by J. K Harper
“He’s looking for someone who can help take care of his sister, Lizzie… I don’t know if I can be that person. My own mom was so self-absorbed that I basically raised myself, so I never really learned how to be a mother.”
“You know what mistakes your mom made, right?” Madison asked.
“Yes.”
“Well then, you know what not to do. You won’t make the same mistakes she did because you’ll know better.”
“You’re right. I guess I’m just nervous,” Donna said.
“Well I’m sure Brody will find a way to calm you down,” Madison said with a wink. “I’m going to head back in to get breakfast going. Let me know if you need a refill. I’ll make a pot of decaf.”
“Thanks.”
As Madison pushed open the door, Brody stepped out.
“Speak of the devil,” Madison said.
“No one’s called me that since, oh, last night,” he said with a chuckle.
“Brody!” Heat crept into Donna’s cheeks.
“I’ll leave you kids alone,” Madison said before shutting the door.
“Don’t worry, hon,” he said. “I’m sure they could hear you screaming across the lake.”
“I can’t help it when you do that thing with your tongue.” Just thinking about the way he’d lashed his wicked tongue against her the previous night was enough to melt her panties.
He strolled over and wrapped her in a warm embrace.
“I woke up harder than a redwood and you were gone,” he said.
“Sorry. I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m just nervous,” she said.
“Don’t be. I’m sure my family will love you.” He moved to stand behind her. “Look, there’s a bear in the tree line.”
“Where?” she asked.
“Over there.” He pointed at a thicket near the edge of the lake.
She squinted. At first she didn’t see anything but snow and trees, but a blob of brown movement caught her eye.
“Is that a shifter?” she asked.
“I think it’s Olsen.”
“He seems so much happier than he was when he first arrived,” she said.
“I talked to him last night. He said that learning how to cook some of his wife’s favorite meals made him feel like she was still around. He said he’ll always miss her, but that the pain isn’t as bad now that he can bake her buttermilk biscuits.”
“I hope we have a love like that,” she said wistfully.
“We will.” He sealed his promise with a kiss. “And I don’t want you to worry, honey. If I had any doubts about you, I wouldn’t have invited you to meet my family.”
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Shoot,” he said.
“Can you sit on my suitcases while I zip them?”
He burst out laughing. As he grabbed her waist and spun her around in a circle, she squealed and forgot all of her worries. She completely trusted him and couldn’t wait to move onto the next phase of her life with him.
* * *
After breakfast, Brody dragged Donna’s impossibly stuffed suitcases down the stairs. He regularly hoisted bales of hay around the ranch, but her suitcases felt like they’d been filled with cement. When he reached the foyer, he stopped to take a breath.
“Sweetie, you’re going to have to learn how to pack lighter,” he said.
“But now that I have a big, strong man to carry them for me, I don’t need to,” she said sweetly.
He rolled his eyes.
“Need a hand?” Logan asked.
“Sure.”
As Logan tried to lift one of the suitcases, he grunted. “Good God, what do you have in here? Cinderblock?”
“Just some makeup and my hair dryer,” she said.
“I think she’s got an entire cosmetics department in there,” Logan said.
“That’s my girl.” Brody winked at her.
“Maybe you boys should have had an extra helping of bacon or something,” she joked.
“Is somebody still hungry?” Madison called from the kitchen.
“No,” Donna replied. “The boys were just showing me their muscles.”
Brody laughed as he hoisted up one of the suitcases. He opened the door and climbed down the steps. After depositing her bag in the truck, he turned to grab a second one from Logan.
“She’s a handful,” Logan said. “Good luck to you guys. I hope we see you back here sometime soon.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Brody slapped him on the back.
“Honey are you ready?” Brody called.
“Let me just say goodbye to Madison,” she yelled from the porch.
Madison appeared and gave Donna a big hug. She whispered something in her ear which had the two cackling.
“You’re getting out of here just in time,” Mack said as he walked up from the barn. “Those two look like they’d be trouble together.”
“I don’t know about Madison, but Donna’s a firecracker. I know I’ve got my hands full with her, but I love it,” Brody said.
“Take care.” Mack shook his hand.
Donna and Madison joined them by Brody’s truck.
“I had such a fantastic time here,” Donna said. “Thank you so much.”
“I hope you’ll come back to Curvy Bear Ranch sometime down the road. I’d love to hear an update about how you’re doing,” Madison said.
“I’m sure we’ll be back,” Donna said.
“You’re welcome any time,” Mack said. “Have a safe trip home.”
After helping her into the truck, they went on their way. The drive from West Yellowstone to Bozeman took a little over two hours. As each mile crept past, he became increasingly nervous. Although he was confident that Donna was the right woman for him, the closer they got to his parent’s house, the more worried he became. What if they couldn’t see past her blonde hair and makeup to see who she was inside?
