Country Pride (Belle Ridge Book 1)

by Charlene Bright

  He frowned slightly at the mention of the boy’s name. It wasn’t that he didn’t like his daughter’s boyfriend—Chance Campbell had been around for so long, he was practically part of the family already. The young man and his daughter had been friends since the second grade and high school sweethearts. But Jared just wasn’t ready for his baby girl to grow up and get married. It was hard enough accepting that she was almost twenty-one years old and about to launch into a new life. Maybe he was jumping the gun, he thought. Maybe there wouldn’t be any marriage talk for a few more years. His daughter was pretty headstrong about college and graduate school, after all.

  “I hope he will be helping with the party,” said Jared, putting away the sour thoughts.

  “Of course he will.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the small round breakfast table. “Don’t forget he’s just home for the summer too. He’s got family members and friends pulling him in different directions, and other obligations.” She and Chance both attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and lengthy visits home were rare for both of them.

  “Mmm-hmm,” Jared said, taking another sip of coffee and joining his daughter at the table. “I’m just a bit nervous about having so many people out here at once. I’m not used to having so much company.”

  “I know,” she said, looking at him sympathetically. “You don’t have to do this on your own. You know Tammi’s got it all under control.” Her smile widened as she added, “Maybe Kinsley can help.”

  He focused his eyes on hers and gave her a serious look. “She’s just passing through. Careful what ideas you might be brewing there.”

  “I think she might be looking to slow down her life and get back to her roots.”

  He squinted suspiciously and turned his head slightly, trying to read her thoughts. “I don’t want you doing anything to try to put ideas in her head,” he warned, suspicion creeping into his words.

  She waved him off dismissively. “I’m not going to plant any ideas that aren’t already there. And you can’t deny she fits in well here. I haven’t seen you so relaxed and spend so much time smiling in, like, forever.”

  He didn’t answer but sipped his coffee again, looking at her over the rim and thinking about how Kinsley’s smile did seem to make him feel lighter.

  “I know you like her.”

  “Nikki—”

  “Come on, Daddy. Sit there, look me in the eye, and tell me you don’t find her gorgeous.”

  He sighed and set down his cup, wondering at the plans that seemed to be brewing behind his daughter’s eyes. “Of course I can’t say that. I got eyes, don’t I? I may be a grieving widower, but I’m still a man.”

  “It’s been four years.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “You can’t still be thinking of yourself as actively grieving.” She held up her hand and cut him off before he could retort. “I know you’ll … we’ll always be grieving on some level, but you know Mama wouldn’t want us to stay in one place with it.”

  He took a couple of breaths before answering. “And how am I supposed to argue with that brilliant logic?”

  She smiled and gave him a devilish look as she leaned forward. “Admit it. You have a crush.”

  “It’s not a crush, but I won’t lie, she’s about the most beautiful woman I’ve seen since your mother. And I feel … something.”

  Nikki beamed in satisfaction as she took her last sip of coffee and reached for the newspaper. “I think Kinsley Griffin is just what we all need.”

  Jared balked and stood, heading to the coffee pot to refill his mug and stare outside again in contemplation.

  ***

  Kinsley rolled over and looked at her phone. Just after nine o’clock. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so hard. Feeling refreshed, she sat up and stretched her arms, surveying her surroundings and smiling as she remembered the kindness of her hosts. Then she threw back the sheets dramatically and nearly hopped out of the bed, a sudden image of blue birds helping her dress causing her to chuckle.

  In the bathroom, she splashed water on her face, pulled her hair into a barrette and put some lotion on her face and arms. Then he threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and padded barefoot down the stairs toward the enticing smell of coffee.

  As she approached the kitchen door, she heard voices.

  Admit it. You have a crush.

  It’s not a crush, but I won’t lie, she’s about the most beautiful woman I’ve seen since your mother. And I feel …. something.

  I think Kinsley Griffin is just what we all need.

