Bri interrupted him. “Why don’t you bring the decorations and Kaitlin to my house? She’d love seeing the kittens, and my place is much closer than if you drove all the way into town to the bakery.”
Devin’s mood had plummeted when he thought he heard a masculine voice in the background, but it soared at the thoughts of going to Bri’s house. “If you’re sure we won’t be inconveniencing you, I know Kaitlin would love seeing the kittens.”
“It’s not a problem at all. Ouch!”
Devin gripped the phone a little tighter. “What’s wrong?”
Bri laughed. “One of the kittens is climbing up my pant leg. Hold on a minute, Devin.”
He heard her gently scolding what he assumed was a kitten named “Little Bit” before she started talking again. “Let me tell you how to get to my house. It’s easy to find, but you might want to make some notes.”
Devin glanced down at the grocery slip and purple crayon he’d used to jot down her phone number. “Just give me your address. I’ll let the GPS do the rest.”
Forty-five minutes later, Devin turned into the graveled driveway leading to a white farmhouse set back from the road several hundred feet. A weathered barn sat off to one side, and a flagstone footpath connected the two. He wasn’t sure whether Bri would be in the house or at the barn, so he pulled his Jeep to a stop about halfway between the two.
Bri immediately pushed the barn door open and stepped outside. The weather for February was unusually warm, in the high 60s, which explained why she was dressed just in jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. Devin had to admit that she looked great in casual attire.
Then his eyes widened because coming out of the barn right behind Bri was the man Devin had hoped not to encounter again anytime soon.
Arthur Wheeler wasn’t dressed in his baggy overalls today. Instead he wore a pair of tan cargo pants with a brown checked shirt topped by a suede jacket. A brown cap completed his ensemble. No one would confuse him with a hillbilly today.
Devin flinched, then forced a smile as he threw up a hand. “Hi folks. Let me get Kaitlin out of her car seat and we’ll be right with you.”
The second he set Kaitlin’s feet on the ground, she took off running toward Bri. “Hi Miss Galen. I ate Dorothy and the fairy’s wings but that’s all.” Then she paused, glanced at Mr. Wheeler and suddenly turned shy. She ducked her head and looked up through her eyelashes. “Hello?”
Mr. Wheeler crouched beside her. “Hello, young lady. You know something? You look like a kitten lover to me, and there are six mischievous kittens in the barn driving their momma crazy. Wanna come inside and see what they’re up to?”
Kaitlin looked at her dad, who nodded.
Mr. Wheeler stood and held his hand out to Kaitlin. She hesitated for a second before grasping three of his fingers and walking alongside him into the barn.
Bri smiled up at Devin. “Arthur is really good with children. Although he doesn’t have any of his own, he has a number of brothers and sisters who have children, so he has several nieces and nephews and their offspring that he dotes on.”
Devin cleared his throat. “So you and Mr. Wheeler are good friends then?”
“Heavens, yes. When I was a child, I was best friends with one of his nieces and spent a lot of time at his house. Then when I moved back to Cedar Hollow, he took me under his wing, so to speak. I had money but no idea how to go about fixing up a rundown farm. He pitched in and did a lot of the outside work himself and lined up carpenters, plumbers, and electricians to fix up the inside.”
“Okay.” Devin grimaced. “Now I’m feeling more and more like a fool for behaving the way I did in your store when I thought you were refusing to give food to an indigent man. Does he despise me, do you think?”
Bri laughed out loud. “No, he got a kick out of it once I told him you’d agreed to give the money to one of the food banks. In fact, he’s thrilled that you thought he was authentic. He figures that way the tourists won’t question his disguise either.”
“Oh good.” Devin purposely imbued his tone with sarcasm. “I’m glad to have been of service.”
Bri laughed again but looked around when Kaitlin ran out of the barn clutching one of the kittens in her hands. “Daddy, Daddy. Mr. Wheeler says Miss Galen is trying to find homes for the kittens. Can I have this one? Please? It’s so cute, and it likes me. It licked my chin. Please Daddy.”