He turned the radio up and cracked the windows to let in some air. Donna put her hand out the passenger side. As she caught the wind between her fingers, she turned to give him a lazy smile. His breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful he almost couldn’t believe she wanted to be with him. They hadn’t talked much about the future, but if everything went well with his parents, he wouldn’t hesitate to ask her to marry him.
When he reached the turnoff for the ranch, his heart bounced against his ribcage. In the distance, his parent’s old, sturdy farmhouse stood atop a snow-covered hill. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside, but he and his dad had put plenty of work into the interior.
“There it is,” he said.
“It’s so cute.” She leaned forward. “Does your family own all this land too?”
“Everything from the road to the rear fence line is ours. It’s not a huge ranch, but it keeps my family fed.” When she didn’t respond, he glanced at her. A worried expression spread across her face. He reached to give her hand a squeeze. “They’re going to love you.”
“I hope so.”
As he pulled up to the ranch-style house, he noticed a few changes. Although it was an older home, he and his dad had spent time repainting the shutters robin’s egg blue so that they’d stand out against the fireplace gray exterior. Snow covered the flower planter that his mom would fill with annuals in the spring. It was mid-afternoon, but they’d already turned on strings of multi-colored Christmas lights which hung from the eaves.
“It looks very festive,” Donna said.
“My mom likes to deck the halls,” he said.
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Well you’re about to.”
He pointed at the front door which burst open. His mom came running down the porch steps. She wore her silver hair long and loose around her shoulders. Dressed in a bright red sweater, jeans, and a pair of matching boots, she was definitely in the holiday spirit.
A squeal pierced the air as Lizzie raced out of the house. She hopped down th
e steps and ran toward him with her arms open wide. He laughed as she threw her arms around his waist and squeezed.
“Brody!”
“Hey, Sis. Happy Birthday!” He squeezed her back.
When she finally stepped back, she turned to Donna. Her eyebrows knit together for a second before relaxing.
“Are you my brother’s friend?” Lizzie asked.
“Happy Birthday,” Donna said. “And yes, I’m his friend.”
“Thank you. Yay,” Lizzie said before flinging her arms around her waist. Donna laughed as Lizzie gave her a bear hug. Donna’s nervous expression melted into a smile.
Brody couldn’t believe it. Lizzie never even talked to strangers, let alone hugged them. Surely it had to be a sign.
“She never does that,” his mom said in awe. “I’m Susan, Brody’s mom.”
“It’s so nice to meet you.” Donna held out her hand but his mom pulled her into an embrace.
His dad came outside.
“I was wondering what all the fuss was about. It’s good to see you, son.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He gave him a hug.
“And who’s this young lady?” his dad asked.
“I’m Donna. It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Hesston.”
“Oh there’s no need for formalities. Call me Barney,” he said. “Let’s get out of the cold. You mom cooked up something special for you.”
As they filed into the home, Lizzie grabbed Donna’s hand and led her to the dining room table which was adjacent to the kitchen. The open concept made it easy to see everyone at once.
“You can sit by me,” Lizzie said.
“I’d love to,” Donna said.
Brody took the seat next to Donna. He couldn’t stop smiling.
“I hope you like beef stew,” his mom said as she lined up several bowls on the counter.
“I love it,” Donna said as she looked around.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked.
“I can’t wait to look at all of the photos. Every shelf is full of them,” she said.
“I’m sure his high school yearbook is around here somewhere,” his mom called.
“Don’t you dare.” His cheeks burned.
“Oh, I want to see it,” Donna said.
“Our boy was quite the looker,” his dad said, further adding to his embarrassment. “He still is.”
“Dad!”
“I’m sure we’ll get to it later,” Donna said.
“Can I show you my room?” Lizzie asked.
“Absolutely,” Donna said. “But maybe we should eat lunch first?”
“Okay.”
After his mom had set steaming bowls of stew in front of each plate, his dad said grace. As they dug into their food, his dad cracked lame jokes and his mom regaled Donna with stories of his childhood antics. Donna laughed and carried on a conversation with them as if they’d known each other their entire lives. She even let Lizzie lean her head on her shoulder when they’d finished eating. He smiled. To think that he’d been worried that they wouldn’t like her…
When they finished the meal, Donna offered to help his mother clean up the kitchen. His dad clapped him on the back.
“Can you come outside and check on one of the horses with me?” he asked.
“Sure,” Brody said, knowing full well that he didn’t need any help with the horses. This was his way of getting Brody alone so they could talk.
They slipped into their jackets and walked out through the mudroom. After trekking through the snow, they stopped inside the barn. His dad pulled two stools out from one of the empty stalls. He offered him a seat next. Sitting side by side, they faced a row of stalls filled with blanket-covered horses.
“You picked a good one, son. Donna’s a lovely woman. She’s very sweet and kind. And I’ll be dammed, she and Lizzie hit it off right away. I can’t think of another time that’s happened. Can you?”
