that little ice house.”
“That’s rough. Do you need a car?”
“I have one, thanks. Wade loaned me one of his.”
He whistled. “That’s one for the books. Saxon doesn’t let just
anyone have a turn at those wheels of his.”
“Valuable.” She nodded. “I know they must be. I have the ’48
Chevy.”
“Classy. Still, I’d love to show you around town. There’s a
great barbeque place and the Two Step.”
“A dance hall?”
“And dinner I did not cook.” He nodded, a grin lending an
easy charm to his angular face. “Interested?”
With you? “Definitely sign me up for barbeque. And as
for dancing? One thing I like about the South is men who dance.”
He knit his brows, a painful glee faceting his hazel eyes.
“Okay, but many of us aren’t championship material.”
“At least you get out on the floor.” She sighed, happy as a
clam that she had moved from Boston years ago. In Oklahoma she felt
comfortable. Here with these people she felt the serenity of home. “More than
many men up north.”
“I’ll be happy to show you my two left feet.”
She wanted to applaud his modesty. “I’ll match them to my
own.”
“Oh, wonderful. We’ll be a fright on the floor!”
“Now, now.” She shook a finger at him. “Don’t knock it ’til
we try it. We might be great together.”
He smiled with twinkling eyes. “And if we’re not, practice
makes perfect. I’ll call you.”
“Please do.” Willow grinned, surprised she’d found not just
one man here who was interesting but two. More excitement than her little heart
had had in years.
“Attention everyone!” Cara called from the behind the long,
rough-hewn kitchen table, Harry by her side, his hand on her shoulder. “Dinner
is served! We’re doing buffet style tonight so that each of us has a chance to
sit and talk with Willow.”
“First, a toast,” Jed said, beaming at the crowd and raising
his glass. “To Willow, our cousin who has come home to write the story of how
we all began and how we all survived and prospered, welcome home!”
* * * * *
Hours later Willow stood at the front door bidding good
night to the three MacRae brothers and Cara. “I had an absolutely wonderful
time. You are terrific hosts and great cooks too.”
Cara waved off the compliment. “Jed does the barbeque pit
like a pro. Harry’s specialty is dessert.”
“Mine,” said Will with a roll of his eyes, “is cleanup.”
“Necessary,” Willow said, “for any party. I love them. This
was super. If I can give a party at the B&B I might come looking for a few
cooks and a cleanup man.”
“Call me. I’m ready!” Will joked as he slipped a hand around
Cara’s waist. “Only thing that might delay me is if we are all called to the
hospital.”
Jed grinned. “Our son is due in three weeks.”
Our son. The very way he said the words made the
impending birth sound extraordinary. To think that three men shared so much and
so well they would even share paternity astounded her.
“And our lady here,” added Will, “has to call an end to her
working days soon. Right, Mrs. MacRae?” He widened his eyes at Cara, pressing
home his point.
His wife leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll
stop work next week when I finish the latest set of financials. I don’t let
these guys boss me around too much. But why not come in tomorrow around
lunchtime and let me find you a few more lovely items for your stay here? I
have loads of delicious things to choose from. French. Italian. Thai.” She
winked at Willow.
“You don’t have to invite me twice, Cara. I’ll do it. This
time, though, I am using my own money. No gifts. But I can’t come tomorrow
until later.”
Cara tipped her head. “Okay. Maybe at four? I’ll have Duke
Cummings send over a few appetizers from his restaurant and we’ll have our own
happy hour. Say a few fried oysters and mini crab cakes?”
The three men chuckled.
Jed said, “Ever since she got pregnant Cara’s had
“That’s rough. Do you need a car?”
“I have one, thanks. Wade loaned me one of his.”
He whistled. “That’s one for the books. Saxon doesn’t let just
anyone have a turn at those wheels of his.”
“Valuable.” She nodded. “I know they must be. I have the ’48
Chevy.”
“Classy. Still, I’d love to show you around town. There’s a
great barbeque place and the Two Step.”
“A dance hall?”
“And dinner I did not cook.” He nodded, a grin lending an
easy charm to his angular face. “Interested?”
With you? “Definitely sign me up for barbeque. And as
for dancing? One thing I like about the South is men who dance.”
He knit his brows, a painful glee faceting his hazel eyes.
“Okay, but many of us aren’t championship material.”
“At least you get out on the floor.” She sighed, happy as a
clam that she had moved from Boston years ago. In Oklahoma she felt
comfortable. Here with these people she felt the serenity of home. “More than
many men up north.”
“I’ll be happy to show you my two left feet.”
She wanted to applaud his modesty. “I’ll match them to my
own.”
“Oh, wonderful. We’ll be a fright on the floor!”
“Now, now.” She shook a finger at him. “Don’t knock it ’til
we try it. We might be great together.”
He smiled with twinkling eyes. “And if we’re not, practice
makes perfect. I’ll call you.”
“Please do.” Willow grinned, surprised she’d found not just
one man here who was interesting but two. More excitement than her little heart
had had in years.
“Attention everyone!” Cara called from the behind the long,
rough-hewn kitchen table, Harry by her side, his hand on her shoulder. “Dinner
is served! We’re doing buffet style tonight so that each of us has a chance to
sit and talk with Willow.”
“First, a toast,” Jed said, beaming at the crowd and raising
his glass. “To Willow, our cousin who has come home to write the story of how
we all began and how we all survived and prospered, welcome home!”
* * * * *
Hours later Willow stood at the front door bidding good
night to the three MacRae brothers and Cara. “I had an absolutely wonderful
time. You are terrific hosts and great cooks too.”
Cara waved off the compliment. “Jed does the barbeque pit
like a pro. Harry’s specialty is dessert.”
“Mine,” said Will with a roll of his eyes, “is cleanup.”
“Necessary,” Willow said, “for any party. I love them. This
was super. If I can give a party at the B&B I might come looking for a few
cooks and a cleanup man.”
“Call me. I’m ready!” Will joked as he slipped a hand around
Cara’s waist. “Only thing that might delay me is if we are all called to the
hospital.”
Jed grinned. “Our son is due in three weeks.”
Our son. The very way he said the words made the
impending birth sound extraordinary. To think that three men shared so much and
so well they would even share paternity astounded her.
“And our lady here,” added Will, “has to call an end to her
working days soon. Right, Mrs. MacRae?” He widened his eyes at Cara, pressing
home his point.
His wife leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll
stop work next week when I finish the latest set of financials. I don’t let
these guys boss me around too much. But why not come in tomorrow around
lunchtime and let me find you a few more lovely items for your stay here? I
have loads of delicious things to choose from. French. Italian. Thai.” She
winked at Willow.
“You don’t have to invite me twice, Cara. I’ll do it. This
time, though, I am using my own money. No gifts. But I can’t come tomorrow
until later.”
Cara tipped her head. “Okay. Maybe at four? I’ll have Duke
Cummings send over a few appetizers from his restaurant and we’ll have our own
happy hour. Say a few fried oysters and mini crab cakes?”
The three men chuckled.
Jed said, “Ever since she got pregnant Cara’s had
Similar Books
