Chapter Three
What a way to make an entrance. Not only did Josh lose his balance—again, but like a line of dominoes, he fell on the woman standing in the hall, who fell on Alice, who landed on Brady.
The dog had magically appeared out of nowhere as if he knew Alice would need a soft landing because Josh was going to make an idiot of himself and fall after only minutes in the house.
“Oh my.”
He wasn’t sure which woman had said that, but Josh did his best to raise himself before he completely crushed everyone beneath him. If only the stars dancing before his eyes would go away.
“Easy.” Kade’s fingers curled around his arms, easing him upright.
“Never mind me.” Very, very slowly, he turned his head to see Alice and another woman lifting themselves up from the floor with Jackie and Cassie hovering over them.
“Anyone going to check on Brady?” Josh was teasing, but the way Alice’s eyes flew open wide and she spun around, almost losing her own balance, to check on the retired K9, he wished he hadn’t been so cavalier. “I’m sorry about that. Is everyone all right?”
Alice Sweet actually laughed. “Hate to break it to you, but you don’t weigh near as much as a steer. Now those suckers really do damage when they slam you against the fence, or God forbid, stomp on your feet.”
“No ma’am. I don’t believe I do.” Relief made breathing easier, though he still felt ten times the fool for having forgotten not to move so fast and falling on these nice ladies.
“I guess I should ask.” Alice eyed him from head to toe. “Are you all right?”
“I’ll be better when my inner ear stops throwing me off balance. I really am sorry.”
“Nonsense. Like I said, I’ve had worse happen to me.”
His gaze shifted to the other woman he’d fallen into. “I do apologize.”
“Not your fault. Besides, every woman dreams of being swept off her feet some day.” The pretty blonde smiled. “This just wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind.”
So the woman had a good sense of humor. Thank heaven.
He was embarrassed enough. It would only have been a hundred times worse if he’d actually hurt anyone, or if this woman had thrown a fit.
Instead, for the first time since the explosion, he actually felt like smiling back. “I’ll try and do better next time.”
The lovely shade of pink that tinged her cheeks broadened his smile.
“I should probably introduce you two officially.” Alice waved from him to the blonde. “Katie Lawford, Jackie’s maid of honor and longtime friend, this is Josh Coleman, Kade’s longtime buddy.”
Katie extended her hand to him. “Nice to meet you.”
As long as he didn’t move his head too fast, all was well with the world, especially with a sight like Katie Lawford. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“Okay.” Alice slapped her hands together. “Now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s get you settled into the guest suite and then we’ll work on feeding you.”
The women all turned and made their way to the kitchen, but Kade lingered a moment, placing his hand on Josh’s shoulder. “You all right, man?”
“You mean other than embarrassed to no end? Fed up with losing my balance so easily? Refusing to consider that this may be my lot for the rest of my life? I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
Kade’s brows shot up high, creasing his forehead before settling back to their designated place over his eyes. “Well, as long as you’re good.” He slapped Josh on the back and forced a smile.
“Sorry. I told myself I wouldn’t throw a self-pity party.”
“Everyone’s allowed to blow off steam. Let’s follow the ladies. Whatever Mom’s cooking is bound to make you feel better.”
Walking slower than he wanted to, by the time he’d made it into the kitchen, Kade had jaunted back to the car, retrieved their bags, and walked past him into the kitchen and down a side hall.
“You go ahead and follow Kade. I’ll have a warm plate for you in a few minutes.”
Josh came within seconds of nodding when he remembered that would not be a good idea.
Not unless he wanted to do a face plant in the kitchen.
Instead, he smiled and proceeded down the hall.
The setup was rather simple. A large open space to the right and another to the left.
Next room on the left was clearly intended to be a small kitchen area.
Cabinets and appliances had yet to be installed, but he recognized the placements for pipes.
At the end of the hall was the last room.
This room was finished. The walls were painted a warm buttery beige, the trim a not too bright white.
A queen bed with small dressers at either side faced a large screen TV on the opposite wall.
Beside the table and nightstand was a comfortable leather recliner with a view out the window facing a large expanse of Sweet land.
Not a bad way to wake up in the morning.
At the foot of the bed was a large upholstered bench with his travel bag resting on top.
“Bathroom is this way.” Kade pointed to the doorway. “The family rushed to get this part habitable.”
“For me?” That didn’t sit well, putting the family out to cater to his health issues.
“Not exactly.”
“What exactly?”
“Mom wanted it ready for Katie, but then I said we were coming and she shifted the bedspreads to be more suitable for a male guest.”
His gaze wandered back to the bed. He hadn’t even noticed that it was a deep chocolate brown with tan Euro pillows perfect for reading that matched the recliner, and a couple of blue smaller pillows for a pop of color.
Definitely not a girly bedroom décor. “So, what you’re saying is I kicked her out? ”
Kade shook his head. “She never moved in. She only arrived last night and Mom put her in Jillian’s old room.
” Before Josh could say a word, Kade kept talking.
“And stop frowning. Jillian’s room is very nice.
I’m sure Katie is perfectly comfortable.
Besides, the last time she visited for Garret and Jackie’s wedding, she stayed upstairs and didn’t have a single complaint.