  She felt her cheeks redden and a warm pleasant fluttering burst around her stomach, then stepped back and took a couple of breaths before loudly announcing herself as she opened the door. “Good morning, my hosts with the … mosts.” She paused. “Okay, that didn’t quite work.”

  Nikki waved her arm, inviting her in to sit while Jared grabbed another mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker.

  “Good morning, our honored guest. Did you sleep well? Was your turn-down service what you expected? Did you get a mint on your pillow this morning?”

  Kinsley laughed as she sat next to the bubbly young woman. “I slept wonderfully for the first time in months. Thank you. And if the turn-down service included those clean sheets and that delicious dinner, then it was beyond my expectations. Sadly, you get an ‘F’ for not leaving a mint for me. You’ll regret that choice if you get too close.”

  Jared’s deep laugh joined theirs as he brought the cup and a carton of cream to her. She felt warmth spreading across her stomach again as she realized he had paid attention to how she liked her coffee.

  He sat down next to her, causing a shiver to run down her back at his nearness. “J.J. called about an hour ago. They’ll start looking at your car right away. He said he’d call to let me know when it’s … Ethel’s fixed.”

  Kinsley laughed softly at the confused look on Nikki’s face, shaking her head slightly as she warned the young woman, “Don’t ask.”

  Jared explained instead. “The car.”

  The younger woman gave them a questioning look but then shook her head, seeming to brush it off. She got up and put her mug in the dishwasher. “I’m gonna hop in the shower. Chance and I are meeting up for brunch with some friends who are helping with the party.” She kissed her father’s cheek and then, surprisingly, gave Kinsley a peck on the cheek too before heading off to get ready.

  Kinsley looked to Jared, her eyes wide. “Party?”

  “Next weekend,” he said. “Nikki’s turning twenty-one and I promised her a barn dance.”

  “That sounds like so much fun,” said Kinsley sincerely.

  “Well, maybe after your tour, you could drive back through here and join us. I think Nikki would really like that.”

  “And you?” She watched him carefully and saw him try to hide his grin behind the mug.

  “I’d probably like it too.”

  ***

  “I think it’s best to postpone indefinitely,” Kinsley said to Lynn a few minutes later.

  “Do you have any idea how long ‘indefinitely’ might be?”

  “That’s the point of ‘indefinitely,’ Lynn. It means I don’t know when.”

  “I know that. I just mean, is this a ‘cancel-the-event-completely’ indefinitely or a ‘we’ll-call-you-back-in-a-few-days-to-reschedule’ indefinitely?”

  “More like, ‘give-me-a-week-or-two-to-recharge’ indefinitely.” She changed her tone to a lighter one. “Actually, Lynn, I have an idea for my next book.” She could feel the air change on the other end of the line.

  “Oh? Well, now, that sounds exciting. What are you thinking?”

  “Well, you know I’ve been hinting for some time about how I’m feeling a pull to my hometown, and also about how I need a break, right?”

  “You call that hinting?”

  “Anyway, I’m thinking of looking at the conflicting sirens some women might feel between where and how they grew up and where their dream
s are leading them.”

  Kinsley stepped over to the bedroom window and looked out across the field, spying the two young cows again, making her smile.

  “I’m telling you there are many women out there like me who grew up in small-town America, went to college, and left the comfort of their extended families to forge a different path. We sometimes experience the pull to our cradles, a need for community, while recognizing a desire for something bigger. It’s an interesting internal dialogue, actually.”

  “You got me, Kinsley,” the publisher admitted. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”

  “And I think maybe God has been listening and is forcing me to take a deep breath.” She nearly laughed when one of the calves tried to jump and landed on his front two legs, his back legs slipping out behind him.

  “But Kinsley, it’s one more—”

  “It’s God, Lynn. I can’t just hang up the phone and ignore it.”

