skiing?”
He laughed as they all began talking at once. “Okay,
okay. We’ll plan a day trip to
Castle
Mountain
, but before we
do, we’ll try a little cross-country skiing on the ranch to teach you a few
basics. I don’t suppose you packed ski suits, did you?” All four faces fell as
they looked at each other, and he tried his best to stifle a grin. “Then I
guess I’ll just have to take you shopping first.”
Lacey was the first to jump up and give him a
hug, a hug that he gladly returned. He was soon surrounded by gushing females,
and it didn’t bother him a whit.
“Time for pie,” announced Rena as she went to
the fridge. She set the pies on the table and unerringly opened a cupboard door
and found the dessert plates on her first try. She did the same with the knife
and pie server.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Find everything so quick.”
Rena paused and glanced back at the cupboards. “I
know this is going to sound strange, but somehow I knew where they were.” She
went back to the cupboard. “This is where you keep coffee and canned goods.”
She opened the door and was right on. “And this cupboard contains more treats.”
She smiled as she opened that one, a glowing smile lighting her face. “
Eureka
! I hit pay dirt,”
she said as containers full of cookies and squares that Zakia sent up came into
view. “I feel as if I’ve been in this house before, and I just know I’m going
to love it here.”
“That’s weird, Rena,” said Abby.
“Really weird,” agreed Lynne.
“Are you sure you weren’t in here snooping
earlier?” asked Lacey, her forehead furrowed in a frown of confusion.
“No, Daddy was already in here when Abby and I
came downstairs. Maybe it’s from working in kitchens for so long. I don’t know.”
Rena shrugged her shoulders as if to say “it is what it is.”
“Well, I think it’s great,” said
Cam
. “She’ll know where things go when it’s time to clean
up.”
Everyone laughed and the tension evaporated as
if it had never been, but
Cam
couldn’t help
wondering if his daughter had premonitions or some such and they were just now
evolving.
He reached a hand out for the lemon pie, but
Lacey beat him to it.
“I’ll serve,” she said, smiling at him.
Cam
relaxed back in his seat, relishing that secret
smile and wondering if she had anything else on her mind. When she served his
pie, slivers of each, he dove into the plate with great gusto. It was the
perfect ending to their first meal together on his home turf and augured well
for the future.
“Do you pretty gals want to stay home tonight
and rest up, or shall I call a meeting of the clan so you can get acquainted?”
“
Cam
, we’d love
to meet your family, but I have to admit to not sleeping much lately,” Lacey
answered. “Do you mind if we lie around here and relax this evening?”
“Not at all. I have an excellent collection of
movies to choose from. What do you say we clean up in here, and I’ll get a fire
going in the living room?”
“Sounds good, but we’ll clean up. You go start
that fire,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Cam
tipped an imaginary hat as he stood. “If you can’t find where everything goes,
just leave it on the counter.”
Rena turned to face him, a thoughtful expression
on her face. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Good enough. I’ll see you in a few.”
When the girls filed in they went straight to
the movie shelf. After perusing the selections available, they passed him a
DVD
.
“Terrific! That’s a favorite of mine.” They’d
picked The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood.
The girls sat on the sofa, leaving the recliner
and rocking chair for him and Lacey. While the girls settled in to watch the
movie, he surreptitiously watched them. Lynne curled up at one end of the sofa,
her feet under her, looking right at home. Abby sat in the middle, hands folded
in her lap and her feet flat on the floor.
Cam
smiled to
He laughed as they all began talking at once. “Okay,
okay. We’ll plan a day trip to
Castle
Mountain
, but before we
do, we’ll try a little cross-country skiing on the ranch to teach you a few
basics. I don’t suppose you packed ski suits, did you?” All four faces fell as
they looked at each other, and he tried his best to stifle a grin. “Then I
guess I’ll just have to take you shopping first.”
Lacey was the first to jump up and give him a
hug, a hug that he gladly returned. He was soon surrounded by gushing females,
and it didn’t bother him a whit.
“Time for pie,” announced Rena as she went to
the fridge. She set the pies on the table and unerringly opened a cupboard door
and found the dessert plates on her first try. She did the same with the knife
and pie server.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Find everything so quick.”
Rena paused and glanced back at the cupboards. “I
know this is going to sound strange, but somehow I knew where they were.” She
went back to the cupboard. “This is where you keep coffee and canned goods.”
She opened the door and was right on. “And this cupboard contains more treats.”
She smiled as she opened that one, a glowing smile lighting her face. “
Eureka
! I hit pay dirt,”
she said as containers full of cookies and squares that Zakia sent up came into
view. “I feel as if I’ve been in this house before, and I just know I’m going
to love it here.”
“That’s weird, Rena,” said Abby.
“Really weird,” agreed Lynne.
“Are you sure you weren’t in here snooping
earlier?” asked Lacey, her forehead furrowed in a frown of confusion.
“No, Daddy was already in here when Abby and I
came downstairs. Maybe it’s from working in kitchens for so long. I don’t know.”
Rena shrugged her shoulders as if to say “it is what it is.”
“Well, I think it’s great,” said
Cam
. “She’ll know where things go when it’s time to clean
up.”
Everyone laughed and the tension evaporated as
if it had never been, but
Cam
couldn’t help
wondering if his daughter had premonitions or some such and they were just now
evolving.
He reached a hand out for the lemon pie, but
Lacey beat him to it.
“I’ll serve,” she said, smiling at him.
Cam
relaxed back in his seat, relishing that secret
smile and wondering if she had anything else on her mind. When she served his
pie, slivers of each, he dove into the plate with great gusto. It was the
perfect ending to their first meal together on his home turf and augured well
for the future.
“Do you pretty gals want to stay home tonight
and rest up, or shall I call a meeting of the clan so you can get acquainted?”
“
Cam
, we’d love
to meet your family, but I have to admit to not sleeping much lately,” Lacey
answered. “Do you mind if we lie around here and relax this evening?”
“Not at all. I have an excellent collection of
movies to choose from. What do you say we clean up in here, and I’ll get a fire
going in the living room?”
“Sounds good, but we’ll clean up. You go start
that fire,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Cam
tipped an imaginary hat as he stood. “If you can’t find where everything goes,
just leave it on the counter.”
Rena turned to face him, a thoughtful expression
on her face. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Good enough. I’ll see you in a few.”
When the girls filed in they went straight to
the movie shelf. After perusing the selections available, they passed him a
DVD
.
“Terrific! That’s a favorite of mine.” They’d
picked The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood.
The girls sat on the sofa, leaving the recliner
and rocking chair for him and Lacey. While the girls settled in to watch the
movie, he surreptitiously watched them. Lynne curled up at one end of the sofa,
her feet under her, looking right at home. Abby sat in the middle, hands folded
in her lap and her feet flat on the floor.
Cam
smiled to
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