her Popsicle. “But why were you peeking out the window?” Riley frowned. “You always said it wasn’t polite to spy on people.” Wide-eyed, Riley glanced up at her mother, intrigued. “Were you spying, Mama?” she asked, her eyes full of glee.
Hannah’s face flamed beet red and she felt a hot flush wash over her face when she realized she’d been caught red-handed by her own daughter spying on Jesse Ryan!
Good Lord, what in the world had come over her? She was certain she’d never been so embarrassed in her life. Fine example she was setting for her little girl!
Blowing out a breath, Hannah shoved a loose pin back in her topknot and tried to figure out how to answer her daughter—honestly.
“Well…yes, and no, honey,” Hannah said hesitantly, grabbing a paper towel and going down to eye level with Riley to wipe off her grape mustache. “I really wasn’t…spying. I was…watching Uncle Jesse and Uncle Tommy. But I wasn’t…spying. Definitely not spying, Riley.” She forced a weak smile. “That wouldn’t be polite, right?”
“Right, Mama,” Riley said with a grin.
The outright lie had Hannah’s face flaming again. She had been spying on Jesse and Tommy since she and Riley had arrived at Tommy’s house over an hour ago.
She hadn’t seen or talked to Jesse or Tommy since she’d arrived; they’d been out walking around the ranch, talking, and she was nearly frantic, desperate to know how Jesse had handled the situation with Tommy, and more importantly, what he’d said to him.
Her heart was trembling with worry that Jesse might have hurt Tommy. And she couldn’t deny that she was also concerned about Jesse and how the reunion with his grandfather had affected him.
She’d almost danced in relief when she caught sight of the two of them, arm in arm, walking back toward the large patio right outside the kitchen window. The window was closed, so she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but at least she could see them now, sitting at the table, heads bent in quiet talk, or occasional laughter.
And her nerves had relaxed a bit when she saw the apparent camaraderie between the two men.
Until she looked at Jesse.
Then her nerves—her female nerves—the ones she’d ignored for so long began to squeal in feminine alarm just as they had this morning when she’d first seen him.
If only the man wasn’t quite so darned attractive she might not be behaving like a lovelorn teenager, she thought in disgust.
“But how come you didn’t just go outside and watch them?” Riley frowned, little golden eyebrows drawing together like a caterpillar across her forehead.
Good question, Hannah thought, watching as her daughter’s tiny tongue, purple and sticky, took one final lick of the iced treat.
“Well, sweetheart, remember how I told you Jesse has just come home?” Hannah asked, removing the sloppy, wet purple stick from Riley’s hand and tossing it into the trash.
“’Cuz he went away for a long time, right?” Riley swiped the back of her hand over her sticky mouth.
“That’s right, honey.” Hannah stood, grabbed another paper towel, dampened it, then took each of her daughter’s hands and wiped them clean. “So, I thought it might be a good idea to let Uncle Tommy and Uncle Jesse have some time to talk alone.” She gave her daughter’s mouth a final swipe with the damp, and now purple, paper towel. “Do you understand?”
“I guess so, Mama,” Riley said with a shrug, the confusion on her face clearly indicating she didn’t quite understand. “But why were you watching them?”
With a smile, Hannah brushed a hand over Riley’s head. “Well, honey, I love Uncle Tommy and I just want him to be happy.”
“Don’t you think Uncle Jesse will make him happy?” Riley asked with another frown, making Hannah realize she was only making the situation worse.
“No, honey. I’m sure Uncle Jesse is going to make Uncle Tommy very happy.” She couldn’t resist glancing over her
Hannah’s face flamed beet red and she felt a hot flush wash over her face when she realized she’d been caught red-handed by her own daughter spying on Jesse Ryan!
Good Lord, what in the world had come over her? She was certain she’d never been so embarrassed in her life. Fine example she was setting for her little girl!
Blowing out a breath, Hannah shoved a loose pin back in her topknot and tried to figure out how to answer her daughter—honestly.
“Well…yes, and no, honey,” Hannah said hesitantly, grabbing a paper towel and going down to eye level with Riley to wipe off her grape mustache. “I really wasn’t…spying. I was…watching Uncle Jesse and Uncle Tommy. But I wasn’t…spying. Definitely not spying, Riley.” She forced a weak smile. “That wouldn’t be polite, right?”
“Right, Mama,” Riley said with a grin.
The outright lie had Hannah’s face flaming again. She had been spying on Jesse and Tommy since she and Riley had arrived at Tommy’s house over an hour ago.
She hadn’t seen or talked to Jesse or Tommy since she’d arrived; they’d been out walking around the ranch, talking, and she was nearly frantic, desperate to know how Jesse had handled the situation with Tommy, and more importantly, what he’d said to him.
Her heart was trembling with worry that Jesse might have hurt Tommy. And she couldn’t deny that she was also concerned about Jesse and how the reunion with his grandfather had affected him.
She’d almost danced in relief when she caught sight of the two of them, arm in arm, walking back toward the large patio right outside the kitchen window. The window was closed, so she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but at least she could see them now, sitting at the table, heads bent in quiet talk, or occasional laughter.
And her nerves had relaxed a bit when she saw the apparent camaraderie between the two men.
Until she looked at Jesse.
Then her nerves—her female nerves—the ones she’d ignored for so long began to squeal in feminine alarm just as they had this morning when she’d first seen him.
If only the man wasn’t quite so darned attractive she might not be behaving like a lovelorn teenager, she thought in disgust.
“But how come you didn’t just go outside and watch them?” Riley frowned, little golden eyebrows drawing together like a caterpillar across her forehead.
Good question, Hannah thought, watching as her daughter’s tiny tongue, purple and sticky, took one final lick of the iced treat.
“Well, sweetheart, remember how I told you Jesse has just come home?” Hannah asked, removing the sloppy, wet purple stick from Riley’s hand and tossing it into the trash.
“’Cuz he went away for a long time, right?” Riley swiped the back of her hand over her sticky mouth.
“That’s right, honey.” Hannah stood, grabbed another paper towel, dampened it, then took each of her daughter’s hands and wiped them clean. “So, I thought it might be a good idea to let Uncle Tommy and Uncle Jesse have some time to talk alone.” She gave her daughter’s mouth a final swipe with the damp, and now purple, paper towel. “Do you understand?”
“I guess so, Mama,” Riley said with a shrug, the confusion on her face clearly indicating she didn’t quite understand. “But why were you watching them?”
With a smile, Hannah brushed a hand over Riley’s head. “Well, honey, I love Uncle Tommy and I just want him to be happy.”
“Don’t you think Uncle Jesse will make him happy?” Riley asked with another frown, making Hannah realize she was only making the situation worse.
“No, honey. I’m sure Uncle Jesse is going to make Uncle Tommy very happy.” She couldn’t resist glancing over her
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