The Cowboy's Autumn Fall

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Yes, but I’m still plenty mad at you,” Brice said, setting her back on her feet. “You might have to put a little effort into absolving your transgressions.”

  Bailey didn’t have a lot of practice at acting repentant and making up with people when her behavior caused problems. Her mom and Sierra were easily appeased with a shopping trip or a visit to the nail salon. She and her dad had an unspoken understanding and could apologize without uttering a word. Other than Nana and her father’s mother, she had very few people she cared enough about to keep appeased.

  Until now. Until Brice.

  “I’m truly and deeply sorry, Brice,” Bailey said sincerely, without any idea on how to make things right. She decided to be honest with the man who still had his arms around her, holding her close. “I’m terrible at relationships. I don’t know the first thing about doing this right with you and I tend to be distracted by my work. You may have noticed, but I’m really good at ignoring people when I feel they may interfere with my concentration and I’m not very good at being wrong or sorry.”

  “I’ll help you work on that,” Brice said, nuzzling her ear. Bailey knew for a fact she’d never experienced such an exciting tingling sensation. She thought her toes might actually curl in her boots.

  “I might like that,” Bailey whispered, leaning into Brice and raising her lips to his again. He met her passion head on and they were once again lost in their kiss.

  “Get a room, bro,” Ben teased as he slapped Brice on the back and wiggled an eyebrow at his brother.

  Bailey blushed and took a quick step away from Brice, who stood glaring at his brother and shaking his head.

  “We need to head home, lover boy. We’ve got all that hay that needs baled and stacked tomorrow, you know,” Ben said, walking to Brice’s pickup. Brice forgot Ben was even at the ranch once Bailey arrived. Ben was lucky Brice hadn’t given in to his initial impulse to drive off mad. Tess was around somewhere with Travis and could have given Ben a ride home. Eventually.

  Still blushing, Bailey turned to go up the steps into the mud room, but Brice caught her hand. “Bailey, can I see you tomorrow? It’ll be late, but maybe we can go for a drive or something after dinner.”

  “That would be satisfactory,” Bailey said, returning to her formal manner of speech. When she was in Brice’s arms, she forgot about being an uptight professional in the science community. She was just a woman being held by a man she liked more than any she’d ever met.

  Brice grinned and kissed the back of her hand, in an old-fashioned yet endearing gesture.

  “Tomorrow, then.”

  Ben started the pickup and turned on the lights, so Brice ran across the yard and jumped in the truck, waving at Bailey through the open window.

  Watching the tail lights go down the drive, Bailey rolled her lips together. She knew she should have let Brice stay angry with her and continued ignoring him, but one look at his handsome face, at the hurt in his eyes, and she couldn’t do it. As much as her head was telling her to run, her heart was telling her to stay and enjoy every minute of being with Brice.

  Chapter Five

  “It is never too late to fall in love.”

  Sandy Wilson

  Two pickups drove up the long graveled driveway of the former Drexel ranch and parked in front of the big farmhouse.

  Tess arrived early at the Triple T that morning and joined the family for breakfast. So excited about the engagement and the house, she had barely slept and no one seemed surprised when she gave a perfunctory knock on the kitchen door at half-past six, anxious to go see what would soon be her home.

  As soon as the dishes were done, they piled into Trey’s pickup and drove to the house, meeting Trent and Lindsay there. One of the ranch hands was keeping tabs on Cass, deciding they could get a better idea of what needed done without the lively child under foot.

  Travis helped Tess out of the pickup while Trey assisted Cady, then offered his hand to Bailey.

  Although Bailey had no intention of going with them this morning to explore the Drexel house, they all insisted she come. Tess, who shared Bailey’s love of 1940s fashions and styles, thought Bailey would have fun seeing the farmhouse which Trey said was built in 1943.

  Standing in the yard looking at the house, it appeared to be in great shape. A new roof and paint job had been completed in the past year, giving the house a fresh, clean look.

