Chapter 18 #2
Angle froze as if her feet had grown roots right there in the concrete floor. “Uh.” She glanced over to Henry. “You didn’t tell them?”
He grinned at her. “They hadn’t gotten to me yet, sweetheart.”
Angel sighed like announcing her pregnancy was the worst thing that could happen to her. She put one hand on her belly, though it wasn’t particularly bulging yet. But she was definitely pregnant enough for him to see.
“Yeah, Henry and I are having another baby in March.”
Libby’s chair scraped as she got up. “Congratulations, Angel. That’s great.”
Angel looked tired, actually, but Finn went to hug her congrats too. She hated the spotlight on her, though, so Finn quickly tapped Link on the shoulder.
“Oh, right,” he said. He moved his hands as he spoke. “I’m Lincoln Glover. I run Shiloh Ridge Ranch. Partially. I handle the agricultural aspects on the ranch.” He smiled at Wilder. “I’m related to Wilder, who runs the ranch with me, and Mitch, who has his Deaf Academy with his wife.”
Mitch shook his head, his hands flying too.
Link grinned at him and spoke back. “Mitch says they’re not married yet, but I told him they act like they are.
” Link half-rose out of his seat and reached for something in the middle of the table.
“He brought invites for everyone. They’re getting married one month from today. ”
While Link handed those out, Wilder said, “I’m Wilder Glover. Link introduced me, and that’s about all there is.”
“Really? That’s all the news from Shiloh Ridge?” Finn asked.
“We’re doing news?” Wilder asked.
“Might as well.” Finn picked up his last of his potato chips at popped them into his mouth.
“Well, I think we’ll have two engagements coming from Shiloh Ridge before long.
” He looked down to Conrad and JJ. “Gunnison and Camilla are pretty serious, and believe it or not, Rock and his girlfriend are inseparable. I’m pretty sure Uncle Bear has told them to get married already, because he’s sick of chaperoning them. ” He chuckled, and Finn did too.
Russell—Rock—Glover was quite a bit younger than him, and Finn couldn’t imagine getting married so young. Of course, JJ and Tate had both been younger than Rock when they’d gotten married, so love could happen at any age.
“Wow, Rock,” Brandon said. “Good for him.” He leaned over and said something to Lenore, who smiled softly.
“He’s so stubborn,” Wilder said with fondness in his voice. “But you should see him with Clover. They’re disgustingly cute together.” He looked at Dawson, who’d gotten food and sat down without a word. “Your turn, Dawson.”
The man had just taken a bite of his sandwich, and he looked blankly at Wilder.
“I’ll do us,” Brandon said. “That’s Dawson Rhinehart, and I’m his younger brother, Brandon. We work at Hidden Hills, where our other brother, Duke, runs things. Daws is pretty important there, but I’ve been hiring myself out to other places for a while.”
He glanced over to Lenore. “Right now, I’m working with Lenore Sawyer at her homestead northeast of town.
” He smiled at her, and they had some unspoken conversation that clued Finn in to the depth of their relationship just before Brandon added, “We’re seein’ each other too, and if anyone—literally any single one of you—says even one word about it, something—well, something will happen. ”
Brandon looked around at the group, and the intensity in his eyes told Finn to say nothing.
Everyone else seemed to get the same message, because Henry said, “I’m Henry Marshall, and Angel and I run Lone Star, which is a huge boarding stable closer to Amarillo.
And we have several acres of our own closer here to Three Rivers.
She’s due March sixteenth with our little girl, and Paul and Brielle went to the hospital last night to deliver their first baby boy.
She’s three days overdue and pretty miserable, so I think they’re both happy to be there and not here. ”
He looked at Mitch, who signed a few things. “He says his intro’s already been done,” Link said. “But he’s Mitchell Glover, and he runs a Deaf Academy—Signs for Success—over on the Eastern highway.”
“I’m Libby Jenkins,” Libby said. “I run Three Rivers Ranch.”
“I’m Tyson Greene,” Ty said. “I don’t have a ranch or a farm, and I really don’t know why I’m here.” He pierced Libby with a glare, and then Finn. “Other than Libby and Finn won’t leave me alone, and they keep insisting I should be here.”
“You’re working with your momma at Bowman’s Breeds,” Libby said. “You’re just jumping the gun before she’s ready to retire.”
Ty scoffed and reached for his can of Diet Coke.
“I’m Colt Franklin,” Colt said, lifting one hand in a mini-wave.
“Not Colton. It’s literally just Colt. I’m not related to anyone here, and I took over for my mom at the apple orchards at the beginning of this year.
She’s still around a lot, though, because she watches my son while I’m at work.
” He nodded, not getting into the messier details of his life.
“Great,” Finn said. “Thanks to the Glovers for the food today, and everyone be sure to get an invite to Mitch and Lacy’s wedding.”
“Keep Paul and Brielle in your prayers,” Henry said.
“And Ollie,” Link said. “Sorry I forgot to talk about him, but he’s really struggling right now, and if you have a few extra seconds in your prayers, I know he’d appreciate them.”
