Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
S pencer had his phone pressed to his ear while he jotted down the grocery list onto the back of a feed store receipt he’d found in his truck’s center console.
“String cheese is another good one,” his cousin, Lance, chimed in through the line. “Lainey is a big fan. But I think with all of those suggestions, you’ll have enough to feed a small army, not just a small child.”
Spencer had panicked that afternoon when he’d realized he had no clue how to throw a picnic that included kids. Truthfully, he spent relatively little time with anyone outside of his age group. Sure, a few of the cowboys back at the ranch he operated were younger, fresh out of high school. But he couldn’t recall the last time he’d been around someone who still ordered off the kid’s menu. Thankfully, Lance had a comprehensive list of kid-friendly items from his time spent with Sarah and her young daughter. So, when Spencer made a trip over to Main Street Market, orange slices, juice boxes, and, of course, string cheese, all went into his basket—along with a handful of other snackable, convenient items. It wasn’t his typical dinner fare, but for a picnic, it was perfect. He also tossed a few other cheese varieties, along with salamis, a crusty loaf of bread, and some olives into the basket, thinking Trinity might enjoy them.
By six o’clock, he had unfurled a canvas drop cloth left behind by the painters, spreading it out in the heart of what would soon become his family room. He’d purchased a pack of paper plates with a charming red and white checkered pattern on it, along with matching napkins, so he set four of them out as he prepared the space for their feast.
Despite the foreman’s warning about the electrical snafu, Spencer hadn’t anticipated just how dim it would be inside the house at this hour. With the recent daylight saving’s time change, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. It wasn’t the most ideal setting but canceling now seemed out of the question. And truth be told, he didn’t really want to.
He couldn’t quite pinpoint why he had been eagerly anticipating this moment all day. Between tending to the new horse and diving into a fence project that demanded more wood, sweat, and time than he had bargained for, Spencer’s schedule had been packed. But even while he completed each task, a subtle excitement simmered at the back of his mind. It was something to anticipate; something to look forward to.
Beyond Nana Jo, he lacked female companionship in his life. While Trinity wasn’t exactly part of his inner circle, he appreciated her presence. Their recent encounters had left a positive impression. She always wore a bright smile, and there was something almost magnetic about that. Something that drew him in.
But Spencer had no intention of pursuing anything beyond friendship. He doubted she was ready for that, either. Her world had been rocked, and and he knew she was simply trying to stay afloat amidst the turmoil. Dating was likely the furthest thing from her mind.
Which is why, when Trinity showed up fifteen minutes later, Spencer welcomed her with a firm handshake rather than a hug. It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but as she stepped back, confusion evident in her wide eyes, Spencer felt like a complete fool. Even more foolish when both Liam and Mia immediately threw their arms around his middle, squeezing him tightly. He’d just greeted their mother like an absolute stranger, and here they were, little boa constrictors of affection.
“They’re unreasonably excited about this,” Trinity said with a little laugh. She slid the strap of a canvas tote bag higher up her shoulder and met Spencer’s eyes. “It’s all they’ve been able to talk about.”
“Do we have to take off our shoes?” Mia asked, already toeing off her first sneaker before even crossing the threshold. “We take our shoes off at our house.”
“You’ll actually want to leave them on here,” Spencer cautioned. “I swept up, so there aren’t any loose nails or screws, but I can’t guarantee your feet won’t be covered in sawdust.”
“Should’ve brought your construction hat, huh, Liam?” Trinity said, bopping her son playfully on the crown of his head. “I think it’s still in the dress up box with the costumes.”
“Speaking of costumes.” Spencer reached out to take Trinity’s tote bag. “How’s the turkey one turning out?”
“It’s not,” she said as she handed off the sack.
Spencer couldn’t be sure, but based on the weight, it felt like it might contain a bottle of wine. Was that something he should have thought to purchase for their evening? He doubted she would want to drink juice out of a box, but for some reason, he hadn’t thought wine would be the go-to.