“Not that I can think of,” Brody said. “Lizzie really seems to like her.”
“And what about you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy,” his dad said.
“I’ve been looking for someone for a long time. I sure as heck didn’t expect to find her in a cooking class,” Brody said.
“Best place to find a woman if you ask me,” his dad joked.
“True.” Brody laughed for a few seconds before becoming serious again. “Dad, she completely blindsided me. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s funny and warm and smart as a whip. I really like her, Dad. I know that sounds nuts because I haven’t known her very long, but… I don’t know. It just feels so right.”
“What does your bear think?” his dad asked.
“You don’t want to know what he thinks,” Brody said wryly.
“I can only imagine.”
“Now don’t you go thinking too hard,” Brody said. “That’s my woman we’re talking about.”
His dad roared with laughter. As he wiped a few tears from his eyes he said, “Son, your mom’s the only woman for me. The day I met her, she captured my heart. She keeps it holed up in her back pocket, and I’m okay with it. Because I couldn’t find a better woman on the planet to love even if I searched night and day for a thousand years.”
“Did you know right away that she was your mate?” Brody asked.
“Yep. Damn bear nearly clawed my guts out tryin’ to get at her.”
“I know what you mean.”
“Well then you found her,” his dad said. “You’ve finally found your mate.”
“She’s nothing like what I’d pictured,” Brody said.
“What did you want? Some frumpy little thing in a gunny sack? Count your blessings. You’ve got a pretty little thing there.”
“She’s more than just beautiful,” Brody said.
“I can tell,” his dad said. “She glows from the inside, like your mom. She’s got a good heart, which is the most important quality you could ever want in a wife. And son, if you think she’s the one, then we’d love to have her as part of the family. We just want you to be happy.”
Brody’s heart soared as all of the anxiety and worry melted away. He never should have doubted that they’d love her as much as he did.
“I’m happy, Dad. And I’ve been thinking that maybe I should make it official.”
His dad gazed at him with a measured expression as if he was assessing him. Brody shifted on the stool. Maybe talking about marriage this early had been a mistake.
“Come with me real quick,” his dad finally said. “I have something I want to show you.”
His dad led him back to the house and a few minutes later, they ascended the ladder to the attic. Brody following his dad to an old, dusty dresser in the corner. His dad pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away some of the dust. As he pried one of the dilapidated drawers open, Brody’s curiosity got the better of him. He leaned over to watch his dad pull out an old, small black jewelry box. He held it in his hand a moment before turning and handing it to Brody.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Something I’ve been wanting to give you for a long time,” his dad said. “Go on. Open it.”
Brody cracked open the box and found a pair of beautiful, antique gold rings inlaid with tiny gemstones.
“This was your great-grandmother’s wedding band set,” his dad said. “I’ve been saving it for you. I knew you’d wait until you found the right girl to marry, and it looks like you found her. So I want to give this to you. Your great-grandparents had a long and happy marriage. I hope you can share the same kind of love with Donna.”
Brody’s chest swelled with emotion. He picked one of the rings up and held it as he fought to keep his voice level.
“Dad, this is the best present you’ve ever given me,” he said. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Just promise me you’ll take care of Lizzie. That’s all I’ve ever asked,” his dad said.
“You know I will.”
Brody clung to the rings as h
e gave his dad a huge hug.
His father’s voice was thick with emotion when he said, “I’d be honored to have Donna as a part of our family.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
As they walked downstairs, Brody hid the rings in his back pocket. Part of him wanted to race into the kitchen and drop to one knee, but he wanted to wait until the right time. And right now, he had a cake to bake.
Chapter 11
Donna stood back from the island where the frosted cake sat. Brody licked a spatula covered with pink frosting while his mom washed the mixing bowl. Lizzie and her dad were watching TV in the den on the other side of the house so the surprise wouldn’t be ruined.
“I can’t believe this turned out so well,” Donna said as she added another splash of pearlescent sprinkles to the cake. “You did a great job with baking it, hon.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” Brody walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.
“You make a good team,” his mom said.
“Thank you,” they replied in unison.
Brody released her and moved to stand by her side.
“Oh, you missed a spot right there.” When he pointed to a side she couldn’t see, she leaned over to look.
“I don’t see any—” He dabbed some of the frosting on her nose. “Brody! You little sneak!”
She laughed as she chased him around the island. He was surprisingly quick but she managed to catch him. She reached up and smeared frosting across his cheek. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed it off.
“I’ll go get Lizzie and your dad,” his mom said.
“Thanks, Mom,” Brody said.
The second she disappeared down the hall, Brody leaned down to give her a sultry kiss.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he murmured.
“Keep ‘em coming, cowboy,” she whispered.
He kissed her with toe-curling passion until the sound of his family’s footsteps brought them out of their embrace.
