He shook a few extra oats into her bucket and scratched her neck just under her mane. “There you go, sweet girl. I’ll see you in the morning.”
His body ached with exertion as he limped his way up the stairs and into the house. He hadn’t ridden in a long while and his ankle was in revolt. Since he didn’t take painkillers anymore, he was hoping a couple of acetaminophen and a hot bath would at least take the edge off.
He’d taken only a couple of steps into the room when he heard the yelling coming from behind a closed door. He stopped, staring at nothing while he sucked in a long breath...and opened the door to the office.
Tanner was standing over the desk, his hands braced on either side of some kind of ledger. Devin could only imagine that it was the ranch finances.
Garrett was sprawled in a leather chair, a bored expression on his face, as if he’d heard this lecture a thousand times before. And Devin was sure that he had, because without a doubt, the lecture was about Devin. He just wasn’t sure exactly what he’d done to deserve it. This time.
Devin leaned against the door frame. “What is it, Tanner? Did I forget to unload the dishwasher? Miss an egg in the henhouse? Leave wet clothes in the dryer? What?”
Garrett sat up a little straighter, his voice a warning. “Dev...”
Devin stopped Garrett with a hand held up against the words. “No, Garrett. I’ve never in my life been able to do anything good enough for Tanner.”
Garrett stood up, putting himself between the two brothers, oldest and youngest. “That’s not exactly fair, Dev.”
Devin was tired, in pain and just so over the chip on his brother’s shoulder. “What did I do wrong this time, Tanner?”
“The horse.”
At the words, Devin advanced. “Since when do I need permission to bring a horse home? It’s a ranch, still. Right?”
Tanner’s eyes were emotionless. “Since we don’t have the money to feed it.”
Devin recoiled, his mind struggling to make sense of what Tanner said. “What?”
Tanner closed his eyes and stretched his neck, rubbing the side of it with his hand. When he opened his eyes, he said, “We’re barely staying afloat.”
A coughing noise interrupted them. The three of them turned in tandem to find Lacey standing in the door. She tried a hesitant smile. “Dinner’s ready?”
Tanner stalked toward the kitchen. “There’s no sense in talking about this anyway.”
Devin looked at Garrett, who shrugged.
When they were all seated around the table and grace had been said, Devin cut into his baked chicken. Without lifting his eyes, he said, “So let’s talk about what we can do to make some money.”
Tanner slammed his fork down and put his hands on the edge of the table, ready to push himself back. “This is not the time to discuss this.”
Garrett put his hand on Tanner’s shoulder. “Devin’s right. You’ve been carrying this a long time. The ranch belongs to all of us. All of us need to figure out how to fix it.”
“I can go into the other room so you guys can work this out.” Lacey stood, but Tanner waved her back into her seat.
“You want to talk... Let’s talk. I’ve done everything I can do to get this place back on its feet. And it’s working. It’s just not working fast enough.”
“What’s the bottom line, Tanner?” Garrett took a bite of his chicken and stabbed a piece of their homegrown asparagus.
Tanner’s cheeks were ruddy. “When we inherited the farm, there was already substantial debt. I’ve paid it down but we’re just not bringing in enough yet to get it paid off in time. We’re gaining ground but...”
“...we need to brainstorm ideas for bringing in more cash.” Devin picked up his sweet tea. “So who has ideas?”
Garrett raised his hand. “How about goats? You can drink the milk and make cheese and soap to sell.”
Tanner got up and scrounged in the drawer under the microwave, coming up with a half-used pad and a pen. He sat down and scribbled a word. “Okay, goats. Anything else?”
Devin gave Garrett a skeptical look. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love goats, but we don’t know how to make goat cheese or soap. What about bees? We could sell the honey at farmers markets, like we do the sunflowers.”
Tanner wrote it down, but this time he made a face. “I think that’s a great idea, but doesn’t it take time for bees to make honey? We don’t have a lot of time.”
“True. Maybe we could rent space to a beekeeper. That would bring in a little money and bees are good on the farm, anyway.” Devin looked down at the table. Garrett looked out the window, Tanner at the pad in front of him.
Lacey drew in a breath and all three of them focused on her. She glanced from one to the other. “No, I mean, I was just taking a breath.”
“Oh.” Devin slumped to the side.
“But...”
Tanner looked up at Lacey. “It couldn’t be worse than goats or bees. No offense,” he said to his brothers.
Garrett shrugged. “None taken.”
“What’s your idea, Lacey?” Devin was exhausted. His ankle ached and tension knotted his shoulders. He was ticked that Tanner hadn’t told him and Garrett how bad things were. But they were in this together. All of them.
Lacey winced. “It seems silly... But in Oklahoma, a lot of farmers have roadside stands. Tanner has already been working at growing organic vegetables. We have zucchini out the ears. I saw the blueberry bushes in the field behind the pond and they’re about to be ripe. We have eggs for days. Maybe we could...build a farm stand?”
Devin looked at Garrett and Tanner. He wasn’t sure what the two of them were thinking but he was pretty sure his wife was brilliant.