  Lynn sighed. “Okay, I agree that you need a break, and I agree that this sounds like a wonderful book premise, and I can’t argue that a larger hand is at work here. I just need you to promise me that we’ll get to that last book signing, and not put it off for months. I don’t like having to go back on a commitment.”

  “Agreed,” Kinsley replied. “I don’t go back on my word either. I’m not dismissing this last event as unimportant. I just want to seize the opportunity.” And maybe seize something else while I’m at it. “I’ll talk with the bookstore myself and express my apologies and promise we’ll reschedule within the next week or so.”

  “So, you think you’re going to be stranded there a week at least?”

  “I don’t feel stranded. I feel led. And I’m sure the car will be fixed today or tomorrow at the latest. I just think it’s a good opportunity to relax for a few days, get a little inspiration, and hit that last event with the energy they deserve.”

  “Can’t argue with that. Keep me updated.”

  “I will.”

  She set her phone down and spied the clean towel that had been folded and put on her bed. “Thank you,” she said to no one. “I think I will have that shower.”

  6

  It was almost noon when J.J. called. Jared and Kinsley had just been talking about horses and laughing about how well Marshall had taken to her. “I think maybe Marshall has developed a little thing for you,” he had told her, adding to himself, I think we both have.

  “Hey, J.J. What’s the word?” Jared answered his phone.

  “Well, we’re trying to rule out the usual suspects. I’ve checked the obvious things under the hood and so far, we haven’t found the cause.”

  “Hmm.”

  “So, I’m just calling to say that this could be a longer time frame than I was thinking. Unless I find something in the next hour or so and it’s something easy and quick to fix, I doubt we’ll know what’s wrong with … what was it you called her?”

  “Ethel.”

  Kinsley’s eyebrows went up and her cheeks reddened slightly.

  “Yeah, Ethel.” J.J. laughed. “Anyway, it’s looking like it’s gonna be at least another day. I’m real sorry, Jared. You know I’m not trying to milk this pretty woman for money.”

  He looked at Kinsley, focusing on the delicate skin on her cheeks and the strands of brown hair that outlined them. Pretty didn’t quite cut it, he thought. “Of course you’re not. Even if that thought would occur to me, I know how much you hate to be bested by a vehicle. I’m sure you’re feeling quite a bit of frustration that … Ethel”—he winked at Kinsley—“is winning this match.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you’re very anxious to get this girl back on the road.”

  He was glad he did not have J.J. on the speaker. “I can be patient,” he said simply. “Looks like it’s gonna be at least tomorrow,” he said to Kinsley after hanging up the phone, suddenly feeling like tomorrow might be too soon to his liking. “I hope the facility is well enough to your liking to stick around another night.”

  “I hate to put you out—”

  “The code of honor, Kinsley,” he reminded her, putting his hand over his heart.

  “Okay, then. I only have a couple of changes of clean clothing though. I may need to wash some clothes to keep from having to turn them inside out,” she added.

  “Lucky for you then that this here bed-and-breakfast-and-dinner establishment has a washer and dryer.”

  Kinsley smiled, and he felt a warmth spread through him, as she said, “Lucky for me.”

  7

  As the hours ticked by, it became clear J.J. had not found the source of the problem and his prediction of at least another day looked more likely. Kinsley spent much of the day just getting to know more about Jared. He was an only child and his parents had died shortly after Nikki was born, so he’d felt his wife’s family to be the only one he had. Her parents had been particularly helpful with Nikki after their daughter’s death, though they were experiencing not only their own broken hearts but were also worrying about their son, Nikki’s younger brother. Bailey had found himself in a very dark place of booze and blackouts after his sister died. He was doing well now and had moved in with his mother to take care of her after the death of his father the previous year.

  Kinsley told him a little bit about her own mother’s death and what she was hoping to learn about her family while in Tennessee. She’d lost her mother to breast cancer when she was six and never really had her father around. Her parents had divorced about two years before her mother got sick. She saw him a few times and then he stopped visiting and she stopped asking for him. The last she’d heard of him, he was living somewhere out west and had a new family. She had been raised by her loving grandparents who’d died within a year of each other almost ten years ago. Jared could relate because he had lost both his parents too, but he had been much older.