Devin looked at Bri, who instantly sobered. “Oh dear. I didn’t think about Arthur mentioning that the kittens are adoptable. And from the expression on your face, I’d guess you don’t want a kitten.”
Kaitlin ran to his side and held the kitten up for his inspection. He had to admit that it was cute, but he’d never owned a cat. He’d been a dog person when he was growing up in Cedar Hollow.
But Kaitlin’s eyes were glowing, and her smile was the brightest he’d seen in months. Much as he dreaded taking on the responsibility of a cat, he hated even more the thoughts of squelching Kaitlin’s enthusiasm.
“Well, eh, I suppose I could consider it. Does the kitten have a name?”
“Yes, Daddy. It’s Greybeard. See this little gray patch on its chin? And its tummy is white. It’s the cutest of them all.”
“Is it a girl or a boy?”
“Mr. Wheeler says it’s a boy, and I’m glad because if it was a girl, I’d have to change its name.”
“I see. Well, I guess we might be able to adopt Greybeard if Miss Galen will tell us how to raise a cat.” He regarded Bri with raised eyebrows.
Bri grinned. “I can fix you up with all the supplies you need to get you through until you can get to the store yourself. I have plenty of kitten food, litter, and even an extra litter box, although you may want to invest in one of the self-cleaning ones when Greybeard is a little older.”
“I can see my education is about to be broadened,” Devin said. “I never heard of a self-cleaning litter box.”
“They’re expensive, but believe me, they’re worth every penny.”
Just then, the barn door opened a crack and Mr. Wheeler stuck his head out. “Is it safe for me to come back outside yet?”
He grinned at Devin, who understood that this was Mr. Wheeler’s way of saying they were even now. He grinned back. “Guess you’ll just have to take your chances and see.”
Mr. Wheeler laughed, pushed the door fully open, and stepped outside. “Every man needs a cat,” he said. “If nothing else, they keep us humble. To them, our only purpose in life is to serve them.”
Kaitlin ran up to Mr. Wheeler. “Daddy says I can keep Greybeard.” She turned then to look at Bri. “I can keep him, can’t I, Miss Galen?”
Bri crouched down so she could look Kaitlin in the eyes. “Yes, you can adopt Greybeard. But the problem is, the kittens aren’t quite ready to leave their momma yet. It will be another week before you can take Greybeard home with you.”
“Ohhhh,” Kaitlin moaned, pulling Greybeard close to her chest. “I want him now.”
“I understand, sweetheart,” Bri said, “but you don’t want to make him leave his momma before he’s ready, do you?”
Kaitlin frowned in thought for a minute. “No. It’s sad when you don’t have your mommy around when you need her. I’ll leave him until he’s ready.” Her eyes filled with tears but she bravely held the kitten out toward Bri.
Devin had to fight back his own tears. His heart broke every time he knew his little girl was missing her mother, and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it.
Fortunately, Mr. Wheeler stepped forward. “Come on, Katy Kat,” he said to Kaitlin. “I’ll go with you to take Greybeard back to his momma, and then, if your daddy agrees, we’ll go to my house for a while. I’ve got a pony that needs somebody to make sure it gets some exercise. Have you ever ridden a pony?”
Kaitlin’s eyes grew large as she shook her head.
Mr. Wheeler looked at Devin. “How about it? Can she come home with me for a little while? One of my great nieces is coming over this aft
ernoon, and she and Kaitlin can take turns riding old Mister Patches. He’s gentle as a lamb, and I’ll make sure Katy Kat stays safe.”
Kaitlin giggled. “My name’s not Katy Kat. It’s Kaitlin.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Mr. Wheeler said. “Greybeard thought it was Katy Kat. He told me so.”
“He did not!” Kaitlin giggled again, then turned to Devin. “Can I go with Mr. Wheeler, Daddy? Please! I want to learn to ride Mister Patches.”