“I did find a good paint color,” she added. “But we haven’t started making it yet. I’ve been too busy at the floral shop. Speaking of, do you mind if I run back to the car really fast to grab something? You good with the kids for a minute?”
He nodded. “I’ll take them to the family room where I’ve got things set up. Take your time.”
As soon as she rotated on her heel to go, Spencer peered into the canvas bag, relieved to see a bottle of sparkling cider and a set of plastic cups tucked inside. Not quite as formal as wine, but something fun that they could all enjoy. He liked the idea.
“Can we see the horses tonight?” Mia asked almost immediately. Spencer had a feeling this young girl always had something equine related on the brain.
“We might be able to after we eat, but it’s dark so we’ll have to drive down to the barn.” It was a short walk, but through two big pastures with uneven terrain. Without a flashlight or a headlamp, they’d only have the moon’s reflection to guide them. “I’ll see if your mom is okay with that.”
A frown immediately downturned Mia’s little mouth. “She won’t be.”
“Your mom doesn’t like horses?” Trying to suppress a grunt as he pulled on the knees of his pant legs, Spencer lowered to the drop cloth, both kids mirroring him as they sat down on either side.
“She doesn’t like them very much. And she really doesn’t like that I like them.”
Now that didn’t sound like Trinity. From what Spencer could see, her children were her entire world.
“Does she think they’re dangerous?” he offered. Many people held this belief, and in all honesty, it wasn’t that horses weren’t dangerous. In the wrong hands and in the wrong situation, they absolutely could be. It was why he had such great respect for the creatures. When you gained the trust of a good horse, you were rewarded.
“She thinks they’re dangerous, and expensive, and smelly, and?—”
“What are you talking about, Mia?” Her daughter’s words had obviously caught Trinity off guard as she returned from her car, a big bouquet of cream-colored flowers in her hands.
“All the reasons you don’t like horses,” Mia replied, her tone innocent yet probing.
“It’s not that I don’t like horses,” Trinity said, directing her explanation at Spencer. Her expression almost looked apologetic, like she owed him one for simply not liking a particular animal.
“It’s okay if they’re not your favorite,” Spencer said, inviting Trinity to join them on the makeshift picnic blanket with a pat of his hand on the open space. She settled the vase right in the middle as the perfect centerpiece before lowering to the drop cloth.
“It’s honestly just that I haven’t spent much time around them. And from what I’ve heard, they can be very expensive. The lessons, the tack, the upkeep. Horseback riding is a pricey hobby.”
“You’re not going to get an argument from me there.” Spencer had been lucky to have been raised around horses on Nana’s ranch, otherwise he knew his own family would never have been able to afford his passion for them.
“I want to have a whole herd of them someday,” Mia said wistfully. Her eyes had a dreamy, far-off gaze, like she was speaking of some magical kingdom filled with sparkly unicorns.
“If that’s something you want, then I’m sure you’ll get it,” Spencer reassured her with a warm smile.
“I want dinner,” Liam declared as he made a face before slinking his tiny arms across his chest.
Spencer couldn’t suppress his chuckle from the boy’s sudden outburst.
“Liam, that’s not how we talk to adults.” For the second time that night, Trinity looked momentarily flustered, her cheeks coloring. She cut her son a stern look before her gaze softened and refocused on Spencer. “I’m so sorry. I haven’t been great about teaching them how to act as guests at someone’s house. We haven’t really had the opportunity.”
“Hey.” Spencer stretched to open up the first basket filled with all of the children’s snack foods and treats. “I’m pretty informal. And calling this an actual house is too generous. No harm, no foul.”
Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, Trinity still appeared uneasy.
“Go ahead, kiddos. Dive in.” With a nudge of his chin, both Mia and Liam scrambled toward the basket and pounced on the snacks, digging in with shouts of joy as they uncovered one treat after another.
“You didn’t need to go all out like this, Spencer,” Trinity remarked quietly, moving closer to him on the blanket as Mia and Liam occupied themselves with the goodies. He wasn’t sure why his heart thrummed out a faster tempo, or why his throat was suddenly parched. “You didn’t have to,” she repeated, “but it’s so nice that you did.”
