Deal of a Lifetime

by T. R. McClure

  “Is that Chance’s quilt?” She ran a finger along the tiny stitches. “I thought he destroyed it. He was always chewing on the corner.”

  “I repaired it. I hoped one day we would use it.” She smiled. “And that day has finally come. Although I have to admit, I thought we would be filling this room with one of your babies before Chance’s. But who am I to question the ways of the world?”

  Sera gritted her teeth, wondering how she could have a baby without a husband and how to get a husband without a boyfriend and how to get a boyfriend without dating and how... “Listen, why don’t you take a break? You don’t want to overdo it.”

  “I feel wonderful.” She grabbed a dust cloth and went to work on the wooden rocking chair next to the window. “Mac’s deputy, Moose Williams, is loaning us their crib, too.”

  Sera pictured the house filling with used baby furniture. “Why do we need two cribs?”

  Hope stopped what she was doing and looked at her as if the answer would be obvious to anyone. “So we have one upstairs and one downstairs.”

  Sera shook her head. The baby was Hope and Chance’s project. “Have fun. I’m off to the airport.” She ran down the stairs and through the hall. She stopped when she saw Alex working at the desk. “Not going out today?”

  Alex looked up. “As a matter of fact. Aunt Jean is loaning me her car. Can you give me a ride?”

  She looked at her watch. “I’m picking up my brother—” she moved farther into the room “—and my niece.”

  Alex sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin. “A baby.” He shook his head. “Wow. A lot of responsibility.”

  “You’re upset I changed my mind about selling to your cousin.”

  “Me? Heck, no. I don’t care about my cousin. Well, I care, but not about whether he gets your property. I’m just concerned. You already have a lot on your plate.”

  “My brother will take care of the baby. Nothing really changes.”

  “You think so?”

  “Listen, Alex, no offense, but this is family business.”

  “Is this one of those things we’re never to speak of again?”

  Sera’s insides curled at his reminder of her impetuous act the night of the rainstorm. She turned and threw her goodbye over her shoulder. “If you want a ride, I’m leaving right now.” Behind her she heard the desk chair hit the bookcase. She smiled.

  An hour later she left Old Blue in short-term parking and walked into the airport lobby. The first person she saw was Al, probably on his way to the ramp to unload baggage.

  In the waiting area, she watched the passengers walk down the stairs onto the ramp. Two college students, their Penn State attire loudly proclaiming their allegiance, a middle-aged woman with a big purse, an older man. The stairs emptied, as did the luggage cart next to the plane. April, the flight attendant, appeared at the top of the stairs and then just as quickly disappeared.

  Sera’s breath grew short, concerned her little brother had missed the plane. Had something gone wrong? Did the Conrads change their minds? Did the baby get sick? She was about to turn away when a form emerged from the plane.

  Chance Callahan stood at the top of the stairs, his thick, wavy hair blowing in the slight breeze. In his arms he held a baby, her matching dark curls blowing in the same breeze. She wore denim bib overalls and a pink ruffled shirt. Sera was sure, with the long hair, the two-day beard and now a baby, her little brother was more of a chick magnet than ever. And as if to confirm her thoughts, April Madison reappeared in the plane’s doorway carrying a checkered diaper bag. Chance started down the stairs, the child clutched in his arms, followed by April.

  Sera’s heart went out to the two people coming toward her. The younger brother she had rocked to sleep after they lost their parents and the motherless little girl who was depending on Chance to provide her with family.

  Life had thrown Sera another curveball. Nothing would ever be the same.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE NEW YORK contingent didn’t waste any time. Since Josh and Wendy were in South Dakota doing a story on the Crazy Horse monument, Katie Valentine took charge of the wedding project as if she remodeled barns every day. The event planner had arrived the day before.

  Walking up to the barn, Sera passed Katie’s black SUV, Jean Carter’s sedan, on loan to Alex, the van belonging to the painter and finally the pickup with the large pressure washer in the bed. Ten years with just her, Hope and Shawn, and suddenly there were people popping up all over the place. How had that happened?