Devin widened his eyes at Mr. Wheeler. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Never been surer of anything. Melody, my niece, is about Kaitlin’s age, and they’ll get along just fine. You can either stop by for Kaitlin in a couple of hours or I’ll bring her home.”
“I’ll stop by if that’s okay.” Devin was glad to have an excuse to visit Mr. Wheeler’s farm. He’d admired it often enough when he’d driven by.
“That’s just fine.” He placed a hand on the back of Kaitlin’s head. “Let’s take Greybeard back to his momma and then we’ll go look up Mister Patches. He’ll be tickled to have somebody new to exercise him. He’s getting fat and lazy.”
Kaitlin didn’t bother to look back at her daddy as she and Mr. Wheeler disappeared into the barn. Devin wasn’t sure whether to be glad or a bit sorry to see his little girl so happy to leave him behind.
* * * *
Bri stood beside Devin and watched Arthur’s pickup truck easing down the driveway. Then she glanced up at Devin. He had dressed casually this morning in worn blue jeans, slightly scuffed boots, and a sweatshirt that was emblazoned with faded Greek letters from his college days. He obviously hadn’t taken time to shave, but the slight growth of a dark beard merely accentuated his good looks. Unfortunately, his brow was wrinkled with worry and a muscle jerked in his jaw.
Bri laid a hand on his forearm. When he tore his gaze away from the truck’s disappearing taillights and looked at her, she tried for a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about Kaitlin. She’ll have a wonderful time, and Arthur will make sure she stays safe. It’s too bad that Arthur and Mary weren’t able to have children but he’s made up for that by spoiling all of his siblings’ offspring.”
Devin took a deep breath. “Am I being an overprotective father?”
“Any parent would be worried to some extent. But really, the Wheelers are wonderful with children. Kaitlin’s in good hands.”
Devin sighed and nodded. “What’s Mrs. Wheeler like?”
“Mary’s the stereotypical housewife, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. She loves to take care of her house—and in the process, to take care of Arthur. She loves to cook, to sew, to garden, to do crafts. It’s such a shame she couldn’t have children. She would have been a wonderful mother.”
“Strange,” Devin murmured.
“What do you mean?”
“How some women who would be wonderful mothers can’t have children and other women who have no desire to be a mother have children even when they’re not trying to get pregnant.”
Bri figured he was talking about his ex-wife, but she didn’t want to pry. On the other hand, maybe he needed to talk about it. “It’s obvious that Kaitlin misses her mother, but you’re doing a wonderful job with her.”
His face brightened. “Do you really think so?”
“Absolutely. She’s a delightful child. I take it you felt she would be better off living here than in New York?”
“I thought the change would be good for both of us. I have to admit that my heart wasn’t broken when Francine left me. Our marriage had been a sham for a number of years. But it almost killed me to see Kaitlin so confused and upset. How do you explain to a little girl that her mother doesn’t want her?”
Bri shook her head. “I can’t begin to imagine. Do you think Kaitlin is adapting to life in the country?”
“It’s been a slow process, but I see some improvement. I think days like today, when she’s having experiences that are so different from her life in New York, will help significantly.”
“I hope so. We’re fortunate that it’s so warm today so she can ride the pony. I think a cold front is supposed to move in early tomorrow.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard on the news. I don’t want to impose, but since it’s such a warm day, would you have time to show me around your place?”
“Sure. I’d enjoy an excuse for a walk although there’s not much to see. Unlike the Wheelers, I don’t keep animals. Mom sold off all the livestock when we moved to Knoxville. The barn cat moved in while I was away, and I’m delighted to have her around. I figure she helps keep the rodent population under control.”
Devin pointed toward the woodland several hundred feet behind the barn. “What’s over there?”
“Not much of interest but we can walk that way. There’s a creek and a small cave back in the woods. Actually, it’s probably not technically even a cave. It’s more a hollow under an overhang, but I found an arrowhead there one time, so I suspect it once provided protection from the elements for some Native Americans.”
“I’d love to see it. In fact…” Devin paused and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’d like to take some pictures of it if you don’t mind. There’s a scene coming up in my current chapter where I envision the protagonist needing to take shelter during a thunderstorm. Something like your cave might be just what I need.”
