“Leave what up to you?”
“Sophie. Riding.”
Again Nan Jameson studied her son. Glancing toward the Callahan ranch, she started to understand the reason for his reluctance to teach Sophie to ride. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” he turned and headed toward the house again.
His mother’s voice only slowed down his pace slightly. “But I think you’re making a big mistake.”
Maybe he was, but it was one he was willing to live with.
Sean shoved the clean glass back on the shelf a little too hard, sending it tumbling onto the floor where it shattered into several pieces. “What the hell!”
“I’ll take care of it,” Sally yelled as she emerged from behind the cash register on the other side of the room.
“It’s okay. I made the mess, I’ll clean it up,” he grumbled.
Sally laughed, blowing her grey bangs off her sticky forehead and stopping for a moment to cool herself under one of the overhead fans. “If I didn’t know any better, honey, I’d say that cute young woman has you in a turmoil.”
He thought twice about responding. Instead he wrinkled his forehead and glared. It didn’t work. Sally chuckled and headed back to her station, mumbling, “thought so.”
Sean shook his head as he swept the glass chards into the dust pan and emptied it into the trash. Sophie Weldon did not have him in a turmoil. She didn’t have him in anything. She was not the reason for this mood he was in. He was the reason. He was kicking himself for the way he had talked to her. But damn it, he couldn’t help himself. The words just kept oozing out of his mouth.
It didn’t help that she could hold her own against him. It only made him want to shovel out more. He hadn’t thought she had it in her. He had hoped she hadn’t.
But the truth was, it had started before either one of them had opened their mouths. Watching her spin around on that barstool with her curls captured in a pony tail and flying through the air had been his undoing. Okay, so maybe Sally was right. And if she was, what the hell was he going to do about it?
Sophie stood in the entryway while the mini ballerinas twirled and leapt about. Memories of her own dance classes came flooding back. Too cute, she thought, suddenly thinking in terms of bringing her own children to a dance studio just like this.
She smiled at a couple of moms who stood beside her, clapping after every successful turn and leap. One proud father was hogging the doorway, but he was entitled. After all, he was snapping pictures every couple seconds. Sophie wondered which ballerina he belonged to, but the more she observed him, the more convinced she was that he was not capturing a budding ballerina in motion. His camera was definitely focused on their instructor.
“All finished?” Anne wiped her forehead with a towel. “I don’t see any packages.”
“I didn’t see any jeans in my size.” Not quite a lie since she hadn’t actually looked.
“Well, we’ll just have to try Skye. Come on.”
“So, you have a personal photographer?” Sophie asked, looking around for the man who seemed to have vanished.
“What?”
“There was a guy here. It looked like he was taking pictures of you.”
Anne looked over her shoulder. “Really? You’re sure?”
“Yep.”
“What did he look like?”
“Handsome. Corduroy jacket. Light brown disheveled hair. Not your average stalker type. Are you worried?”
“Of course not. I just wish I hadn’t been all sweaty and my hair wasn’t a mess!”
Sophie laughed as they walked around the corner to the pub. She tried not to look in the direction of the general store but her eyes betrayed her. Fortunately no one was in sight.
“Here we are.” Anne pushed open the door of the pub that looked as if it had been flown in from Ireland or Scotland. “Hey, Skye!” she called across the room.
“Hey, cuz.” A slightly shorter and more filled-out version of Anne walked towards them, carrying a tray of empty beer glasses. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn they were sisters.
“Do all of you have the same dark hair and blue eyes?” Sophie asked.
Anne laughed. “Makes it hard to remember who’s who, I know. Hey, Skye, this is—”
“The famous Sophie,” Skye said. “I’d have known you anywhere.” She set down the tray and reached out and hugged her before she knew what was happening. “Nice to finally meet you. I thought I’d have to wait until tomorrow like the rest of the family except for Alex’s sidekicks.”
“Sidekicks?”
“Matt and Sean. Sit. Beer? Wine?”
“I’m fine.” She was still feeling the effect of the champagne she’d had only a few hours ago. And alcohol did not go particularly well with ice cream sodas. “Maybe some water.”
“Two?”
Anne nodded and within seconds, Skye returned with two glasses of sparkling water with lime. “Hey, Nick, cover for me,” she called across the room.
“Whatever you say, Skye,” the other bartender responded.
“Okay, so what do you think so far?” Skye asked Sophie.
“I love everything about it here—the giant family, the ranch, the village— But what did you mean, you’d know me anywhere?”
“Matt and Sean were in here a while back, looking at pictures of you.”
“Alex sent them pictures?”
“Alex had sent them to Matt’s phone a while back. When Matt and Sean were in here talking about Alex bringing you to town for a visit, Matt showed us the pictures.”
“Have you heard about the engagement yet?” Anne set down her water that she’d almost finished off and grabbed Sophie’s hand from underneath the table and held up her ring finger for Skye to admire.
“Wow! It is nice. And yes, of course, I’ve heard.”
“But, we just announced it a couple hours ago,” Sophie said. “Does word really travel that fast?”
“This is Canden Valley. Get used to it.” Skye’s smile softened the harsh tone. “Sean stopped by on his way back to the store and told me.”