  Tess grasped Travis’ hand and squeezed as they gazed at the light gray two-story house with crisp white trim. Wide steps led up to an angled porch with doors to both the right and left. Fishing a key from his jeans pocket, Travis unlocked the door on the left and they all walked into a light and airy living room with two banks of big windows. A brick fireplace filled one corner, but it was the antique furniture that caught Bailey’s eye. A chair in need of upholstery appeared to be in good shape, along with two occasional tables and a vintage lamp.

  “Did Mr. Drexel leave a lot of furniture?” Bailey asked, running her hand across the smooth wood of the fireplace mantel.

  “Some, it appears,” Travis said, looking around the room. “I don’t think any of us have been in the house since he moved out. We’ve been a little busy with other things.”

  “Oh, like what?” Trey asked, thumping Travis on the back as they turned a corner into the dining room where a huge table with eight chairs sat in the early morning light. A door there led back out to the porch. “A wedding, harvest, school starting, someone needing physical therapy for two months. Is that what you mean?”

  “Oh, hush, boss-man, and quit teasing,” Cady said, taking Trey’s hand in hers. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, making Lindsay and Tess smile.

  From the dining room they wandered into a spacious kitchen that had been recently updated with tile floors, granite countertops and new appliances. A small island offered a well thought-out design of additional cupboard and counter space while bar stools were tucked under one side, offering a place for two to sit and eat.

  To the right of the kitchen was a room that would be perfect for an office with a built in set of cupboards all along one wall and a small closet. It also had an outside entry onto the porch where it ended on the side of the house.

  Going back down a short hallway, they found a large coat closet across from the stairs and a small guest bathroom. A few steps more down the hall was a utility room. Mr. Drexel must have needed the washer and dryer because the room sat empty.

  “His new place must not have included all appliances,” Travis said, looking across the hall into what appeared to be a mud room. There was plenty of space to plug in a freezer next to a large closet boasting both rods and shelves. A rack with hooks and pegs graced the wall by the door that opened into a two car garage.

  “I won’t have to park outside in the rain or snow. No more scraping windows,” Tess said, excited at the thought or parking in the garage.

  “I’d scrape them for you, honeybee, should the need arise,” Travis said, running his hand across her shoulder.

  Bailey ignored the look of love and adoration that passed between Travis and his bride-to-be. Public displays of affection made her uncomfortable and unsettled. People should be able to show restraint around others.

  On the heels of that thought, Bailey recalled the way she’d behaved with Brice, on more than one occasion, out in the open at the Triple T where anyone could watch. Feeling her neck heat as she recalled their ardent kisses, Bailey quickly changed her focus to the group sauntering down the hall in front of her.

  They entered the master suite which was an addition to the original house. It was roomy and the women all let out a gasp of surprise to see a beautiful antique bed set, including a king-sized four-poster bed with finely carved posts, a large dresser with an ornate mirror and a chest of drawers. The mattress was missing from the bed, but they would have purchased a new one for it anyway.

  “Oh, wow!” Tess said, gently touching the warm cherry wood of the headboard. “I can’
t believe he left this behind.”

  “We can get something new, honeybee, if you’d rather,” Travis said, knowing his fiancé would want to keep every stick of furniture in the house because she preferred the antiques to modern styles.

  While the guys checked out the access from the room to the porch, the girls oohed and aahed over the large walk-in closet and the spa-like bathroom with a garden tub and huge shower.

  “Are you sure neither one of you wants this house?” Tess asked, looping her arms with Cady and Lindsay as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs.

  “Nope, it’s all yours,” Lindsay said with a smile. She loved her little cottage home, especially now that she shared it with Trent..

  “I’m perfectly happy where I am,” Cady said, sending Trey a private look as he came back in the door, which earned her a wink.

  “Let’s check out the upstairs, then,” Tess said, leading the way up the steps to the second floor where they found three more bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large room that Travis said was definitely going to be his man cave. A fireplace occupied one corner and a door led out to a small balcony.

  “None of that girlie stuff in here,” Travis said, already envisioning a big screen television with overstuffed chairs.

