Chapter 19
FOX
“What exactly is the direct opposite of miserable?” I ask Bear when I stop by the house before picking up Mom.
“Look it up.” He nods to the phone in my hand. “Antonym of miserable.” He quirks an eyebrow. “Should I even ask why?”
“Wren said I was making her the direct opposite of miserable.”
He leans against the counter and crosses his arms. “What do you think, Lacy?”
Lacy has her headphones on. She’s stirring a big pot of ground beef for the handful of men who will be at the ranch today. She slides her headphones down when Bear pokes her. “Huh?”
“You think this guy has a chance with Wren?” Bear asks her.
“That’s not what I asked.”
Lacy grins at me. “Oh my gosh! The lady who’s staying at Heaven who biked into Rupert’s sign?”
“Yeah.” I decide not to correct her by telling her that Wren’s staying at my cabin right now. Lacy would be over at my place in two seconds flat, with a pan of brownies and talking to Wren until Wren’s ear falls off.
Lacy studies my face, frowning. “I thought there was something different about you.” She steps closer. “Oh. My. Gosh. You’re smiling! You’ve caught the same thing Bear came down with not too long ago.”
“And if you’re lucky,” Bear says, chuckling, “it’s a chronic, lifelong disease.”
I roll my eyes. “I got to go. Just wanted to stop in and give you that.” I nod toward the paperwork on the counter.
That’s the schedule. Keep them to it. Don’t work them through lunch.
” I level him with a stare. “Lacy’s making lunch for everyone and she’s filling the coolers with beverages and ice.
You’ll be near that limestone ledge on the far side of the pasture around lunch.
They can sit there and relax for a while and you can talk to them about what sick versus healthy cows, behavior, appetite, physical appearance, what to look out for, that kind of…
stuff. Don’t run them ragged. Ease up a little and don’t grumble. ”
Lacy chuckles. “That’s like telling the sun not to shine.”
Bear reaches over and tugs Lacy’s thick, blond braid. “I’ll play nice, but I don’t want them to think they’re at Disney.”
On the way to Paradise Springs, I take another quick stop at my property and drop off some more boards and a couple gallons of sealer. I startle a family of deer on the far edge of the property when I drive up to the house.
It’s been a while since I’ve been inside the house.
It needs a lot of work, and over the years I’ve chipped away and done some things—put on a new tin roof, refinished the floors and installed new drywall where needed but lately I’ve been ignoring it.
I set the boards and the sealer inside, then walk through the house and mentally note what I should accomplish next.
As I do, though, I know that I’m making it into a house Wren would love.
A house that she’d want to raise a baby in.
A house she would want to share with me.
But when I lock up the house and walk to the pickup, I remember what Wren said.
How she had enough money to move to France if she wanted.
There’s no way she would want to move here with me.
I need to temper my expectations, realize that this—her and me—may be short term, and I can’t force it.
Because my property, with its old Cracker house in need of rejuvenation, partially surrounded by a marsh filled with gators and mosquitos, with a bumpy trip into the small town of Paradise Springs, is a far cry from France.
Even if I swap out my cowboy hat for a beret.
Danni calls when I get back on the road to Paradise Springs. “Somebody posted that photo of Wren early this morning. I just found it. It’s got a million views. I’m on my way over to your place now to talk to her.”
“I’m not there. But you can let yourself in if she doesn’t answer.” I pause. “Why the heck do so many people care about a woman biking into a sign?”
“Because… I can’t tell you.” She sighs. “You don’t know her real name, do you?”
“No.”
“You’ll have to talk to her about that.”
I haven’t even tried to guess. It’s not my business. Until she tells me, I need to focus on her—the woman who’s in front of me. Even if her real name isn’t Wren, I’m beginning to know her heart. That’s all that counts.
Bella is there when I pick up Mom. “She’s ready to go,” Bella says. “Been waiting for a good two hours but we’ve been keeping busy working on a puzzle and taking walks.”
I kiss Mom on the cheek and tell her she looks beautiful. She beams. She’s dressed up like she’s going to church and she’s determinedly clutching two purses instead of one. “I can’t wait to see those cows, John,” she tells me as I escort her to the pickup and we head back to May Ranch.
“Good, because they’ve been asking about you, and they’ll be pleased you dressed up to see them.”
“I dressed up for you.” She laughs, patting my cheek. “Because maybe later you’ll take me out to eat after we see the cows.”
“I will. And you’ll meet my friend Wren, who might go with us.”
“Is Wren a woman or a bird?” she asks, teasing.
“A woman.”
Her whole face lights up, like I’m getting married. “Thank goodness for that.”
“She’s just a friend,” I tell her, hoping I’m wrong.
“That’s okay, John. I just wasn’t that excited about meeting a pet bird.” She tucks her two purses next to her and grins at me while I drive back to the house.
Danni calls. I answer on speaker. “Mom and I should be back in a few minutes,” I tell her.
“Wren’s not here.”
“What do you mean she’s not there? Did you let yourself in and check the whole house? She could be sleeping.”
“She wrote a note saying she walked with Monster back to her cottage to get some things but would be back soon.”
I groan. “Okay. Mom and I will swing by her cottage to see if she’s still there.” I backtrack to Heaven.