“Oh. That explains it. Let me guess, Sean’s your cousin?”
“He’s my big brother,” Skye said.
“Your brother?” Of course he was. Both of their names started with an ‘S.’
“Yep. ‘Fraid so.” She laughed and shook her head. “No. He’s great, really. As far as brothers go, he’s the best.”
Sophie eyed her cautiously over the rim of her glass.
“What? Is he giving you a hard time?”
Was she that easy to read? She’d have to rein in her body language. “You might say that.”
Sophie expected a quick retort from Skye but didn’t get one. Instead the two cousins exchanged knowing looks.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Anne said quickly.
“That’s just Sean,” Skye said apologetically. “Just ignore him.”
Right. As if she could when he was determined to let her know that she did not belong in Canden Valley.
“Hey, Skye.” Anne changed the subject, much to Sophie’s relief. “Do you think you can loan Sophie some jeans? Mine are all too long.”
“And narrow,” Sophie added.
“Of course. Just stop at the house and pick up whatever you want. Mom should be home. I’ll let her know you’re coming to raid my dresser.”
“Uh, how long is the general store open?” Sophie asked, trying to sound nonchalant. The last thing she wanted was for Sean to show up at his parents’ and find her borrowing jeans from his little sister.
“Another hour.”
“You need something?” Anne asked.
“Uh, no, it can wait. I’ll go back another day. I think we should get going. Your mom and Alex are probably finished riding.” She glanced down at her watch, noting the time so she would be certain to be safely out of Sean’s family’s home, lest she suffer through another confrontation with the disagreeable man. As far as she was concerned,
she’d seen quite enough of Sean McCullough for one day. Actually she’d seen enough of him to last a lifetime.
Chapter 5
Sophie opened her eyes to sunshine, chirping birds, and the smell of coffee. She smiled when she remembered where she was. She had only been at the ranch for one day and one night but already she felt at home. She suspected that was due in large part to the friendly reception she had received—at least from most of the McCulloughs.
Anne and Skye didn’t even know her, and yet they were willing to loan her their clothes. And Skye and Sean’s mom, Ivy, had welcomed her into her home like a long lost relative and fed her tea and muffins while she tried on Skye’s jeans. Ivy was as kind and nonjudgmental as Alex’s parents were. Too bad she couldn’t say the same for her son.
It was hard to believe that she had left San Jose only the morning before and was now waking up in the tiny village of Canden Valley. The contrast was palpable. When she and Anne had returned home to the ranch after raiding Skye’s dresser, Nan was soaking in the tub while Nigel was barbecuing chicken for dinner. In only one day, she had observed how well they worked together, picking up the slack for each other, always respectful of the other’s needs and temperaments. They reminded her of Arielle’s parents.
Wondering if she and Alex would be like that, she rolled over to look at her fiancé who was still sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb him, she blew him a kiss before pushing back the covers and gently climbing out of bed.
It wasn’t until she was dressed—in Skye’s jeans—that she remembered Alex’s reaction to her borrowed clothes. When they had come upstairs for the night, he had spotted the paper bag on the bed.
“What are these?” he had asked, pulling out two pairs of worn jeans.
“They’re Skye’s,” she had told him. “She loaned me some more casual ones for wearing around the ranch.”
“It’s not as if they’re going to expect you to muck out the horse stalls or the chicken coop.” Alex’s patronizing laugh had felt like a punch to her stomach, which felt far worse than any of his Cousin Sean’s insults, particularly since it had come from her fiancé.
Once she had caught her breath, she had said, “I’d like to see the ranch and help out. Maybe feed the animals or something?”
She had tried not to read Alex’s subtle roll of the eyes as patronizing. But it had bothered her. Sean disapproved of her painted nails and designer jeans, and Alex disapproved of more appropriate ranch attire. It seemed she couldn’t win. Her fingers itched to dial Arielle’s number into her cell phone, but it was Sunday morning, the one day Arielle slept in. Besides, she knew what she’d say. “Stop worrying about what anyone else thinks. Wear what feels good to you.”
Still, she glanced down at her watch. Six in the morning. Definitely too early to call her friend. But not too early for the scent of coffee to be wafting through the house. But then, it was a working ranch.
“Did you sleep okay? Coffee? Waffle?” Nan motioned for her to sit down at the kitchen table.
“Yes, to all of the above.” Sophie sat down at a clean place setting while Nan served her breakfast and then joined her at the table.
“Mmm, great coffee.” Sophie savored her second sip.
“Grant’s specialty.”
“He’s up too?”
“He’s out feeding the animals, other than the horses which are my territory. Anne is in the village teaching a yoga class.”
“Life sure starts early here.”
“It does. But I thought you’d sleep in. After all, it is your vacation.”
Sophie took a bite of her waffle. “I slept so well I woke up early. I don’t like to miss the morning. These are delicious. Grant too?”
“Yep. I married him for his cooking, but don’t tell him!”
Sophie laughed and accepted the fruit bowl that Nan handed her. She selected a banana and cut it up to go with her waffle. “So, what can I do to help today?”
