Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
TANDY
A fter Matthew’s crack about my fling, I’ve been avoiding him. Not because I’m mad, but because I know he’s stewing about it. It’s fun watching him work for my attention. I pack two donuts into a small bag, then grab my purse. “Blake, I’m headed out. You have a key. Just lock up when y’all leave. And the cats can stay in the spare room with the door closed. I don’t want them getting into stuff.”
Blake brushes dust off his face as he walks out of the bedroom. “I’m leaving pretty soon, but Matthew’s staying. Should I give him the key or just have him wait here until you get home?” The twinkle in his eye makes the teasing unmistakable.
“Either works. Toodles.”
As I step off the porch, Matthew steps outside. “You going to meet your young fella?”
“Yep.” I flash a grin.
If Matthew is crazy enough to think that I’d date a guy who isn’t old enough to drink, I’ll let him live with his delusion. I have other things to do.
I don’t date men younger than me. Never have. Except once. Matthew. He’s two weeks younger. After him, I switched to older men, hoping they’d be wiser.
Maybe they were, but nothing worked out.
Colt pulls up to the curb, and I climb in. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem. Why is that man on the porch staring at me like I’m sneaking you out after curfew?”
Laughing, I glance at Matthew and wave, just to rub it in a bit more. “He’s an old boyfriend.”
“I bet he doesn’t like it when you call him old.” Colt pulls away from the curb, then hands me a card. “Here’s a place where you can order a custom gate. Sutton recommended this guy.”
“Thanks, Colt. This just worked out perfectly. My friend Joji was going to pick me up, but she got busy making cheese. Then you called and asked if I needed anything. It saves Joji the trip to get me. She’s going to help me buy a truck. Once I get that, I can drive onto the ranch by myself.”
“Well, first of all, they are supposed to lay down pavement starting on Monday, and then your car shouldn’t have any issues. And second, I’m not sure how I feel about you tromping around out there all on your lonesome.”
“It’s sweet that you’re worried about me, but I’ll be fine. I might be old, but I’m not going to do anything crazy. I won’t go climbing any trees or crossing rivers in a canoe without a paddle.”
He shoots me a quizzical look. “Why do I feel like there’s a story behind each of those things?”
“There is. But the stories didn’t happen to me. I’m just using those as examples.”
Colt gives a low chuckle. “You crack me up, Miss Tandy.”
He’s such a sweet guy. And I will find Colt a match if it’s the last thing I do. He’ll make some lady a mighty fine sweetheart.
As he turns into the goat farm, I explain why I’m taking Joji with me. “She has experience buying trucks. More specifically, she has experience buying the wrong truck. It was way too big for her. She needed a crate on a string to get in and out. But anyway, she’s going to make sure I don’t make any crazy decisions.”
“So that you won’t be swayed by a paint color.”
“I’ll totally be swayed by a paint—” Joji’s place comes into view, and I laugh. “Cheese, my foot.”
Clint is standing in the doorway, back to us, and Joji has her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his middle. At least they’re both dressed.
Colt starts laughing. “She’s busy, but she ain’t making cheese.”
I lean over and tap the horn.
“No, ma’am. Don’t do that.” Colt can be bossy.
Joji peeks around Clint and waves.
“Those two haven’t stopped touching each other since she collapsed on the porch. I swear. They act more like teenagers than actual teenagers.”
Colt quirks an eyebrow. “That makes no sense. And they look happy, so what does it matter. Or are you jealous?” He dances his eyebrows. “Maybe I should be matching you with your old flame.”
I swing the door open and slide out of the truck. “Over my dead body.” I give the door a shove, and it slams shut, trapping his boisterous laughter in the cab. I don’t want to hear it.
I have no interest in rekindling anything with Matthew Gallagher.
“Hi, Tandy.” Clint tips his hat and walks to his truck.
Joji skips off the porch, grinning. “I was making cheese. But then he stopped by for a minute.”
“I’m not judging.”
She nods toward the dust kicked up by Colt’s retreating tires. “That your new wrangler?”
“Yep. Nice kid.”
“Come on in. I’ll put on my shoes and grab my purse.” She pushes open her front door. “And how’s Matthew?”