  “Whatever you want, Tee,” Tess said, giving him a warm smile as she used her nickname for him. She knew Travis would let her decorate the house however she wanted, so she was more than happy to have one room be his domain.

  “You, mostly,” Travis whispered in her ear as they walked out of the room. He gave her a swat on the bottom as the girls decided to investigate the attic and the guys went to check the foundation and locate the well so they could have the water tested.

  While the men clattered down the stairs and went outside, Tess located the string to pull down the attic stairs in the closet of one of the bedrooms.

  The stairs creaked and groaned as they unfolded, but looked sturdy enough. The girls climbed up the steps chatting and laughing. Stepping into the room, they didn’t have time to look around or even get their bearings as feathered beasts squawked and flapped their wings around their heads.

  Surprised, the girls all screamed and ducked.

  Bailey was thoroughly impressed with the speed her three cousins generated tearing back into the house and up two flights of stairs to rescue their women.

  “What’s wrong, princess?” Trent asked, the first of the men to come up the stairs, with Trey and Travis right behind him.

  The winged terrors turned out to be starlings that had taken over the attic with nests. As terrified as the women had been, their screams turned to hysterical fits of laughter when the birds escaped through a hole in the window. Only Bailey had regained enough sense to speak as the men looked around the attic, expecting to find blood and destruction.

  “My summation of the situation is that the birds discovered entry into the space through that hole in the window and set about to create an indoor living environment,” Bailey said, pointing to a corner where evidence of the birds’ activities was hard to miss. “Protective of their nests, it seems they took us for a threat and proceeded to flog us.”

  The three men, hands on their knees trying to catch their breath and calm their racing hearts, turned to see Tess, Cady and Lindsay hold each other up as tears of laughter streaked down their faces.

  Glad the girls were fine, Trey and Travis took longer to find the humor in the situation than good-natured Trent.

  Bailey ignored them all and looked around the space, taking in the pieces of furniture that were in excellent condition, old paintings, pieces of pottery from the Art Deco period, boxes of old books, and steamer trunks.

  Going to a trunk, she unlatched the leather straps and opened the lid to reveal a cache of clothes.

  “Tess, come look at this,” Bailey called, knowing Tess would go wild for the vintage fashions.

  “Oh, gracious,” Tess said, sinking down by Bailey as they pulled out dresses from the forties and fifties along with hats, gloves and even a few handbags.

  “She’ll be here all day playing with those clothes,” Travis grumbled, but couldn’t hide the grin on his face, pleased that Tess had treasures to sort through. “I’m going to go call someone about fixing that window, then we better head over to the Running M.”

  While Travis made the phone call, Trent and Trey found a piece of cardboard to cover the window and tacked it into place then removed the bird nests.

  Meeting back outside, Travis, Trent and Trey climbed into Trent’s truck, along with Tess, to go to the Morgan ranch while Cady, Lindsay and Bailey returned to the Triple T.

  “Won’t Tess need her car?” Bailey asked as they headed opposite directions once they reached the highway.

  “One of us will take it over later,” Cady said, driving Trey’s big pickup back to the ranch house. She’d come a long way in the year since she’d moved to Grass Valley from her job as an assistant to a big-shot Seattle attorney where she’d never seen a cowboy, driven anything with a stick-shift or even owned a pet before. “Michele called this morning and invited us all for a barbecue tonight so we’ll make some food to take over. You’ll go with us, won’t you, Bailey?”

  “Certainly,” Bailey said, looking forward to seeing Brice. She wondered if the Running M Ranch looked like the Triple T, with lots of outbuildings and a big ranch house. “May I be of assistance in the preparation of the food?”

  “Sure,” Cady said, grinning at Lindsay who found Bailey’s formal mode of speech entertaining. Lindsay was a school teacher who spent her days talking to kids who were five and six.

  “What are you planning?” Bailey asked as they walked into the kitchen.

  “I thought we could…” Cady was interrupted by Cass flying in the back door followed by her dog, Buddy.

