Chapter 11 #2
"But then I drove through these hills for the first time as a resident and not a visitor, past the rolling pastures and seeing the way everything turns gold at sunset, all of it hit me.
" He turns to face me, and the look in his eyes is certain.
"I'm home, Sunny. I've never been more positive of anything.
I'll always carry Kentucky with me, but Texas is where I'm supposed to be. "
I take his hand and his fingers close around mine, the grip sure. The contact says what my voice can't quite manage right now. I understand what he means, because I felt the same way the first time I walked into Willow Sage. I knew it was where I belonged.
Charlie checks his watch and pulls me to my feet. "We need to get moving. Rachel and her crew should be arriving soon. Gran's gonna send a search party if we're not back."
The ride to the main house passes in comfortable silence, and when we canter into the barn, I spot a big diesel truck parked next to mine. Charlie helps me dismount and two ranch hands take the reins.
As soon as we walk out, I spot figures moving on the front porch. A child's voice, high and commanding, cuts through the afternoon air.
"Uncle Charlie, we're here!"
A tiny girl in pink boots charges down the porch steps with a velocity that defies her size. Charlie barely has time to brace himself before Evie Freeman launches herself at him, utterly certain her uncle will catch her.
He scoops her up with one arm and settles her on his hip. "Hey there, Button. How are you today?"
"I have a new kitty." Evie pats his face with both hands and then twists in his arms to look at me with wide chocolate-brown eyes. "Who's that?"
"This is Sunny. She's my friend."
Charlie shifts Evie to his other hip and heads toward the porch, and I fall into step beside him. Rachel, Mason, and Cody are waiting at the top of the steps, and Rachel is already beaming at us.
"Hello, Evie." I smile up at her.
Evie studies me from the safety of Charlie's arms. "Do you like ducks?" she finally asks.
"I do. I got to meet your ducks. They're very cute."
Evie's entire face transforms, and she leans toward me so suddenly that Charlie has to adjust his grip. "Uncle Charlie is taking care of them for me. Kevin is cranky but he's my favorite."
"Kevin is a sweetheart. He just needs some love."
Charlie chokes out a laugh. "That damned duck needs a muzzle and a tranquilizer dart," he mutters, but his eyes are soft when they meet mine over Evie's head.
We reach the porch, and Rachel pulls me into a hug before I can prepare for it. Her belly has rounded noticeably since the dinner party and she has that pregnancy glow about her that makes her even more stunning.
"I'm so glad you're here. Charlie hasn’t shut up about you."
I glance at Charlie, who has the grace to look mildly sheepish. "He doesn't shut up about much," I tease.
Rachel laughs and squeezes my arm. "You're going to fit in just fine around here."
Mason tips his hat at me. "Good to see you again, Sunny."
A lanky teenager steps forward from behind Mason.
"Sunny, this is my nephew Cody." Charlie nods toward him. "Cody, this is Sunny."
Cody gives me a shy grin. "Nice to meet you, ma’am."
"Hi, Cody. I've heard great things about you." A flush creeps up his neck, and he ducks his chin like he's not sure what to do with the compliment.
The front door opens, and Gran appears with Oscar half a step behind her.
"Sunny, my dear." Gran takes both my hands in hers. "I've been looking forward to this all week."
"So have I, Gran. Thank you for having me."
Gran squeezes my hands and turns to lead everyone inside.
"You're sitting next to me," she announces, as though this is both decided and non-negotiable. "I've been meaning to get to know you properly, and my grandson keeps hogging you."
The dining room table is set for seven. Oscar moves efficiently between the kitchen and the table.
Gran seats me to her right, with Charlie on my other side.
Rachel and Mason take the opposite end of the table, with Cody beside his father and Evie in a booster seat between Rachel and Gran.
The arrangement puts me at the center of the family, and the deliberateness of it isn't lost on me.
"Now then." Gran settles her napkin in her lap and turns to me. "Tell me about your family, Sunny. I know you grew up in Austin, but Charles has been stingy with the details."
I glance at Charlie, who gives me an encouraging nod.
I'm not usually one for personal questions.
I've spent most of my adult life keeping things brief and redirecting the conversation before anyone gets too close.
But Gran asks with a directness that conveys curiosity rather than judgment, and the genuine interest in her eyes makes it easy to open up.
"There's not much family to speak of. My father left when I was five," I answer. "My mother, Marilyn, spent her career working her way up the ladder in the restaurant industry and is a chef in Austin. She’s the strongest person I know."