  Chance and the baby had settled into a sort of routine. He would bathe and dress the baby in the morning, then bring her down to the kitchen for Aunt Hope to feed in the high chair while he worked on his music in the den. Despite her hopes, Chance had yet to take up any of the slack around the farm. It had been only two weeks. He was still learning to be a dad.

  Katie Valentine paced in the open doorway of the barn. “Good morning, Sera.”

  “Good morning, Katie. You’re up early.”

  “This hiatus from my show is starting to lose its shine. I really needed this. It’s something to keep busy.” She pointed to a young woman on the other side of the barn. “Let me introduce you to Kristen.”

  Sera was shocked. She had expected a much older woman, but Kristen Rose looked to be her own age. With light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, the woman still managed to look elegant in jeans, a simple top and sneakers. “Nice to meet you, Kristen. I’m surprised you agreed to come way out here for a wedding.”

  Kristen looped her arm through Katie’s. “This woman was a big help to me when I got into the business. I’m happy to return the favor.”

  Katie patted her hand. “We’re going to have so much fun at this wedding, Sera.”

  Sera shook her head. “Oh, I won’t be going. I’ll stay out of the way when the big day arrives.”

  “But of course you’re going. This is your entrance into the events world.”

  “Even if I wanted to go, I have nothing in my closet.”

  Katie looked her up and down. “You and I are about the same size. I have the perfect dress for you. It’ll bring out those turquoise eyes.”

  Before Sera could object, a deep voice bellowed from behind. “Where are we starting, ladies?” The man in well-worn overalls patted the machine sitting beside him in the doorway. “We’re ready to go to work.”

  Sera approached and from the corner of her eye noticed Cy’s shiny truck parked behind his mother’s sedan. She turned to Kristen. “Are you sorry you agreed to this project?”

  The woman from New York shook her head, sending her ponytail flying. “Are you kidding? Your barn is a blank canvas. You won’t recognize the place when I’m done with it.”

  Sera backed away as the man with the pressure washer pulled hoses across the barn floor. “I never thought of using my barn for income. Up until last week I was selling the place.”

  “Your home?”

  “You wouldn’t believe the expense involved in operating a farm like this.”

  Kristen surveyed the space before her. “You must have heard, the average millionaire has seven streams of income.” She made the comment as if it were something everybody knew.

  “I’m no millionaire.”

  “What I’m saying is, you don’t have to rely on just one source. I noticed your huge garden. You must sell vegetables. That’s one stream.” She waved a hand around the barn. “This is a second.”

  “Two streams of income.” Sera skimmed the interior of the barn, suddenly seeing it with new eyes. “I do rent out my fields.”

  Kristen nodded. “Three streams. You’re on your way. And you know, organic vegetables are in high demand. You just have to be a certified organic grower.”

  “Certified?” Sera smiled, her heart ac
tually lightened by the event planner’s observations. “Well. What do you know?”

  “Sometimes it helps to see your situation from another’s perspective.”

  * * *

  ALEX WAS HANGING OUT on the back porch, watching the parade of people march into the barn when he spotted Cy’s truck pulling up behind Jean’s sedan. Alex chastised himself. He should have left an hour ago. He had property to look at on the other side of Bear Meadows. His heart sank. He had told Cy the farm’s purchase was on hold temporarily, but when Cy asked for details, Alex said nothing. His cousin was becoming understandably impatient. Cy got out of the truck and looked up at the activity at the entrance to the barn.

  He turned around, obviously seeking a familiar face. Alex got up and headed for the door, hoping to disappear into the house. But he was too late.

  “Hey. Alex, hold up.” Alex felt as if he had been shot in the back. He relaxed his shoulders and turned around to face his cousin.

  “What the heck is going on?” Cy stood there, arms akimbo. “Why haven’t you been returning my calls?”

