you, Jamie.”
“We’ll have to go out, the four of us, while Jamie’s here,” Kelli said.
Victoria nodded. “I’d like that, Kelli. See you later.”
She left the house, hearing the door close behind her, cutting off Jamie and Kelli’s already lively discussion. Halfway to the SUV, she heard a distinctive bawl from the direction of the barn. She changed course, following the noise along the path toward Curran’s house, until she reached the corral beside the barn. Peg-leg stood several feet away from the thick metal bars. The big beast shook his head as she approached, then snorted and moved his bulk in a diagonal shuffle closer to the corral fence.
Victoria scratched his thick coat, rubbing his side. The harder she rubbed, the more he leaned against the bars, into her touch. She laughed. “I hope that corral was built especially for you, Peg-leg, or Curran will have another fence to fix when he gets home.”
Crouching so she could look into the animal’s deep brown eyes, Victoria rubbed his forehead. “I owe you, you know. It’s your fault we got together. Thank you.”
If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn Peg-leg winked at her. She gave him one last scratch behind the ears, then headed home to drum up some new assignments. Otherwise, work was going to get a little lean in a few weeks.
Chapter Six
A few days later, Victoria stood loading the dishwasher in Kelli’s sunshine-yellow kitchen. Mulled cider steamed on the stovetop, the scent overlaying the remains of Kelli’s amazing lasagna.
Kelli put the salad dressing away in the fridge then shook her head. “You shouldn’t be doing that, Vic, you’re a guest.”
Victoria filled the detergent dispenser. “Well, you certainly shouldn’t do it. You made dinner.”
The other woman crossed her arms. “Actually, we ought to make the men do it.”
Victoria looked over her shoulder, into the great room. Jamie sat cross-legged on the carpet, helping Rob put together a building-block race car. Curran relaxed on the recliner built into the end of the burgundy floral sectional couch. She smiled, then closed the dishwasher and started it. “Too late, all done.”
“They’re saved from women’s work for another day.”
She laughed with Kelli as she washed her hands, then walked to the end of the breakfast bar which separated the kitchen from the great room. She tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and studied Curran. He looked so comfortable in the recliner, eyes closed, the fireplace crackling near him.
Rob whooped and jumped on the couch beside Curran. “My car’s done, my car’s done!”
Curran opened his eyes and examined his nephew’s creation. “Great car.”
“Yeah, I know.” Rob settled beside him, driving his car in the air, then down Curran’s arm and leg. “It had some hard parts. Jamie helped with those.”
Kelli leaned over the bar from the kitchen. “That was nice. Did you remember to thank him?”
Rob gasped. “Oh. Oops. Thanks, Jamie!”
“Any time, little bud,” Jamie said, stretching out on the other end of the L-shaped couch.
Victoria headed for the couch as Rob stood up, driving his car into the air. He lost his balance, landing full-force on Curran’s chest. She flinched, braced herself against the anger, the yelling that would surely follow.
Curran grunted at the impact, then half groaned, half laughed. “Rob, go easy, right? I have old bones, and you’re heavy.” Not a single trace of anger sounded in his voice.
As he gently set the boy on the couch, Rob patted Curran’s cheek. “Did I break you?”
Curran ruffled his hair. “One of these days, you might. Be careful with me, or I’ll be forced to tickle you senseless.”
Rob giggled and jumped down, driving his car across the front of the couch and around the floor.
Victoria relaxed, watching them. Nothing made the differences between Nate and Curran more apparent than the way he treated his nephew.
“We’ll have to go out, the four of us, while Jamie’s here,” Kelli said.
Victoria nodded. “I’d like that, Kelli. See you later.”
She left the house, hearing the door close behind her, cutting off Jamie and Kelli’s already lively discussion. Halfway to the SUV, she heard a distinctive bawl from the direction of the barn. She changed course, following the noise along the path toward Curran’s house, until she reached the corral beside the barn. Peg-leg stood several feet away from the thick metal bars. The big beast shook his head as she approached, then snorted and moved his bulk in a diagonal shuffle closer to the corral fence.
Victoria scratched his thick coat, rubbing his side. The harder she rubbed, the more he leaned against the bars, into her touch. She laughed. “I hope that corral was built especially for you, Peg-leg, or Curran will have another fence to fix when he gets home.”
Crouching so she could look into the animal’s deep brown eyes, Victoria rubbed his forehead. “I owe you, you know. It’s your fault we got together. Thank you.”
If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn Peg-leg winked at her. She gave him one last scratch behind the ears, then headed home to drum up some new assignments. Otherwise, work was going to get a little lean in a few weeks.
Chapter Six
A few days later, Victoria stood loading the dishwasher in Kelli’s sunshine-yellow kitchen. Mulled cider steamed on the stovetop, the scent overlaying the remains of Kelli’s amazing lasagna.
Kelli put the salad dressing away in the fridge then shook her head. “You shouldn’t be doing that, Vic, you’re a guest.”
Victoria filled the detergent dispenser. “Well, you certainly shouldn’t do it. You made dinner.”
The other woman crossed her arms. “Actually, we ought to make the men do it.”
Victoria looked over her shoulder, into the great room. Jamie sat cross-legged on the carpet, helping Rob put together a building-block race car. Curran relaxed on the recliner built into the end of the burgundy floral sectional couch. She smiled, then closed the dishwasher and started it. “Too late, all done.”
“They’re saved from women’s work for another day.”
She laughed with Kelli as she washed her hands, then walked to the end of the breakfast bar which separated the kitchen from the great room. She tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and studied Curran. He looked so comfortable in the recliner, eyes closed, the fireplace crackling near him.
Rob whooped and jumped on the couch beside Curran. “My car’s done, my car’s done!”
Curran opened his eyes and examined his nephew’s creation. “Great car.”
“Yeah, I know.” Rob settled beside him, driving his car in the air, then down Curran’s arm and leg. “It had some hard parts. Jamie helped with those.”
Kelli leaned over the bar from the kitchen. “That was nice. Did you remember to thank him?”
Rob gasped. “Oh. Oops. Thanks, Jamie!”
“Any time, little bud,” Jamie said, stretching out on the other end of the L-shaped couch.
Victoria headed for the couch as Rob stood up, driving his car into the air. He lost his balance, landing full-force on Curran’s chest. She flinched, braced herself against the anger, the yelling that would surely follow.
Curran grunted at the impact, then half groaned, half laughed. “Rob, go easy, right? I have old bones, and you’re heavy.” Not a single trace of anger sounded in his voice.
As he gently set the boy on the couch, Rob patted Curran’s cheek. “Did I break you?”
Curran ruffled his hair. “One of these days, you might. Be careful with me, or I’ll be forced to tickle you senseless.”
Rob giggled and jumped down, driving his car across the front of the couch and around the floor.
Victoria relaxed, watching them. Nothing made the differences between Nate and Curran more apparent than the way he treated his nephew.
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