"She sounds like an amazing person. Has she visited the winery?"
"Not yet. She's the head chef at a Michelin star restaurant in Austin, so her time off is pretty scarce."
"Well, the next time she has a free weekend, you bring her out here." Gran's tone makes it clear this is not a suggestion. "She'll stay at the ranch. We have more room than we know what to do with, and I'd love to meet the woman who raised you."
"That's very generous, Gran. I'll talk to her about it."
"You do that." Gran pats my hand and turns her attention to Evie, who is pushing potatoes around her plate.
Rachel asks me about our new wines, and Cody works his way through a second helping. I glance around the table at these people I barely know, and I realize I don’t feel out of place at all.
After the plates are cleared and Oscar brings out a chocolate cake that makes Evie squeal, Charlie and Mason drift into a conversation about business.
"The Fort Worth Stock Show is a week and a half away," Mason says, leaning back in his chair. "We need to have our catalog finalized by Tuesday if we're going to make the registration deadline."
"I already have the pedigree sheets updated. My contact at the breeders' association confirmed our entries, and I think our lineup is strong enough to turn some heads."
"I agree. Fort Worth is a big stage, and the buyers out there will remember what we bring."
Cody sets his fork down and looks between them. "Can I come?"
Mason glances at Charlie, and some unspoken communication passes between them. Charlie nods.
"You've been working hard with Wade, and you know the horses as well as anyone." Mason meets his son's eyes. "I think you've earned a seat at the table."
Cody's face stays composed, but the flash of pride in his eyes is unmistakable.
"I'll be ready," Cody says.
The evening winds down with coffee on the front porch.
Gran retires early with a kiss to my cheek and a reminder that my mother's invitation is non-negotiable, and Rachel begins the process of corralling her family toward their truck.
Evie waves at me from Mason's arms as they cross the yard. "Bye, Sunny!"
"Goodnight, Evie!" I call back, and the delight in my own voice catches me off guard.
We watch their taillights disappear down the drive, and I lean into Charlie as the evening air picks up a nip.
"I should head out too." I fish my keys from my pocket. "I've got an early morning, and if I stay much longer, Gran will probably invite me to stay the night."
"That's not the worst outcome." He pushes off the post and follows me down the porch steps. His hand finds the small of my back. "But I'll walk you out like a gentleman."
We reach my truck, and I turn to face him, my back against the driver's door. He braces one hand beside my head and leans in, close enough that I can smell his soap, and his grin turns lazy in a way that makes my pulse kick up.
"It's still early, you know," he says. "Barely eight."
"Is there a point you're making, Hayden?"
"I'm just saying." His gaze drops to my mouth and lingers there before drifting back up. "Are there any plumbing issues at your house that need attention? Leaky faucets? Loose fixtures? I've been told I'm handy."
The laugh escapes before I can contain it, and the look of satisfaction on his face tells me he was aiming for exactly that.
I should say goodnight. I should get in my truck and drive home and take a shower and go to bed at a reasonable hour like a responsible adult with a job that starts at six in the morning.
"Actually," I say, and the word comes out lower than I intended, pitched somewhere between teasing and invitation, "there are several things at my house that could use your attention."
His eyes darken, and the lazy grin sharpens into something hungrier. "Is that so?"
"The bathroom faucet has been sticking for two weeks.
And the screen door doesn't latch properly.
" I hold his look, and the boldness of what I'm doing sends adrenaline racing through me, because I never flirt like this, or invite men back to my house with thinly veiled innuendo. Except, apparently, I do now.
"Give me five minutes to grab a few things." His voice drops to a register that makes my skin prickle. He presses a hard kiss to my mouth that has shivers shooting through my body. "I'll be right behind you, Sunshine. And I promise I'll take care of everything that needs my attention."
The way he says everything in that deep sexy voice sends heat pooling low in my belly. He pulls back, and the look on his face is equal parts tenderness and intent.
"Don't take too long," I manage.
He jogs toward the house, his shoulders broad against the darkening sky, and I climb into my truck, heart hammering. I just invited Charlie Hayden back to my house on a Sunday night with zero pretense about why.
I head down the lane with my headlights cutting through the dusk, smiling so hard my cheeks ache. In my rearview mirror, the barn lights flicker on, and I know he'll be behind me in minutes.
The drive home has never felt so long.