Bri grinned. “You’re more than welcome to use my cave in your book. Not every cave gets its fifteen minutes of fame.”
Devin laughed. “True. I might even mention your cave in the acknowledgments. Then it would really have a claim to fame.”
Bri joined him in laughing. She was glad she’d invited Devin and Kaitlin to come over. Glad because she felt sure that having Greybeard as company would be good for Kaitlin.
And glad, too, because she was enjoying her time with Devin so much. She hadn’t felt this sort of light-spiritedness since her early days of dating Michael. And because she was well aware that she was treading on dangerous ground, she made up her mind to exercise caution. She could enjoy Devin’s company without falling in love with him.
Really she could.
She bit her lip before pointing toward the field that lay between them and the woodland. “That’s the shortest distance to get to the cave.”
Bri led the way around the barn and through an old gate in the fence that had once separated the field from the barnyard. She left the gate standing open. “I don’t know why I bother to close this gate,” she said, pausing to let Devin step up beside her. “Just habit I suppose. There once was a path leading from the gate to the woodland but it’s grown up now. Fortunately, since we’ve had several killing frosts and freezes, most of the vegetation is dead, although you might pick up some beggar’s lice along the way.”
Devin laughed as he fell into step beside her. “I hadn’t thought about beggar’s lice in years. I might use that in my current story too.”
“What year is it set in?”
“Nineteen forty-four. My protagonist is a soldier who has just come back from the Pacific Theater and is trying to readjust to life on the farm.”
“That sounds interesting,” Bri said.
“It’s interesting to write. I love that era,” Devin said. A second later, he reached to grasp her hand. “The ground’s a little rough here,” he said by way of explanation.
Bri had no complaints. She loved the warmth of his hand and the sense of security she felt by just having him at her side. She didn’t think she’d felt this safe since long before she’d broken up with Michael, which was both comforting and frightening. She had no real reason to think Devin was interested in her romantically. Perhaps his gesture was merely intended to be gentlemanly.
But then he tightened his grasp, holding her hand much more firmly than would be required if he was worried about her losing her footing, and Bri returned the pressure. Perhaps that wasn’t wise. Sometimes she’d thought that Devin was everything she’d been trying to avoid in a man.
On the other hand, he had plenty of attributes that she could appreciate. He was intelligent, had a good sense of humor, and was a conscientious father. Plus he was physically attractive and seemed to like her. Why not relax and enjoy the ride? She could get off the roller coaster any time she chose.
Or at least she hoped she could.
They’d reached the edge of the woodland by this time, and Devin dropped her hand to step ahead and hold back the branch of an encroaching pine. “How far from here to the cave?” he asked.
“Not far. Maybe a quarter of a mile. You’ll be able to hear the creek soon.”
“Is it a large one?”
“No, it’s fairly small but rather loud for some reason. Maybe it echoes off the cave.”
“I can’t wait to see this place. May I go inside? I want to see what my character would see and to feel what he would feel.”
“Of course you can go in. Watch your step on this embankment here. It gets steep toward the bottom, and then there’s a drop-off where we’ll have a jump of about three feet.”
She stepped ahead of Devin but stuck her arm out behind her, both to guide him and to let him help anchor her on the descent. She hadn’t been to the cave in a number of years and wasn’t as sure of her footing as she would like.
Then he pulled her to a stop. “Let me go ahead. My legs are longer and I can manage to jump better than you.”
“All right,” Bri said, rather relieved. She’d never been comfortable with this last part of the trail. She stepped to one side and let Devin in front of her. He held back any branches that might have snagged her, and a few seconds later he paused at the top of the drop-off.
“We’re there,” he said. “I’ll jump down, then turn around and help you.”
“Thanks,” Bri murmured. She struggled to stand upright on the steeply sloping bank. A second later, she realized Devin had already jumped and had turned to hold his arms out for her.
My Cupcake, My Love Page 5