“I just wanted to make sure they had something they liked.” Spencer brought the second basket closer, settling it between them. “And I wanted to make sure there was something you might like, too. Don’t know if you’re a charcuterie type of person?—”
“Stop it right now,” Trinity interjected, her eyes rounding as a massive smile burst onto her face. “If you have cheese in that basket, say no more.”
Any concerns about Trinity’s dietary preferences flew right out the window when she eagerly delved into the wicker basket with the same gusto as her children.
“Gouda, brie and blue cheese?” She nearly squealed as she juggled all three blocks of cheese in her hands. “Spencer, you sure know a way to a woman’s heart.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Spencer could tell she regretted them. Her entire body went rigid, like she’d been shocked with a jolt of electricity. Ignoring it, he brushed off any potential misunderstanding, knowing she likely didn’t mean it in the way it sounded.
“I’m a bit of a cheese aficionado myself,” he admitted, hoping to ease any lingering embarrassment. He wasn’t trying to win over her heart. This wasn’t a date. They were just friends sharing a meal before going over the important task of paint color selection. Nothing more.
“What’s your favorite?” Trinity inquired, already spreading an aged goat cheese onto a multigrain cracker before lifting it to her mouth.
“I like sharp cheddar the best.”
“I like string cheese the best!” Liam shouted from his corner of the blanket. The boy had dumped an entire box of animal crackers onto his plate and was busy separating each cracker by species.
“String cheese is a close second for me,” Spencer said, noticing the way Trinity’s gaze met his while she chuckled at her son’s enthusiastic response.
“I don’t like cheese,” Mia said suddenly.
“Really?” Trinity appeared surprised at this bit of information. “I thought you loved it.”
“Nope.” The young girl popped a green grape into her mouth. “I don’t.” She aimed a look right at her mother. “Just like you don’t like horses.”
“Oh.” Trinity gave a nod. “I see where this is going.”
“I don’t know how you can’t like such a beautiful and sweet animal, Mommy.” The poor girl looked almost pained to say the words. “It’s so mean.”
“Sweetheart, like I said earlier, it’s not that I don’t like them.” Then, lowering her tone to just shy of disciplinary measure, she said, “But I don’t want to discuss this subject any more tonight, okay? We’re here to help Spencer select his paint colors.”
“In the dark?” Mia retorted with unnecessary snark.
“Mia, I suggest you take a moment to adjust your attitude. Do you need to step outside to do so?”
Mia’s gaze fell to the blanket. “No.”
“Good.”
Spencer felt like an outsider in this intimate family moment, unsure of his role, if any. Trinity seemed to be handling the situation without any need for his help. But the labored sigh she exhaled, and the third apologetic look she shot his way, made a twinge of guilt sweep through his stomach. She’d suggested leaving the kids with her parents, and he’d told her to bring them along. At the time, he’d wanted to appear flexible and accommodating. But it hadn’t occurred to him that maybe Trinity had wanted a night off from parental duties, a chance to unwind as a single mother. If that was what she’d hoped for, he’d unwittingly taken away that opportunity.
The four of them ate their snacks quietly after that, simple conversation carrying things along. Spencer asked both Mia and Liam about their respective days, and was informed that it was pajama day at Liam’s preschool while Mia recounted her kindergarten’s dress-up theme. He remembered being so excited for days like that when he was a kid. Even all the way into high school, spirit days were his favorite. It was fun to dress up as someone you weren’t, to put on another persona just for one day.
And in this particular moment, he wasn’t ignorant to the fact that he was doing the same thing in a way. He’d tried to create some semblance of family with this dinner, something he had absolutely no right to do. But he figured that was only if he was attempting to pursue things romantically with Trinity. That’s where it would be an inappropriate overstep, right?
He let out a quick breath, unsure of his true intentions. Prior to their arrival, he would have said it was simply a picnic among new friends. But the glances he and Trinity would periodically exchange felt different, more familiar in a way. There was a warmth in her eye when their gazes would meet, and a subtle flutter of her lashes when she would blink away to direct her attention back to her children.
