confidence in Dr. Whittaker, toward the end. He should’ve done more to move Lorelei someplace else.
Ben opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, Ray stepped in.
“That’s enough for now. Let’s get you settled.” Ray went on to detail that Mae could have the old nursery, and that Jem would be in Lorelei’s old room. “Annie too, of course,” he added uncomfortably.
Jem held Mae to his shoulder, his hand frozen against her back. One glance at Annie told him she was frozen in place too.
They hadn’t talked about sleeping arrangements. Or, he hadn’t laid out any plans ahead of time, that is. It wasn’t like she could ask him either. She was probably worried. Women worried about things like that.
“Annie will a need a room for herself,” he said plainly.
“She will?” Ray looked in clear surprise from Jem to Annie and back again, his brows raised.
“She will.” Jem kept it simple. Unquestionable. No explanations. No one needed to know their private business.
Ray scratched the back of his neck. “Well, then... I’ll have to get Ben’s old room ready then. He’s moved into his parents’ old room. The biggest room,” he added by way of explanation, reminding Jem that Ben was the master of the house now and head of the ranch. “Wasn’t expecting a third and the bed’s not made up. If you’ll get Mae settled, I’ll set things up, get baths ready for you, and we’ll have dinner after.”
That’s when Jem saw Annie’s head come up for the first time, her expression relieved.
“Is there a place where Annie can rest while you get the room prepared, Ray? I do appreciate it.”
Ray waved that away. “Come sit in this rocker, miss,” he said to Annie and led her into a homey parlor room off the foyer, settling her in a rocker by the empty grate. It was too hot out to have a fire lit. A nice cooling chill rose off the hearthstones. The puppy curled up in her lap and let out a sigh, seemingly prepared to take a nap.
“She hasn’t got any baggage, Ray,” Jem said quietly, when Ray returned to his side. Ben was watching them in silence, his gaze filled with belligerent interest.
“She what?” Ray asked.
“So she’ll need some clothes.”
“Clothes?”
Jem merely nodded.
Ray pursed his lips thoughtfully, as if holding back a stream of questions. Finally, he looked to Ben. “Gonna need you to handle that one.”
“What?” Ben asked, pausing mid-retreat.
“Get Miz Annie something of Lorelei’s.”
“Me?”
“Unless you want to make the bed, carry up water for the baths, and stir the stew?”
Ben mumbled something under his breath and stalked off, climbing the stairs with a militant sort of stride.
“Is he going to do it?” Jem asked, looking up at Ben’s retreating back.
“Oh, he will,” Ray said, with a little more confidence than Jem was feeling. “He better.”
TEN
I n the end it was Ray who came to wake Annie from her brief slumber by the fireplace in the cozy parlor.
“Your bath’s ready, miss,” he said, bending to light a table lamp beside her. He’d also evidently lit several wall sconces. A quick glance out the window told her the sun had set, and the sky was mellowing into tones of gray and purple.
Annie felt suddenly empty-handed, a warm spot still on her lap from where the puppy had been. Jem was gone. There was no sign of Mae. She raised her eyes in question to Ray.
“Jem outside with the puppy. Then he’s gonna check on that horse with the sore hoof. Mae’s in the kitchen playing with spoons and such. She’ll be all right there.”
Oh . Annie nodded, still a bit groggy. She stood reluctantly. She could’ve slept a year in that chair.
“I brought a bath up for you.”
She simply smiled at him and nodded, reluctant to grunt at him. She didn’t know him well enough just yet, and she was determined to make a better impression going forward. He must think Jem had found her in a gutter.
“This way.” Ray led her up
Ben opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, Ray stepped in.
“That’s enough for now. Let’s get you settled.” Ray went on to detail that Mae could have the old nursery, and that Jem would be in Lorelei’s old room. “Annie too, of course,” he added uncomfortably.
Jem held Mae to his shoulder, his hand frozen against her back. One glance at Annie told him she was frozen in place too.
They hadn’t talked about sleeping arrangements. Or, he hadn’t laid out any plans ahead of time, that is. It wasn’t like she could ask him either. She was probably worried. Women worried about things like that.
“Annie will a need a room for herself,” he said plainly.
“She will?” Ray looked in clear surprise from Jem to Annie and back again, his brows raised.
“She will.” Jem kept it simple. Unquestionable. No explanations. No one needed to know their private business.
Ray scratched the back of his neck. “Well, then... I’ll have to get Ben’s old room ready then. He’s moved into his parents’ old room. The biggest room,” he added by way of explanation, reminding Jem that Ben was the master of the house now and head of the ranch. “Wasn’t expecting a third and the bed’s not made up. If you’ll get Mae settled, I’ll set things up, get baths ready for you, and we’ll have dinner after.”
That’s when Jem saw Annie’s head come up for the first time, her expression relieved.
“Is there a place where Annie can rest while you get the room prepared, Ray? I do appreciate it.”
Ray waved that away. “Come sit in this rocker, miss,” he said to Annie and led her into a homey parlor room off the foyer, settling her in a rocker by the empty grate. It was too hot out to have a fire lit. A nice cooling chill rose off the hearthstones. The puppy curled up in her lap and let out a sigh, seemingly prepared to take a nap.
“She hasn’t got any baggage, Ray,” Jem said quietly, when Ray returned to his side. Ben was watching them in silence, his gaze filled with belligerent interest.
“She what?” Ray asked.
“So she’ll need some clothes.”
“Clothes?”
Jem merely nodded.
Ray pursed his lips thoughtfully, as if holding back a stream of questions. Finally, he looked to Ben. “Gonna need you to handle that one.”
“What?” Ben asked, pausing mid-retreat.
“Get Miz Annie something of Lorelei’s.”
“Me?”
“Unless you want to make the bed, carry up water for the baths, and stir the stew?”
Ben mumbled something under his breath and stalked off, climbing the stairs with a militant sort of stride.
“Is he going to do it?” Jem asked, looking up at Ben’s retreating back.
“Oh, he will,” Ray said, with a little more confidence than Jem was feeling. “He better.”
TEN
I n the end it was Ray who came to wake Annie from her brief slumber by the fireplace in the cozy parlor.
“Your bath’s ready, miss,” he said, bending to light a table lamp beside her. He’d also evidently lit several wall sconces. A quick glance out the window told her the sun had set, and the sky was mellowing into tones of gray and purple.
Annie felt suddenly empty-handed, a warm spot still on her lap from where the puppy had been. Jem was gone. There was no sign of Mae. She raised her eyes in question to Ray.
“Jem outside with the puppy. Then he’s gonna check on that horse with the sore hoof. Mae’s in the kitchen playing with spoons and such. She’ll be all right there.”
Oh . Annie nodded, still a bit groggy. She stood reluctantly. She could’ve slept a year in that chair.
“I brought a bath up for you.”
She simply smiled at him and nodded, reluctant to grunt at him. She didn’t know him well enough just yet, and she was determined to make a better impression going forward. He must think Jem had found her in a gutter.
“This way.” Ray led her up
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