I don’t think she even knew that the guest annex was being built. ”
All right. Maybe he hadn’t put the pretty blonde out on the street. So why did he feel like he’d just stolen candy from a baby?
It took everything in Katie not to keep looking over her shoulder for Kade’s friend.
There was something about that man that felt irresistibly magnetic.
It occurred to her that not having a man pressed up against her, even by accident, in a very long time might have something to do with her keen interest, but the truth was, had Kade been the one to fall on top of her, she would be laughing it off right now.
She couldn’t put her finger on it. Yes, the man was drop dead gorgeous with deep set eyes, high cheekbones, a five o’clock shadow worthy of a magazine cover and muscles that could probably crush nutshells with his bare hands, but there were lots of good looking, strong men in this world.
None had her so sucked in only a few minutes after being introduced that she was almost oblivious to everything else around her.
Not wanting to be caught peeking at the doorway, she’d just shifted her seat at the table and did her best to focus on the food on her plate when the two men returned to the kitchen.
Kade took a seat beside his wife, the two smiling at each other like a couple of smitten teens.
Josh sat across from Kade, beside Jackie.
As Alice scooped out warm casserole for Josh, Sara Sue came through the back door. “Morning.”
“Just in time for a late breakfast.” Alice smiled.
The way Sara Sue grinned, Katie got the impression that was exactly what Alice’s first daughter-in-law was hoping for.
“There’s eggs too.” Alice spun around holding a large frying pan with one hand and a serving spoon with the other. “Who wants some?”
Every voice at the table spoke up with a resounding me.
Moving about like someone perfectly at home in the kitchen, Sara Sue grabbed another bottle of juice from the fridge, and with her free hand transferred the platter of bacon from the counter to the table. “One of these days I’m going to figure out how you get the bacon just right every time.”
“Wait till you’re my age, you’ll have perfected the art of bacon too.” Alice took a seat between Jackie and Sara Sue. “Not that I’m complaining, but what brings you by this morning?”
“Well,” Sara set her fork back on her dish, “I need a little help.”
Alice nodded in silence.
“I’ve got a dog that is recovering from a shrapnel wound after a convoy explosion.”
Casting the occasional glance in Josh’s direction, Katie noticed an almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw at Sara Sue’s comment. She had an inexplicable urge to reach out and pat his hand or brush his shoulder. Instead she stabbed at her food and considered sitting on her free hand.
“The wound was healing fine, but his behavior indicates that he’s most likely also depressed.”
Again, Katie spotted Josh’s response, his finger tightening around the fork. Again she refrained from reacting.
“We’ve tried a couple of foster homes, but the dog was not bonding. Last placement, he tore at his sutures and set his recovery back.”
Alice leaned back, a concerned frown giving way to a knowing smile. “So we get him.”
“If you’re still interested in fostering.”
“You know I am.”
For the next few minutes Sara updated her mother-in-law on the dog.
Another German Shepherd, closing in on retirement age but who still had some work left in him before this incident.
Apparently, he saved several soldiers by alerting to the situation before the firestorm.
Poor dog had lost quite a bit of weight between the recovery from surgery and loss of appetite.
“If he can’t thrive here, I don’t know where he will.” Sara Sue sighed.
Alice reached across the table and squeezed her daughter-in-law’s hand. “Don’t you worry. If we can’t figure out how to help him, Brady will.”
Katie followed Alice’s gaze toward the dog sprawled out on the floor, looking totally relaxed, until upon further observation a person could see he was actually focused on the door.
More than focused, he was strategically resting between his people and any potential danger coming through that door. Smart dog.
“When can we expect him?” Alice reached for her cup of coffee.
“As soon as I can arrange transport.” Sara Sue’s gaze darted over to Kade and smiled. “An experienced handler would help.”
Fork in hand, Kade returned the smile. “As long as it’s before I have to report back for duty, you’ve got yourself a handler.”
“Good.” Sara Sue pushed to her feet, lifted the plate of untouched food. “I need to go make some phone calls. The sooner I get Raider here the better.” She turned to Alice. “Mind if I take this with me?”
Alice waved to the other side of the house. “Why don’t you use Charlie’s office. At least the food won’t get cold heading back to your cottage.”
“That would be great.”
“If you need a ranch vehicle, I’m sure something can be arranged.”
Sara Sue stopped short, set the plate back on the table, and threw her arms around Alice. “I love you. Thank you.”
Alice’s face lit up before all expression washed away and she patted her daughter-in-law’s back and made a shooing motion toward the front hall. “Go. The sooner you make those calls the sooner we can settle Raider in.”
And just like that, conversation shifted to ranch business, family updates, and a sprinkle of oohing and aahing over the delicious food.
This family seemed to be a Norman Rockwell painting come to life.
No wonder Jackie loved life here at the ranch.
Fresh air, Mother Nature at her best, supportive family, good looking men—heck, if Josh were a Sweet and needed to marry to save the ranch, she suddenly understood how Jackie had so easily married a perfect stranger.
As surprising as it was, she could see herself agreeing to a marriage of convenience with Josh in a heartbeat. Maybe it was something in the water?