Was Spencer reading into this? He honestly couldn’t tell.
By the time both Mia and Liam had declared they were so stuffed they would pop if they ate another thing, it was much too dark in the house to even attempt to sort through paint samples. Even with the generator and flood light left behind by the construction crew, the true tones would never come through. Just when he was about to suggest they try again tomorrow, two bright white beams pierced through the front windows, moving along the wall as a vehicle crept closer to the house before shutting off the engine.
“Who’s that?” Mia asked, popping to her feet.
“My grandmother.” Spencer stood, then offered his hand to help Trinity to her feet. He’d recognized the thready hum of Nana Jo’s all-terrain vehicle, and figured she was out on her nightly rounds making sure the farm was buttoned up for the evening.
“Knock, knock.” Josephine Major rapped her knuckles on the open front door. “Anybody home?”
“Hey, Nana,” Spencer called out. “We’re in the family room.”
He could hear his grandmother’s work boots clomp along the subflooring, growing louder with each step until she appeared in the mouth of the big hallway.
“Well, would you look at this nice little picnic?” she praised as she took in the scene.
“We just finished up, otherwise I’d invite you to join us.”
“I had dinner down at the house with our new guests,” she said with a dismissive flap of her hand. “But I was just about to feed the horses their dinner when I saw the light on up here. Thought maybe the workers had left it on. Didn’t want the generator to burn through all its gas. Glad to see it’s just you guys.”
“You were going to feed the horses ?” Mia squealed.
“I was. Want to help?” Nana asked before looking toward Trinity for approval. “Is that okay, Mom?”
“It’s okay.” Trinity gave a nod, and then both Liam and Mia were off like a shot, each taking a hand as Nana Jo led them out of the house toward her ATV parked out front. Thankfully, she always kept an extra helmet or two in the back, so she was prepared for her additional helpers this evening.
“I was going to tell them to be safe but they’re out of earshot now.” Trinity angled her head, speaking to Spencer over her shoulder.
“They’ll be safe,” he assured, stepping closer as they watched the trio fit the helmets on their heads and buckle up. “Nana might push herself harder than a woman her age should, but she’s a stickler about safety when it comes to everyone else.”
“She’s an incredible woman.” There was a note of respect in Trinity’s voice. “I really admire her so much.”
Spencer was certain the same could be said about Trinity, and in that moment, he wanted to speak those words. But he held them in because that wasn’t what this was about. They were new friends, after all. Just friends.
As Trinity spun around, Spencer realized they were standing much closer than before. He hadn’t intended to encroach on her personal space, but now they were face to face, their breaths mingling in the cool evening air. Trinity looked up at him, surprise flickering in her eyes, mirroring his own astonishment.
“Oh.” She took a step back.
“I…” His hand found the back of his neck and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be standing right on top of you like that.”
“It’s fine,” she said, shaking her head. “We should. Um…we should look around. It would be helpful to check out the space before I help with paint colors.” She blinked away before lifting her eyes to his again. “I mean, that’s why I’m here, right?”
That was why she was there. The picnic was just an added bonus, and yet it had become the best part of Spencer’s day by far.
“You still want to look around?” he asked.
“I do. I think it will help with paint selection if I get a better sense of the overall layout and design of the house,” she suggested. “Oh, and that bouquet I brought—it’s made of all the different shades of white flowers we have at the shop. I think in the daylight it might be fun to take a closer look and see if any stand out to you. That might be a good jumping off point.”
He’d wondered what the bouquet had been for. But in reality, it was a rare occasion when he saw Trinity without a vase of flowers in hand.
“Genius.”
She laughed. “Hardly but thank you.”
Spencer held out his hand to usher her back into the house. “I’ll give you a tour, but you’ll have to overlook the sheetrock and the exposed wires and all of the loose four by fours. It’ll take some creativity to envision the final product.”
“Good thing I happen to make my living by being creative.”