Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The Ranch
A few minutes after Nancy and Poet left, the bathroom door opened, and the girl popped out. She glanced around the main room of the cabin and startled.
“That’s a goat,” she announced.
“Her name is Tempest and she’s really friendly,” Hadley said. “She loves belly rubs.”
The girl approached the couch where Tempest was resting. A reluctant smile bloomed across her face as she scratched Tempest behind the ear. “I’ve never seen a house goat before.”
“She’s potty trained,” Hadley said. “And sleeps in the bed. And there’s a pig underneath the coffee table, too.”
“Oh. Is this like a petting zoo or something?” the girl asked.
I grinned. “Or something.”
Mildred, Fig, and Lottie refused to be left out and they darted toward the girl’s legs in demand of affection. The girl couldn’t hold back a laugh. She crouched down to give the other animals some love.
Hadley was smiling and began introductions. “I’m Hadley. That’s Salem. And this is Wyn.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She paused for a moment. “Lenni.”
“Cool name,” I remarked.
“Totally. Like a rockstar,” Salem added.
“You hungry?” I asked Lenni. “We went to the town bakery this morning and loaded up on donuts and turnovers and stuff.”
Lenni rose from her crouch. “I like donuts.”
“Great,” Hadley said. “Take a seat. I’ll get you a plate—”
“Stay put, I’ve got it,” I assured her.
Lenni took the chair that Poet had vacated. Fig jumped up into the seat with her and nestled herself against the girl while the other animals continued to vie for her attention.
“So that’s your mom?” Salem asked.
Lenni’s face clouded with pain. “No.”
I shot Salem a look and then asked Lenni, “You want milk to go with the donut?”
“Sure.” She paused. “Thank you.”
I brought Lenni a plate and then opened the box of pastries and held it out to her. “Take any one you want.”
“You sure?” she asked, her brown eyes widening. “But how do I choose? They all look so good.”
“Hang on,” I said, taking the box to the kitchen. “I’ll cut them up and then you can have a medley.”
“But fair warning,” Salem said. “Fig will lie, cheat and steal to get your food. Do not let that dog near your plate.”
Lenni chuckled. “Okay.”
“Same goes for all of them, really,” I said.
The room was silent with unanswered questions while Lenni ate her smorgasbord of baked goods.
When she was finished, Lenni set the plate down onto the coffee table and then slid down onto the floor. The animals were still interested in her, but it was Mildred who she let crawl into her lap. She bent over, cradling my dog in her arms and buried her face in Mildred’s neck.
Her shoulders sank and she sniffed, like she was trying not to cry.
I took a seat next to Lenni on the rug and brought my knees up to my chest.
“Which donut was your favorite?” I asked her.
She inhaled a few deep breaths before replying. “The blueberry one.”
“No way,” I teased. “The sour cream is the best.”
“Yeah right,” Hadley said. “The bear claw with garlic olives. No question.”
Lenni raised her head. “Garlic olives? In a bear claw?”
“Pregnancy craving,” Hadley explained with a winsome smile.
“It’s weird, but the combination works,” Salem said.
“You’re an unreliable narrator,” I quipped. “You’re also pregnant.”
Lenni’s eyebrows lifted toward her hairline. “You’re both having babies?”
“Yep,” I said. “And you know what’s even funnier about that? Hadley and Salem are twins.”
“Fraternal,” Hadley explained. “Not identical.”
“No kidding,” Lenni said. “I wish I had a sister.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “I’m an only child.”
Lenni looked around at the three of us, taking it all in.
“I like your braids,” Salem blurted out after a moment of silence.
“I slept in them,” Lenni explained. “That’s why they’re kinda coming out.”
“I can braid hair,” I said.
“You can?” Lenni asked.
I nodded. “I can French braid, Dutch braid or fishtail. You want it, I can do it.”
Lenni fingered one of her braids. “I’ve never had a fishtail.”
“Well, today is your lucky day.” I smiled and stood up. “Hadley, you mind if we use your brush?”
“Have at it,” Hadley said.
Lenni sat in front of me on the rug with Mildred in her lap while I perched behind her in the chair. I took out her hair ties and set them on the arm of the chair. And then I brushed her long dark hair that fell to the middle of her back.