Finn’s heart beat out an extra pulse, and he wanted to know what Ollie struggled with. But he wouldn’t press for details that weren’t given, and he shot a look down the table to Brandon.
“Great, thanks, everyone,” he said. “And welcome to Ty, Colt, and Lenore, our three new people.” He smiled at each of them. “Now, Brandon’s asked for some time today, as he and Lenore have some pretty specific questions, and I think we all have something to contribute that will help them.”
Brandon got to his feet, wearing one of the most serious expressions Finn had ever seen on the man’s face. “Yeah, hey, thanks, everyone.” He swiped on his phone and then held it up.
“Lenore and I have two major problems we’d love to brainstorm with people about. Water.” He looked up from his phone. “Drilling a well is too expensive for her right now, and there’s no water on the homestead.”
“None?” Libby asked, plenty of incredulity in her voice. “What are you doing for water?”
“We drive to the truck stop and buy it in ten-gallon barrels,” Lenore said, her voice firm but quiet. “It’s not a good solution.”
“Expensive, too,” Colt said. “We use water towers on some of our remote orchards.”
“Water towers,” Brandon said. “I want to talk about that. I’m also scouting a site on the homestead for a possible water tank and we’re exploring watering her garden with a rain catchment system.
Anyone who has any experience with that, we’d love to talk more to.
And if anyone has any components they’re not using that would help us build a water system on the homestead, we’d be happy to take them off your hands. ”
No one said anything, but Mitch started signing.
“He says he’s pretty sure he has a huge water tank at the Academy,” Link said. “It’s a big, black plastic container. He dumped it out behind his shed, because he didn’t know what it was.”
“Wow,” Brandon said. “Can we come look at it, Mitch?”
“Yeah, of course,” Link said as Mitch signed.
“We have irrigation equipment,” Tate said. “Loads of it. I can go through our storage sheds and see what we’re not using and bring it to you.”
Lenore wiped at her eyes as Brandon tapped something into his phone. “Thank you, Tate. That would be awesome. You can even send me some pictures before you make the drive. If I’m down by Mitch anyway, we can come pick it up.”
Brandon gave him a big smile. “And then….” He turned his phone around, where he’d pulled up a picture.
“I started building frames for the solar panels we have on the homestead, but it’s a much bigger job than I think I can do myself.
Conrad has already volunteered to come help me with it, and well… .”
In the silent pause, Lenore took his phone and handed it to Henry. “We need help. I need help.” She swallowed and cleared her throat, her eyes bright, bright, bright.
So bright, Finn’s heart went out to her.
“Brandon would like to have anyone who can, to come to the homestead on Monday and Tuesday to help us get it finished and set up. If we could even get two or three of you, he thinks we could have power for Thanksgiving.”
She brushed at her eyes again, and Finn wanted to pull her into a hug and tell her they’d all be there. Of course, he couldn’t speak for everyone, and he’d have to check with Edith and what else he needed to do at his own place on Monday and Tuesday before he could commit.
The phone moved around the table, and when Finn got it, he swiped through a few pictures. Piles of lumber. Stacks of solar panels. Wheels. A sketch of the system Brandon was trying to build.
Brandon spoke about what they’d done there already and told them about the pictures. “We’ll feed anyone who comes,” he said. “But you’ll have to bring your own water.” He grinned, though Finn could see what it cost him to stand at the head of the table and humble himself enough to ask them to come.
Lenore sniffled and wiped at her eyes, but she held her head high as she looked around at everyone in the room.
“And, well, to be honest, we don’t have the equipment we need once we get the panels set up,” Brandon said, as Finn catalogued the number of times he’d used the word “we.”
He wondered if Brandon had been dating Lenore before he’d started working at the homestead. They seemed like they’d known each other a while, and Brandon had always been fairly secretive about the women he dated.
Lenore stood up and put her hand on his arm. He looked at her, something amazing passing between them. Then he fell back a step, and Lenore drew in a deep breath.
“I just want to say how nervous I was to come here,” she said. “But you-all have been so nice, and I feel so comfortable here. It’s always been very hard for me to ask for help, but I can see now that if I want to keep the homestead, I can’t do it alone.”
Finn smiled at her and nodded, hoping to encourage her. Not only that, but he was thrilled she felt comfortable here with them.
“So I’m asking for donations of any kind. Time, money, equipment. Anything that will help me get the solar power system set up and running.” She nodded as Brandon took his phone back. She sat back down, and Brandon smiled at everyone.
“Yeah,” he said, and he returned to his seat too.
“All right. That’s it for us. We can keep talking about this stuff here, or anyone who has something can text me.
” He grinned around at everyone. “And you can say something about me and Lenore now—as long as it’s about how amazing and beautiful she is, or how lucky she is to have me as a boyfriend. ”
Finn pulled in a breath, his laughter bubbling to the surface. Link finished signing, and thankfully, Mitch filled the room with his laughter first, his hands flying.
Link laughed too, and Finn couldn’t stop himself them. He laughed along with several others as Link said, “Mitch says she must be farsighted.”
Brandon tipped his head back and laughed too, and Finn’s heart filled with love for such good friends—especially once the laughter died down and the volunteers to come help with the solar system started getting voiced.