  “I’ve been busy. We’re in negotiations now.” He was about to ask Cy how his aunt was when Chance walked out on the porch, followed by the Saint Bernard.

  Cy’s expression gave a hint of his surprise at seeing the young man. “Hi, Chance.”

  The younger man slapped his cowboy hat on his head and nodded. “Cy. Long time no see.” The two men shook hands.

  “I’m surprised to see you. You home for a visit?” Cy asked. Two lines creased the area between his brows.

  “I’m home for good. Excuse me, fellas.” Chance slapped a hand on Cy’s shoulder, clomped down the porch steps and headed up toward the barn.

  His brow still furrowed, Cy watched him go. Then he looked at Alex. “He quit, huh?”

  Alex shrugged. “He has his reasons.”

  “What possible—” His words were cut off with the sharp high-pitched cry of a baby. Cy looked through the screen door as if the answer would suddenly appear. His face grew white. “That’s not Sera’s... No, Sera couldn’t have had a baby...” He took off his ball cap and scratched his head. “Could she?”

  “Oh, come on, cousin, Sera’s skinny as a rail. Did you see a baby bump?”

  “I’ve heard some women get pregnant and don’t know they’re pregnant.” He scratched Rocky behind the ears. Then his hand grew still and he looked up at Alex with narrowed eyes. “Wait a minute, if Sera was pregnant, it could only be...” His eyes grew dark beneath lowered brows.

  Alex held up both hands in self-defense. “Cyrus, how could you even think such a thing?” Even as the words left his mouth, the picture of her lips connecting with his after she wrecked the truck came to mind. And then the goodbye kiss when she left the city. Guilt ate at him. “Besides, that makes no sense.”

  “Well, then, whose baby? Did she adopt?” When he stopped scratching Rocky behind his ears, the dog wandered down the steps and out of the yard.

  “Chance’s.”

  “Chance? Why, he’s just a kid.”

  “Well, I guess not.”

  “Well, that explains it then.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Chance has a baby, brings him or her home and expects Sera to raise the child.”

  “He’s staying and caring for her himself.”

  “You don’t know the boy like I do, Alex. The favored son. Baby of the family. He could do no wrong. He always got away with murder while Sera picked up the slack.”

  “He’s here now.”

  “Trust me. It won’t last.”

  “Whether he stays or goes, Cy, he and Hope aren’t agreeing to the sale.”

  Cy turned and looked out across the open space between the gate and the barn. In the distance Sera talked with the man wielding the hose from the pressure washer. Cy gave his cousin a look. “I reckon I’ll just have to convince Sera to marry me. I told you, cousin. One way or another.”

  Alex couldn’t take his eyes off the subject of discussion. Rocky had arrived. She patted the dog and motioned to the man to follow her. Alex’s stomach flipped as if he had eaten a green apple. “What makes you think she’d agree?”

  “I’ve known her all my life, Alex. I care for the woman. Her brother is taking advantage of her. Marrying me can help all of us.”

  “But you don’t love her.”

  Cyrus’s head tilted like Lucky’s when you asked him if he wanted outside. “Why do you care? You’re not pulling a Cyrano de Bergerac on me, are you? I never asked you to court her for me. You do have my back, don’t you?”

  Alex gave his country cousin a hard stare when he mentioned the playwright from the 1600s. “What in the world do you know about Cyrano de Bergerac?”

  Cy pressed a hand to his chest. “You wound me deeply, my highly educated but seriously clueless cousin. Are you stereotyping me because I’m a simple farmer?”

  Alex ran his hand over the stubble on his face. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”

  “You better be sorry.” Cy propped one foot on the step and leaned on it with his elbow. “I saw the movie.”

  * * *

  SERA HELPED THE man with the pressure washer find an electric outlet.

  Katie motioned to her. “You might want to move the kitties. They’re in danger of being pressure washed into space.”