“You’re our guest. We want you to relax and enjoy yourself.”
Sophie frowned. “Anne promised that after one day, I’d no longer be a guest and you’d put me to work.”
Nan chuckled at her daughter’s warning. Apparently to Sophie it was a promise. She studied her future daughter-in-law whom she was liking more and more by the minute. It had been hard to get over the split between Alex and Cassie, and to imagine her son married to someone else, but Sophie was sweet and kind and making it easier. “What would you like to help with?”
“Anything! Everything! I even borrowed some jeans from Skye so I could do some things on the ranch.” She cringed. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Of course. You can follow Grant around anytime. I’m sure he’ll be happy to put you to work. Or one of the ranch hands can.” Nan hesitated, remembering her promise to Alex. But that had only pertained to riding, not helping out. “Or you could stick with me.”
“Do you think maybe I could feed some of the animals?”
“Absolutely. I have a lot of help at the stables, but I’ll be sure Grant gets you up tomorrow morning when he heads out to do the other feedings. But today we could really use your help in the kitchen. You heard about the picnic, right?”
“Anne mentioned it. Just point me in the right direction.”
Nan put her arm around Sophie and gave her a quick hug. She decided it would be better not to mention that the picnic was in her and Alex’s honor.
“Oh my gosh!” Sophie stared out the kitchen door at the mob of people in the garden. “Are they all relatives?”
Alex laughed. “Most, but not all. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
After one hour, Sophie had met everyone in the McCullough-Jamesons’ front garden. They ranged in age from two months to ninety five. She was pretty sure she’d met six more cousins who were in town and all the aunts and uncles. That didn’t mean she’d remember their names but she was immensely grateful to the person who came up with the idea of each family sticking to the same first initial.
Anne came up behind her and grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
“Where? I think I’ve met every single guest.”
“I know. I can tell. Your eyes are glazing over. I did promise to stick close and you definitely look like you need a break.” Anne led her up the stairs to her bedroom.
“I do.” Not only a break from the crowd, but the summer heat had intensified to stifling, at least to someone who was used to living on the coast. “But it’s wonderful. Everyone is so kind and welcoming.”
“I’m glad, but you still need to catch your breath.”
“True. I like your room.” She looked from wall to wall, taking in the dance paraphernalia.
“A bit juvenile but oh well.”
“Not at all. It’s very inspiring.”
“And here I am twenty-six years old, back living at my parents.” She paused, anticipating some judgment from Sophie.
“It’s nice that you feel comfortable living with them.”
“Something I should not take for granted, I suppose.” Anne could sense a hint of envy in Sophie’s voice. “I would get a place of my own but since college I’ve been on the road so much, it doesn’t make sense.”
“What do you do about your dance and yoga classes when you travel?”
“I have two other teachers who fill in for me. It works out well. And when I’m home I get great home-cooked meals and I can help out on the ranch.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Pretty close,” Anne said. There was only one problem with her lifestyle. It made it difficult to be in a long-term relationship.
“I’ve only been here two days,” Sophie said, “and I already feel at home. Hopefully we can visit often.”
Anne hesitated before saying what was on her mind, but Sophie’s questioning smile convinced her to blurt it out. “Or you could always move here.”
“If I could find a teaching job, I’d be all for it, but—”
“Alex doesn’t want to.”
&
nbsp; “Why is that? He seems so close to everyone.” She walked to the window and looked down at the gathering of McCulloughs. “Everyone adores him. It’s obvious. Why would he—?”
“Shut us out?”
Sophie turned back to Anne who had joined her at the window. “I have noticed that sometimes he lets his work get in the way of life.”
“It’s his crutch,” Anne said. “His shield, his security. I think one of the reasons he left and didn’t come home is because of all the expectations that came with being the oldest of the cousins, other than Matt.”
“They’re close, aren’t they?”
“Very. They were best friends growing up. They did everything together. Even dated sisters.”
“The girls next door?”
“Ahh, so he told you about Cassie.”
“Mentioned the name once or twice.”
“Good. I’m glad he can do that.”
“Because?”
“It means he’s comfortable telling you about his past?”
There was more to it—the uneasiness in her stomach told her that—but Sophie decided not to press. She didn’t want to seem insecure. And maybe she really didn’t want to know anymore. She changed the subject to safer territory. “I’m still trying to keep everyone straight. Your younger brother and sister, the twins, aren’t here. Skye lives on the farm next door and works at the pub. And her brother Sean works at the general store in the village—”
“When he isn’t sleuthing.”
“Sleuthing?”
“Yeah, he’s a PI by trade. He worked for a few years in the Bay Area, but he moved back home to run the store when our grandfather was ill. He still spends a lot of time playing PI but this month, with all his help gone, he’s kind of stuck at the store.”
A PI? There was a PI in the family she was marrying into? Why did it have to be the one cousin who clearly didn’t like her? But still, eventually he might come around and she could ask for his help. Hopefully that eventually would happen before her wedding day because so far she’d hit all dead ends on her own. If she didn’t do something quickly, she would not have a father to walk her down the aisle.
“What?” Anne asked, studying her closely.
Summer Day Dreams Page 5