  “Mama, guess what?” Cass said, launching her active little body toward Cady.

  “Cassidy Marie! You get that dog out of here right now. You know the rules,” Cady said, pushing Cass toward the door and pointing at the dog. Buddy barked and followed Cass outside.

  “No pets in the house?” Bailey asked and Lindsay nodded, trying to hide her smile. Given the opportunity, Cass would sleep with the gangly dog Trent found at Lindsay’s house and rehabilitated from a homeless thief to a loyal family dog. Cass loved playing with the dog even more than her fairy dolls or riding her pony, Smokey. The other two ranch dogs, Bob and Bonnie, were also good playmates just not quite as well-loved by Cass as Buddy.

  Never that interested in having a pet, although Sierra had several through the years, Bailey didn’t want the responsibility of caring for one. She didn’t dislike animals and sometimes enjoyed playing with them, she just didn’t want to be the primary caregiver of a living thing. Seeing Cass’ adoration of the dog stirred something soft and tender in Bailey’s heart.

  Looking out the door, she saw Cass pat Buddy on the head and talk to him before running back in the mud room and kicking off her shoes. Hooks for chore coats, bins of gloves, pegs for hats and shelves for boots and shoes lined the entry wall of the mud room. Bailey realized Cady kept the house so clean because the guys weren’t allowed to wear their boots inside.

  “Mama, I forgotted about Buddy, but I took off my shoes,” Cass said as she flew back into the kitchen, hugging Cady around the waist. “Tommy took me for a ride on his horse and we chased a cow and saw a hawk and I found another pretty rock.”

  “My goodness, you were busy while we were gone, weren’t you?” Cady said, kissing Cass on the forehead and holding out her hand to admire the rock the little girl pulled from her pocket. The stone was shaped like a tear drop. “You’ll have to put this in your treasure box.”

  “See, Aunt Lindsay,” Cass said, taking the rock from Cady and handing it to Lindsay. “Isn’t it pretty. Like a big lady’s tear.”

  “It’s very pretty, Cass,” Lindsay said, passing the rock to Bailey to admire.

  Bailey held it up to the light and made a show of examining
the rock before bending down and giving it to the little redheaded girl who was bouncing off one foot to the other. In the short time she’d spent with the family, Bailey had noted Cass’ inability to be still. She was a bouncing, jiggling, wiggling little ball of fire that chattered nonstop. From what Travis said, she even talked in her sleep.

  Cass, who was orphaned just after Thanksgiving, would have become a foster child or left to an aunt that was even worse than her deadbeat alcoholic mother if the Thompsons hadn’t stepped in. Trey and Cady, who was his housekeeper and cook at the time, decided they wanted to keep her and filed for joint custody. They not only got custody of the child, but wed soon after and proceeded to adopt her.

  “Indeed, Cass, this is a very special rock. You should do like your mama said and put it with your collection,” Bailey said with a serious expression on her face, positioning herself so she could talk to Cass eye to eye.

  “Okay,” Cass said, impulsively hugging Bailey before racing off to her room.

  Unfamiliar with childish hugs, Bailey took a moment to savor the feel of tiny arms around her neck and the warm, sunshiny scent of a child. She discovered she rather enjoyed the moment.

  “She’s a lively child, isn’t she?” Bailey said, turning her attention back to Lindsay and Cady.

  “That’s putting it nicely,” Cady said with a grin. “She’s a live wire who keeps us on our toes, but we love her.”

  Love seemed to be something that filled the Triple T ranch house right up to the rafters, Bailey mused as she washed her hands and helped Cady and Lindsay prepare food for lunch as well as the barbecue that evening. Love and a whole lot of laughter.

  ><><

  Coming in for lunch hot and hungry, Brice washed up and sat down at the table with his parents, Ben, Tess, the three Thompson brothers, and the hired hands.

  “I invited the girls and your hands for dinner,” Michele said, directing her comment to Trey.

  He looked up and smiled. “That’s great. We’ll make this last day of haying into a regular party.”