“God, you have beautiful hair,” Salem said in awe. “It’s so dark it looks black.”
“Mom says it’s because we’re Black Irish.” Lenni fell silent for a moment and then murmured, “. . . said.”
We all tacitly moved past the comment.
I was careful not to brush too hard, even when I encountered a snarl.
“You made a friend,” I said. “Mildred likes you. She’s not usually so calm. You’ve got the magic touch.”
“Mildred is such a funny name,” Lenni said.
“She used to belong to very proper people,” I said. “I kind of dognapped her. She’s a city dog, so who knows how she’ll do out here. But I guess I’ll find out.”
The cabin door opened. A blast of cold air hit the back of my neck and I shivered. The sound of heavy cowboy boots tromped across the aging wood floor.
With my hands still in Lenni’s hair, I turned my head ever so slightly.
I’d never met Archer Keel. I knew what he looked like because Salem had sent me photos but seeing him in person was a different experience.
He looked bigger, somehow. More dynamic. As if his mere presence rearranged the space around him.
Archer was tall, broad shouldered and he had a mustache . . . and the same shade of dark brown eyes as the girl sitting in front of me.
His attention landed on her first, but then magnetically moved to me. We stared at each other for a long moment until someone cleared their throat.
I focused back on Lenni and quickly finished fishtailing her hair and tying it off.
“Archer,” Poet murmured.
I gently placed a hand on Lenni’s slight shoulder. “All done.”
She didn’t make a move to get off the floor.
Archer came deeper into the cabin, his eyes not moving to Hadley or Salem. Instead, they remained on the girl. He shoved up the brim of his brown felt cowboy hat.
Salem shot me a look as if she was asking should we give them privacy?
But I was riveted to my chair as I watched Archer crouch down in front of Lenni. The animals came to investigate and sniff him. He absently scratched Fig’s side.
“I’m Archer,” he said, his voice deep and masculine.
It was low and earthy and . . . perfect.
“Yeah,” Lenni said. “I figured.”
Archer swallowed. “I’m your father.”
Lenni sighed. “No shit, Sherlock.”
A startled laugh escaped Hadley, who quickly covered her mouth and began to fake cough. Salem pounded on her sister’s back, momentarily drawing attention away from the father-daughter meeting.
“Where’s Nancy?” Lenni asked, moving Mildred off her lap and scrambling to stand.
The faint sound of an engine coming to life drew everyone’s attention.
Before anyone could stop her, Lenni darted out of the cabin and cried out, “Nancy!”
Archer ran after his daughter and before I knew what I was doing, I was running too. In my haste, I didn’t even bother with a coat even though it was cold.
The vehicle was pulling out and Lenni sprinted after it.
“Nancy!” she screamed, her legs pumping as she pursued the fleeing car. “Come back!”
The girl’s voice broke and something inside of me broke too.
I didn’t know her. I didn’t know why Nancy had dropped her off with a dad she clearly didn’t know. I didn’t know why Nancy had left without saying goodbye.
But I knew heartache.
And watching Lenni stand on a dirt path, staring after the car as it disappeared made a protective instinct inside of me rage.
In a few long strides, I stood next to Lenni, but I didn’t touch her or reach out to her.
I didn’t have to.
Because Lenni threw herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist and letting out a sob that came from the deep caverns of her small body.
I placed my hand on the spot between her shoulder blades and urged her closer.
Somehow, I knew that Nancy was the last connection Lenni had to her old life. And that connection had just been severed forever.
Archer appeared at my side. His dark eyes were filled with sorrow as he looked down at his weeping child. He appeared as though he wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t move or say anything.
I waved him closer and then gestured for him to kneel. He followed my directions. And then I gently pried Lenni away from me and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck.
His arms came around her in a tight hold and she pressed her face into the column of his tan throat, like she was attempting to burrow into him.
Archer looked up at me with gratitude in his gaze.
I headed back to the cabin. My three friends stood on the porch, and I wondered how long they’d been standing there.
Poet took my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“We need Muddy,” I said. “We need her now.”
“I already called her,” Hadley said. “She’s on her way.”
“We should migrate to the main house,” Salem said.
I barely registered what she said as I watched Lenni finally pull back to look at Archer.
Archer grasped her arms gently as he spoke.
Lenni nodded at whatever he was saying.
