father,” I said, offering her my hand. She shook it and smiled.
“Of course, Willow. It’s so nice to meet you. So is your dad around?”
“Cole is out in the pasture,” Renee said. I turned and saw her approaching us. “We had a bit of a catastrophe here today, over half of our livestock got out. I’m Renee Parker. It’s nice to meet you.”
Marci’s eyes shot back and forth as she shook Renee’s hand. “Half of your livestock… so you’re…”
“I’m Cole’s fiancé,” Renee finished. Marci blushed and it was obvious that she’d come to the ranch for more than trail horses.
“Why don’t you come up to the house?” Renee suggested, ignoring the woman’s embarrassment. “I need to check on dinner and Cole should be back soon. He can show you the horses, and then you can stay and eat with us.”
Marci rocked back and forth on her feet and nervously pulled at the hem of her shirt. “I don’t want to impose…”
“Nonsense,” Renee interrupted. “Kids, I’ll see you for dinner in about an hour?”
I felt trapped and was about to agree when James spoke up. “We have plans tonight, Mom,” he told her. He climbed over Locomotion’s stall.
“Plans?” Renee asked. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
I looked over at James and cocked my eyebrow, waiting for his explanation.
“We’re all meeting Lucas for dinner,” James said with a casual shrug. “In fact, we should really get going if we’re going to be on time. I’m sorry. I’d have mentioned it sooner, but I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”
Renee waved off the apology, but it was clear she wasn’t thrilled about being alone with Marci. “It’s fine. You kids have fun,” she told us. “Marci, let’s go to the house and I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”
Renee walked out of the barn and Marci reluctantly followed. James turned to Matt.
“So, do you mind if Willow and I tag along on your date tonight?” he asked. “We’ll take our own car so you won’t be stuck with us the whole time.”
“Of course not,” he agreed. “And you were right, we should get going. Who was that lady, anyway?”
“I have no idea,” I lied. “I guess she and Daddy knew each other a long time ago.”
“Uh huh,” Matt said. “If you say so.” His tone was doubtful and I knew he suspected that James and I were up to something. He walked to the back of the barn and started putting away the horse brushes and ointments.
James turned to me. “So what do you say? Feel like going to town for dinner?”
I looked down at my dirty overalls. “Not exactly… do I have time to shower and change?”
He lowered his voice and leaned in to me. “Do you really want to go to the house right now? Besides, you look beautiful. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who’s not afraid to get dirty,” he said with a wink.
I looked up at the house and wondered what might be going on behind the walls. James was right.
“That’s probably not a bad idea,” Matt agreed. “If someone tries this again, we’ll catch them in the act.”
“Excuse me?” a timid voice called from the front of the barn. I looked up and saw a short, skinny woman with long brunette hair standing in the doorway. I wiped my hands on a nearby rag and walked towards her.
“Hello, can I help you?” I asked. The woman looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“I hope so,” she blushed. “My name is Marci Brewer. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for Cole Rogers? I’m an old friend of his. We knew each other in college. I just moved to the area, and I wanted to talk to him about buying a couple of trail horses.”
Marci Brewer! I think she’s the one Daddy dated in college! What in the world is she doing here? I never gave James her name; I couldn’t remember it. Did he find her on his own? God, I’m being rude…
“I’m Willow Rogers. Cole is my father,” I said, offering her my hand. She shook it and smiled.
“Of course, Willow. It’s so nice to meet you. So is your dad around?”
“Cole is out in the pasture,” Renee said. I turned and saw her approaching us. “We had a bit of a catastrophe here today, over half of our livestock got out. I’m Renee Parker. It’s nice to meet you.”
Marci’s eyes shot back and forth as she shook Renee’s hand. “Half of your livestock… so you’re…”
“I’m Cole’s fiancé,” Renee finished. Marci blushed and it was obvious that she’d come to the ranch for more than trail horses.
“Why don’t you come up to the house?” Renee suggested, ignoring the woman’s embarrassment. “I need to check on dinner and Cole should be back soon. He can show you the horses, and then you can stay and eat with us.”
Marci rocked back and forth on her feet and nervously pulled at the hem of her shirt. “I don’t want to impose…”
“Nonsense,” Renee interrupted. “Kids, I’ll see you for dinner in about an hour?”
I felt trapped and was about to agree when James spoke up. “We have plans tonight, Mom,” he told her. He climbed over Locomotion’s stall.
“Plans?” Renee asked. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
I looked over at James and cocked my eyebrow, waiting for his explanation.
“We’re all meeting Lucas for dinner,” James said with a casual shrug. “In fact, we should really get going if we’re going to be on time. I’m sorry. I’d have mentioned it sooner, but I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”
Renee waved off the apology, but it was clear she wasn’t thrilled about being alone with Marci. “It’s fine. You kids have fun,” she told us. “Marci, let’s go to the house and I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”
Renee walked out of the barn and Marci reluctantly followed. James turned to Matt.
“So, do you mind if Willow and I tag along on your date tonight?” he asked. “We’ll take our own car so you won’t be stuck with us the whole time.”
“Of course not,” he agreed. “And you were right, we should get going. Who was that lady, anyway?”
“I have no idea,” I lied. “I guess she and Daddy knew each other a long time ago.”
“Uh huh,” Matt said. “If you say so.” His tone was doubtful and I knew he suspected that James and I were up to something. He walked to the back of the barn and started putting away the horse brushes and ointments.
James turned to me. “So what do you say? Feel like going to town for dinner?”
I looked down at my dirty overalls. “Not exactly… do I have time to shower and change?”
He lowered his voice and leaned in to me. “Do you really want to go to the house right now? Besides, you look beautiful. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who’s not afraid to get dirty,” he said with a wink.
I looked up at the house and wondered what might be going on behind the walls. James was right.
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