Tanner wrote it down on the pad and then looked up. “We’ll have to get a permit. But I have wood in the barn and, you’re right, we have more vegetables than we know what to do with. I think it’s a viable plan provided we think it through.”
“Yes! Up top.” Devin held up a hand for a high five.
Her gaze softened on his. “I’m already there.”
Devin’s grin slowly faded. He’d said that to her once at a competition after a ride. She’d held up a hand for a high five and he’d pointed to the leader board and sent her a cocky smile. I’m already there.
He’d missed her. It just hit him how badly he’d missed his friend. She’d been there beside him, willing to stay, and he’d locked her out.
He didn’t want to lock her out anymore.
Tanner cleared his throat, and Lacey looked away. His brother tapped the pad with his pen. “So I’ve got some researching to do.”
Devin looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get to a meeting.”
“Guess that means I’ve got the dishes.” Garrett pushed back from the table.
Devin grabbed his cane. Lacey followed him through the living room to the front door and he turned back to her. “You’re brilliant. In the morning, let’s sit down and make sure we’re tracking together. Okay?”
She nodded, and he wanted so badly to just drop a kiss on her lips, the way a husband would. But he knew she wasn’t ready. They weren’t ready.
Instead he smiled. “It’s a date, then.”
He’d seen his mom walk his dad to that same door a million times. He’d never realized that he wanted that. The admiration of the crowd was something. He’d never forget what it felt like to have them chanting his name.
But he would trade it all for the admiration of one woman. And he prayed that he could be the kind of man she could trust.
The kind of man she could love.
Chapter Seven
With country music playing softly in the background, Lacey hummed to herself as she rinsed her mixing bowls and spoons in the sink. Her fourth batch of zucchini brownies was in the oven. The first three batches had been, in order, too
crumbly, too gooey, too zucchini-y. Way too zucchini-y. Even though that wasn’t really a word.
Her goal was to perfect a few simple recipes so they could sell baked goods made with their own produce at the farm stand. So far, she hadn’t been successful. But she wasn’t a quitter. The guys might be quitting her brownies, though, if she couldn’t come up with a decent recipe.
Baking gave her time to think, and even with the sound of the guys’ hammers competing with her music, the farm was peaceful. It was strange, really. She’d always thought that racing barrels was the height of happiness for her. And maybe it was the ultimate in happiness, but she hadn’t been content—not when she was always chasing the next win.
She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair, the exhilaration of the competition and the thrill of winning. She loved the competition and pushing herself, but contentment? Contentment was what she felt being a part of life on the ranch, working with Devin and Garrett and Tanner to make plans and create something new.
The timer beeped, and Lacey pulled open the oven to check on the zucchini brownies. They were slightly underbaked but she was hoping that they would be just the right amount of chewy when they cooled.
She heard the front door open as she slid the pan onto the top of the stove. With her quilted oven mitts still on her hands, she walked into the living room just as Devin placed a laundry basket full of clothes on the coffee table. “What’s this?”
“Jordan brought over some maternity clothes.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. And the flowers?”
“They just reminded me of you.” The last few weeks had blown by in a blur of discarded farm stand designs, permit paperwork and paint chips. And Devin had taken to picking whatever wildflowers were blooming and putting them in a blue-and-white splatterware pitcher in the kitchen—just because she liked them.
Last night he’d made lasagna from scratch because it was her favorite. He’d underestimated how long it would take to make by about two hours and his brothers had been ruthless, but she thought it was sweet.
“These are so pretty.” Lacey added the flowers to the ones already on the table and turned around to see Devin leaning over the pan of brownies. She smacked him with the rooster side of the oven mitt. “I can’t believe you! Sneaking a brownie when my back was turned.”
He pointed to his mouth and let his eyes roll back in his head, and as much as she tried to act annoyed with him, she couldn’t do it. “Good? Really good?”
“So good. What did you do?”
“The Triple Creek Ranch Triple Chocolate Brownie recipe is top secret.” She pretended to lock her lips and throw the key out the window.
He very slowly put his fork down, and she felt the giggle rise in her chest. She took a step back, putting one oven-mitted hand up between them. “Uh-uh. Don’t start with me, Devin. Go hammer something.”
Devin advanced slowly, his eyes on hers. She turned to run, the laugh breaking free as he grabbed the oven mitt, tugging her back to him.
She laughed. “You have chocolate on your chin.”
When she wiped it with a quick scrub of the hot pad, his smile faded. “You’re so beautiful.”
With his arms wrapped around her, she went still. She’d been very careful about touching him. But now, in his arms, she let herself imagine just for a minute that their wedding had been planned, their marriage for real...their love the forever kind.
She could paint a fantasy of herself right here in the kitchen, laughing at something Devin said, their babies in high chairs at the kitchen table. And it felt right.
“Lace...” His voice was husky in her ear.
She looked up and found his dark brown eyes intent on hers, and so close. When he leaned forward, she moved closer. She knew he was going to kiss her, and she wanted him to.
It was so tempting to let all her worries about the future go and just ride with the feeling, but she couldn’t.
She wanted to cry at the injustice of it, but pretending things were different wasn’t fair—to either of them.
With her hand still in the oven mitt on his chest, she said, “Wait, Devin.”
