grandmother had needed her.
But still...
“Your dad’s ranch goes back a few generations, as well,” Vic said, breaking into her thoughts.
“Dad was never as much a rancher as you seem to be,” Lauren said. “I think he only did it because he inherited it from his father. And though we stayed there, it never felt...like home. I always felt more like a guest in some ways.”
“Did Knoxville feel like home?”
“Kind of. But there at least we were at our grandmother’s home. She was kind enough, but it was still her place.”
“So, no real home base? That’s sad.”
Lauren glanced over at him, surprised at his sympathy, surprised to see him looking at her.
Their gazes held, and when Vic smiled, once again she felt connection and possibilities. Her breath seemed hard to find and an unusual urge to reach across the truck overcame her. To touch his hand.
Her cell phone rang and he jerked his head aside. Lauren crashed back down to earth when she glanced at the name flashing on the screen.
Alex Rossiter. The ranch’s potential buyer.
“Hello, Alex,” she said, disappointed at how breathless she sounded. “What can I do for you?”
“Was wondering if I could come by next week Tuesday,” he said, his voice booming in her ear. Alex was a large man with a large voice and matching attitude. “To look over the place. See what I’m getting into.”
As he spoke Lauren drew in a shaky breath, feeling as if she had to find her balance.
“I think that should work,” she said.
They made arrangements, but all the while she talked, she couldn’t help feeling guilty. As if she was doing something wrong.
Alex abruptly said goodbye and Lauren lowered her phone, trying to find the right way to tell Vic what was happening. Straightforward was always best, she decided.
“That was the buyer of the ranch,” she said, turning to Vic. “He wants to come out on Tuesday.”
Vic just nodded, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead.
She put her phone in her purse and folded her hands on her lap, staring out the window.
But as they drove back to the ranch, she couldn’t shake the sensation that she had caught a glimpse of another life. A life that held light and joy.
She shook off the capricious emotion.
She had a good plan. She had to stick with it. How it affected Vic shouldn’t matter to her.
In spite of his approval of what she had done for her grandmother, it was a reminder of the many times she had put other people first in her life.
It was time to take care of herself.
Chapter Four
“M y girls.” Aunt Laura tugged a green apron over her purple tunic as she grinned at Lauren and Jodie. The three of them had gathered in the back room of her florist shop to discuss the flowers for Jodie’s wedding. “I’m so excited to help with this,” she said, tugging on gloves before she pulled some white roses out of the large plastic tub. She laid them on the large butcher-block table, then pulled another tub closer to her.
The store was closed and after they were done Lauren knew they would be invited for tea. It was a ritual played out many times in their childhood when the girls were on their own because their father was busy with haying.
As Vic had been the past few days.
An image of Vic slipped into Lauren’s mind along with their conversation in the truck yesterday. It had been a long time since she’d spent any amount of time with a man in a relaxed setting. He seemed like a nice guy and she regretted the fact that she couldn’t sell the ranch to him.
He had come to the house again this afternoon but had spent most of that time in the office. For which she was thankful. Being around him made her nervous.
A phone call from his brother cut his time short, and with an apology and a request to come back, he had left.
Trouble was, she and Jodie were going to Bozeman for the next few days to look at wedding and bridesmaid dresses and wouldn’t be home.
“Lauren, can you grab
But still...
“Your dad’s ranch goes back a few generations, as well,” Vic said, breaking into her thoughts.
“Dad was never as much a rancher as you seem to be,” Lauren said. “I think he only did it because he inherited it from his father. And though we stayed there, it never felt...like home. I always felt more like a guest in some ways.”
“Did Knoxville feel like home?”
“Kind of. But there at least we were at our grandmother’s home. She was kind enough, but it was still her place.”
“So, no real home base? That’s sad.”
Lauren glanced over at him, surprised at his sympathy, surprised to see him looking at her.
Their gazes held, and when Vic smiled, once again she felt connection and possibilities. Her breath seemed hard to find and an unusual urge to reach across the truck overcame her. To touch his hand.
Her cell phone rang and he jerked his head aside. Lauren crashed back down to earth when she glanced at the name flashing on the screen.
Alex Rossiter. The ranch’s potential buyer.
“Hello, Alex,” she said, disappointed at how breathless she sounded. “What can I do for you?”
“Was wondering if I could come by next week Tuesday,” he said, his voice booming in her ear. Alex was a large man with a large voice and matching attitude. “To look over the place. See what I’m getting into.”
As he spoke Lauren drew in a shaky breath, feeling as if she had to find her balance.
“I think that should work,” she said.
They made arrangements, but all the while she talked, she couldn’t help feeling guilty. As if she was doing something wrong.
Alex abruptly said goodbye and Lauren lowered her phone, trying to find the right way to tell Vic what was happening. Straightforward was always best, she decided.
“That was the buyer of the ranch,” she said, turning to Vic. “He wants to come out on Tuesday.”
Vic just nodded, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead.
She put her phone in her purse and folded her hands on her lap, staring out the window.
But as they drove back to the ranch, she couldn’t shake the sensation that she had caught a glimpse of another life. A life that held light and joy.
She shook off the capricious emotion.
She had a good plan. She had to stick with it. How it affected Vic shouldn’t matter to her.
In spite of his approval of what she had done for her grandmother, it was a reminder of the many times she had put other people first in her life.
It was time to take care of herself.
Chapter Four
“M y girls.” Aunt Laura tugged a green apron over her purple tunic as she grinned at Lauren and Jodie. The three of them had gathered in the back room of her florist shop to discuss the flowers for Jodie’s wedding. “I’m so excited to help with this,” she said, tugging on gloves before she pulled some white roses out of the large plastic tub. She laid them on the large butcher-block table, then pulled another tub closer to her.
The store was closed and after they were done Lauren knew they would be invited for tea. It was a ritual played out many times in their childhood when the girls were on their own because their father was busy with haying.
As Vic had been the past few days.
An image of Vic slipped into Lauren’s mind along with their conversation in the truck yesterday. It had been a long time since she’d spent any amount of time with a man in a relaxed setting. He seemed like a nice guy and she regretted the fact that she couldn’t sell the ranch to him.
He had come to the house again this afternoon but had spent most of that time in the office. For which she was thankful. Being around him made her nervous.
A phone call from his brother cut his time short, and with an apology and a request to come back, he had left.
Trouble was, she and Jodie were going to Bozeman for the next few days to look at wedding and bridesmaid dresses and wouldn’t be home.
“Lauren, can you grab
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