“Annoying as ever.” I haven’t said much about my past relationship with him, but my close friends know that I don’t speak to him. They’ve seen me avoid him and refuse to speak to him. But news that I’m no longer ignoring him has probably spread.
“I heard y’all are on speaking terms again.” She flashes another grin. “Spill it, lady.”
“No tea to spill. We were both at a backyard barbecue. And we talked. Like normal people.”
“Right. Normal. Neither of us are normal, Tandy. You know it, and I know it. You’ve just been at it a couple of decades longer than me.”
“Okay, so here’s the tea. Matthew had the audacity to imply that I was dating Colt. Dating him! That’s asinine. Not to mention creepy. He called him a fling.” I slap a hand to my heart, playing up the theatrics, and Joji is eating it up. “It made me want to fling Matthew across the room.”
Laughing, she swings her purse onto her shoulder, and we head to her truck. “Has he recovered from his wasp stings?”
“Now you’re just making me feel bad. How was I supposed to know that gasoline would make those things mad? Besides, I didn’t even know he was coming. It’s not like I did it on purpose to hurt him.” After getting in my seat, I stare out the window and wait half a second before adding, “But now we’re even.”
“Tandy! Have you spent the last four decades aching for revenge?”
“Five.”
She starts the engine, and it rumbles to life. “What did that man do to you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
She shakes her head. “It must have been one whopper of a sting. The mischievous gleam in your eye nearly disappears when you talk about him.”
“What color truck should I get?” If that wasn’t enough of a hint to change the subject, I’ll resort to talking about engines and motors, but only if I have to.
I park my shiny new red truck on the street in front of my house. I’ve been leaving my driveway vacant for Blake and Matthew, and both of their trucks are still here.
The door swings open as I reach the porch, and Blake lets out a long whistle. “Fancy! The color suits you.”
“Thanks. I thought so too.” I pat his arm as I walk inside. “I can’t wait to show Stephanie when I work at the winery on Saturday.” It’ll be my last shift out there because all my time going forward will be focused on the ranch.
“She’ll love it.”
“I thought you were leaving.”
“Change of plans.” He leans in close as I walk by. “What did you put in Matthew’s coffee? He’s been moping around since you left.”
“Love and light.” Snickering, I drop my keys onto the entry table.
Matthew walks out of the kitchen. “Did you buy anything?”
“It’s out front.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at the floor. “Sorry about earlier. I probably shouldn’t have said all that. Especially after I called you a cougar at the party.”
Blake beelines out of the room. Smart man.
“And how long did it take you to come to that conclusion, Einstein? Look at me. You really think I would date a twenty-year-old?” I hold Matthew’s gaze, waiting for an answer.
A smirk plays on his lips as he shrugs. “What if I said you look as young to me as the day we met?”
“I’d say you were an old windbag who’s going senile.”
“Tell me about your ranch and your new friend.”
“I’m calling the place Matchmaker Ranch, and I’ll set it up somewhat like a dude ranch, but we’ll only host one or two couples at a time. I’ll have to cut back on my other jobs so that I can make love matches.” I pull two Dr Peppers—the good kind in the glass bottles—from the small fridge I have tucked in the corner of the dining room and hand one to Matthew. “And my new friend is my wrangler and handyman. He’s overseeing the repairs to the barn and the construction of a new one.”
“What about the other buildings on the ranch?”
“They need to be built. The house on the land was torn down years ago. I’m trying to find a contractor to handle that stuff.”
“That’s what I did for years, Tandy.”
“So I’ve heard, but you’re retired.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” He glances at my dining room table.
I wag my finger. “Do not use the edge of my table to open that bottle. The opener is around here somewhere.”
“I don’t need an opener.” He unfastens his belt and pops the top off the bottle with the buckle. “Want me to open yours?”
I hand over my bottle. “You are like a teenager with wrinkles.”
“Pretty much. It’s called being young at heart.”
I take a sip of my Dr Pepper, eyeing him as I do. “Why are you working here, Matthew?”
“You.” He lifts his bottle, then nods toward the kitchen. “Thanks for this. And I have Kisses for you anytime you want. Just say the word. I’d better get back to work.”
Those amazing Gallagher green eyes have my heart fluttering a bit, but I won’t get sucked in by his charm again.
Hopefully.