He immediately let her go and stepped back, the realization of what almost happened all over his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume anything...”
“No, it’s not that, it’s...oh.” She blinked. “Hold on a sec.”
“You okay?” His voice was concerned and he reached for her, his hand hovering somewhere around her elbow.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She laughed, slid the oven mitts off and took his hand. She placed it on the swell of her stomach. “There. Wait, no. There.”
Lacey rested her hand over his and watched his face, waiting for him to realize what he was feeling. Wonder spread across his face as he let out an awestruck sigh. “He’s kicking?”
She nodded. “I wasn’t sure at first, but yeah. He—or she—is definitely kicking. I think maybe all the chocolate experiments I’ve been eating woke them up.”
“It’s our babies.” His voice hitched on the words, and her heart ached. He cupped her face with both his hands and let his forehead gently touch hers. “I know our relationship is anything but normal, but the babies—I’m just blown away, Lacey.”
And he was right. They were in a mess and everything was wrong. Everything was wrong except for the amazing rightness of their twins.
This time when he tilted her chin up, she didn’t resist. When he brushed his lips across hers, she closed her eyes and leaned in, letting all her thoughts drift away and the feelings wash over her.
Until he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes with a soft, indulgent look and she froze.
He didn’t say anything, just stood there with his heart in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Devin.” She took a step back, wishing they were still friends so she could give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. But she didn’t know that. What she did know was that they’d been down this road before. The only thing that was different was there was more on the line.
She took another step back, her chest tight. “I’m so sorry, but we can’t do this, Devin. I can’t do this.”
“I know. Really, it’s fine.” He dropped his hands. His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the readout. “I’ll get this outside.”
He was back a minute later, his hand over the receiver, his face gray tinged under his tan. “It’s the mayor’s assistant. The marshal of the Fourth of July parade got the stomach flu and they’d love ‘a couple of former rodeo stars’ to fill in.”
“We can’t do that,” she whispered.
“I don’t know how to get out of it. It’s this afternoon.” Even his whisper was miserable.
She rubbed her temples, wishing she could rub away the headache forming behind her eyes. She shrugged. “I mean...okay, sure. Whatever.”
His eyes on hers, he took his hand off the mouthpiece and put the phone back to his ear. “Okay, yeah, we can do that.” To Lacey, he mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
Lacey sighed, every fiber of her being rebelling against acting the happy couple. She tossed the oven mitts onto the counter. “Yeah. Me, too.”
* * *
Staging took place on the circular drive of the Red Hill Springs Middle School. Devin and Lacey were assigned the back of a candy-apple-red 1988 Corvette convertible that spent most of each year in Harvey Haney’s barn. Someone had glitter-glued Marshal onto poster board and stuck it to each side of the car.
Lacey, in bright red boots, jeans and a cowboy hat, looked the part of a Memorial Day parade marshal. She was all smiles as one of the members of the marching band stuck his trumpet under his arm to help her into the back of the car. Her nearly waist-length hair bounced in loopy curls that made Devin’s fingers itch to touch it.
The chaos on the middle school lawn was barely leashed, not even close to
being controlled, when a woman in jeans and a navy blazer stopped next to him. “Devin Cole? I’m Wynn Grant...Mayor Grant. Thanks so much for filling in at the last minute. When I heard from Garrett that you and Lacey were in town, I just knew you’d be perfect to fill in.”
“Glad I know who to blame. Nice to meet you.” Familiar reflexes kicked in and he flashed a grin, tipping his hat forward over his eyes. Behind him, he heard Lacey smother a laugh with a cough. “Have you met Lacey yet?”
Wynn Grant turned to Lacey with a smile. “Thank you so much for letting us talk you into this. You’re a champ.”
“So, are there any instructions?” Devin asked.
“Just smile and wave. If you want to throw candy, there are a couple of buckets of fireballs on the seat.”
“Yes, ma’am.” About that time, Devin heard three sharp whistles. The marching band began to play and the volunteer firefighters started up the sirens.
The mayor was gesticulating and her lips were moving but he had no idea what she was saying. Finally, a pickup truck pulled up beside her with a similarly glittered sign that said Mayor stuck to the side doors and at least a dozen kids in the truck bed.
Mayor Grant said goodbye, or at least Devin assumed that was what she said, and Devin climbed into the back of the red Corvette beside Lacey. Mr. Haney, in his ever-present overalls, slid into the driver’s seat, adjusted the rearview mirror and gave them a small salute.
The line ahead of them started to move, and just outside the gates to the school stood their first parade spectators. They looked so happy, sitting in lawn chairs, decked out in their red, white and blue. Flags fluttered on the lampposts all down Main Street. And for the first time since Mom and Dad died, Devin felt connected to his hometown.
His mom had loved all the little celebrations they had in Red Hill Springs. He’d grouse and complain when she made him put on a Santa hat or a patriotic shirt and hauled him down to Main Street, but he’d loved the festivities, too. Mostly he loved hanging out with his friends and gathering up enough candy to fill a pillowcase. But that memory led to his mom, too, with her cool hand on his forehead later when he moaned and groaned with a stomachache.
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