He dropped his hands from her arms and stood. Archer turned his head and his gaze locked on mine.
Something moved between us.
We were strangers and yet . . .
“Grab the troops,” Salem said.
Hadley opened the cabin door, and Mildred used it as a chance to make her escape. She bounded down the porch steps and darted straight for Lenni.
Mildred yipped to get Lenni’s attention and whizzed around her ankles.
I smiled and went to join them.
“Who’s this?” Archer asked.
“This is Mildred. She’s mine.” I scooped up the dog.
“Blondes . . . I can see the resemblance.” Archer grinned.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop my smile.
“Want to hold her?” I asked Lenni.
She nodded.
“Make sure you support her back. Dachshunds are known to have back issues.”
“I’ll be careful,” Lenni said as she opened her arms.
I gave Mildred over to her.
“We haven’t officially met.” He pushed up the brim of his cowboy hat before holding out his hand to me. “Archer Keel.”
“Brooks’ brother,” I added with a nod.
“Brooks’ younger, more attractive and charming brother,” Archer clarified.
“You’re a Leo, aren’t you?”
“How’d you know?”
I arched a brow at his devastatingly playful smile. “Lucky guess.”
“And you are?” he pressed.
“Not interested.” I crossed my arms over my chest and his hand dropped. “I’m Wyn. And we’re moving the hang out into the main house. Muddy’ll be here soon.”
“Who’s Muddy?” Lenni asked.
“Hadley and Salem’s grandmother,” I explained. “We all call her Muddy. Because she’s kind of everyone’s grandmother.”
“Huh,” Lenni said.
“This is actually their family ranch,” I went on. “And we’re all just living in it.”
An old red farm truck rumbled up the dirt road and parked in front of the main house. The driver was a spry septuagenarian with a long silver braid and an inner knowing that was downright spooky.
She cut the engine and then climbed out of the vehicle. A moment later, the passenger side door opened, and Poet’s grandfather appeared.
He’d moved to Huckleberry Hill not long ago to be close to Poet and his great-grandbaby. But I was starting to think that hadn’t been the only reason he’d relocated.
“Hi, sugar,” Muddy said as she strode toward us with a wide smile. Grampy wasn’t far behind her. She quickly enveloped me in a hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
Muddy’s hazel eyes dropped to Lenni who was still holding Mildred, and then her gaze bounced to Archer for an explanation.
Archer cleared his throat. “This is Lenni.”
Muddy paused for the barest of moments before smiling. “Lenni. Nice to meet you. Call me Muddy.”
“Okay,” Lenni murmured.
Grampy had a shock of white hair, but despite his age, his spine wasn’t at all stooped. Shrewd brown eyes peered behind thick black glasses, and they saw everything.
“I’m Grampy,” he said to Lenni as he came to stand next to Muddy. “Poet’s grandfather. Have you met Poet yet?”
Lenni nodded and curled herself over Mildred.
“Let’s go inside,” I suggested. “And give Lenni time to get used to all the new people.”
Lenni’s face relaxed in clear relief.
Muddy wrapped her arm around Lenni’s shoulders and steered her toward the house. “You like fried chicken?”
“Yes,” Lenni said.
“Great. That’s what we’re having for lunch,” Muddy said. “Grampy was going to help me cook, but he’s grumbling about it.”
“I’m not grumbling,” he grumbled.
“Does everyone’s family live here?” Lenni asked.
I smiled as they left and then caught Archer looking at me. “What?”
He frowned. “How did you know she was overwhelmed?”
“Deductive reasoning. She just met me and the gang.” I paused. “And I’m guessing she just met you for the first time, too.”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
“That’s a lot for anyone to handle,” I said, my tone careful. “You didn’t know about her, did you?”
He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
I was about to ask him another question, but we were interrupted by the pregnant posse and their beasts.
“Sorry, that took a bit longer than I thought,” Hadley said. “We all had to use the bathroom.”
“And safety the wood stove,” Salem added.
Poet looked at Archer. “You talk to Brooks?”
“When would I have had time to talk to him?” Archer asked. “In between Nancy dropping off the daughter I didn’t know I had, or Lenni running after her as she drove off?”
“Broke my fucking heart,” Salem murmured.
“You and me both,” I added.