  Around three o’clock, J.J. called and said he couldn’t see any way he’d have the car ready that afternoon. He still hadn’t zeroed in on the problem. It seemed slightly puzzling to Kinsley, but Jared didn’t seem too worried about it so she chose to put it out of her mind and chalked it up to God working for her. Nikki was thrilled when she got home and learned that Kinsley would be their guest for another night.

  She and her dad showed her around the barn and immediate area. Kinsley was especially charmed by the hen house built to look like a small chapel, complete with a stained-glass window. Nikki explained how her grandfather had designed and built it for her when she was a child and how it was one of the biggest talking points of the farm.

  “I used to host chicken weddings there,” she said.

  Kinsley laughed as she imagined such an event. “However did you get the veil and top hat to stay on?”

  Before Nikki could respond, Jared jumped in. “You really don’t want to know.”

  As they stood by the fence Jared propped his boot on the bottom rail, leaning on it while he pointed out the fields beyond and explained how far the land extended.

  Marshall approached and Nikki greeted him, but he bypassed her and nuzzled Kinsley’s face.

  Nikki laughed and reached out to pat the horse’s neck. “I think somebody’s got a crush.”

  Kinsley had mentioned earlier about how much she was enjoying watching the two calves play through the window in the guest room. Jared put some of the cows up in a pen so that Kinsley could meet them. He picked up some mud boots that belonged to Nikki from inside the barn, explaining that Kinsley would want to wear those to get into the pen and closer to the babies.

  After donning the boots, Kinsley followed Jared through the gate of the pen while Nikki watched from the fence. She was suddenly glad he’d given her boots as she felt her feet sink a little into the deceptive-looking mud. The calves were a bit skittish and kept trying to get behind some of the older cows, but after a few moments in which Jared and Kinsley fed some hay to the older cows and then squatted and remained still, one of the calves gingerly ventured forward. The other, appearing to not be seen as
a coward in front of his cousin, took a step toward them as well.

  The first calf was now within touching distance of Kinsley but when she reached up, he hopped backwards. Upon Jared’s instruction she remained still as curiosity got the better of the calf and he finally allowed her to touch his snout briefly.

  “That’s Heckle,” said Nikki quietly from the sidelines.

  When the other calf cautiously stepped closer and allowed her to pat his side, Nikki introduced him as “Jeckle.”

  Kinsley looked up at Nikki as the calves nuzzled at one another. “How can you tell them apart? They look exactly the same to me.” Indeed, both calves were solid black.

  Nikki pointed. “See that one white spot at the tip of that one’s ear?”

  Kinsley inspected the calf and saw a small white heart shape at the top of one of his ears and nodded, looking back at Nikki with a grin. “I totally missed that.”

  Finally the calves seemed to have had enough excitement for one day and returned to hide behind the older ones who continued to munch on the hay Jared and Kinsley were handing to them.

  Later, Jared, Nikki, and Kinsley enjoyed another country dinner of pork chops and gravy, and Kinsley told them about her book idea. She was delighted when Jared and Nikki encouraged it.

  “Especially if it means you’ll be spending more time here or nearby,” said the younger woman.

  Kinsley smiled at them and found herself fantasizing about creating an office space in the charming home. Down, girl, she tried to warn herself and bring her mind back to the present and the sparkling blue eyes that watched her face carefully.

  8

  Mid-morning the next day, Jared told Kinsley that J.J. had called again, saying the car was still baffling him. He still had a few things to check and was going to have a buddy from the next town come out and take a look too, but it was unlikely he would be able to get the car running that evening. Kinsley suspected there was something Jared wasn’t telling her, but quickly declared, “Looks like Ethel is demanding at least another day of rest at the car spa,” choosing not to look a gift horse … car in the mouth.