  Sera followed her gaze. Under the beam stretching across one side of the barn, a kitten dragged its claws along the rough wood and then batted away its sibling. At six weeks old, they were becoming adventurous. “I’ll take them downstairs.”

  She scooped up the kitten who, unlike its tiger-striped mother, was black except for a white patch under its chin. Wriggling to get free, the kitten scratched her wrist and jumped onto the beam.

  “Ouch.” Sera wiped the blood on her shorts. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

  “Need a hand?” Alex gestured at the line of blood on her hand. “I see the kittens are a little feistier than the last time I saw them.”

  She nodded. “I should’ve handled them more, but I’ve been so busy. They’re wild now.” She glanced toward the man setting up the pressure washer. He laid out the hose and pointed the wand in their direction. “But if I don’t get them downstairs, they’re in trouble. The force of the water from that hose will kill them.”

  “I’ll help, but you might want to put on long sleeves.” He lunged for a cat, but it jumped out of his way and he landed on the barn floor. He rolled over and rubbed his knee. “I thought I had him.”

  She laughed. “Tell you what. I’ll catch them, you hold them.”

  “Deal.” Grabbing the dusty blanket, Alex pulled the four corners together and held it up for Sera’s approval. “Cat hammock.”

  Sera scooped up the black kitten as it ran up the beam and dropped it into the makeshift hammock. “There’s one.”

  She soon had six kittens in the bag, and together they maneuvered the squirming kittens downstairs and into the space beneath the steps. Sera closed the door leading to the lower level so the kittens weren’t able to return to the upper floors, leaving them in darkness. She sank onto the pile of hay. “Whew. That was harder than I expected.” She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead.

  Alex sank to his knees next to her and tipped the blanket’s contents onto the hay. The kittens scampered out, but as soon as they spied their dozing mother, they settled down to feed. Sera leaned back against the wall.

  Alex sat beside her, stretching out his long legs next to hers. “They grow fast, don’t they?” He sneezed.

  “Bless you. Yes, it’s almost time to take them to the shelter. The librarian in town opened up a place. Lucky for me and the kitties. She’ll find them homes.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to keep them?” He sneezed again.

 
; “Bless you again. Are you allergic to cats?”

  “I don’t know. We never had cats when I was growing up.” A kitten, apparently already full, wandered away from its mother and crawled up on Alex’s leg.

  “I definitely can’t keep them. Even more mouths to feed now. I’ve already got two extra with Chance and Bella.”

  “Bella. Pretty name. How’s that going?”

  She didn’t answer right away, not wanting to give Alex an even worse impression of her little brother. “Chance is still figuring things out.”

  He cupped her cheek with one hand and turned so her face was only inches from his. “Don’t you think it’s time Chance took on some more responsibility around here?”

  She lay her hand over his, thinking of their time in the orchard watching the fireworks. Peace and quiet were no more. “He is. He has a baby.”

  “I mean with the farm. Sera, you’ve given ten years to this family. When is it your turn?”

  Her eyes searched his. “My turn for what?”

  His thumb stroked her cheek. He leaned forward. She thought of the night in the rain, only this time the kiss was his idea.

  A shaft of light hit them as the door above opened. “Alex? Sera? You down here?”

  At the sound of Cy’s voice, Sera pulled back.

  Alex’s hand slipped from her cheek. The moment was gone, swept away like straw hit with a blast from the pressure washer.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “WE’RE UNDER THE STEPS, CY.” Sera pulled away and got to her knees. She grabbed a kitten that had already jumped onto the steps, drawn by the light. “Close the door behind you.” She was suddenly aware how it must look to Cy. She and Alex alone, in the dark, sitting under the stairs.

  Holding the kitten in her arms, she walked over to the lower door and flipped the light switch. Cy eased his big body down the short flight of stairs. When he got to the bottom, he looked from Sera to Alex. “What’s going on?”

  “I helped her catch the kittens.” Alex stood and brushed the hay from his jeans. He smiled at his cousin. “They were in immediate danger.”