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“‘Course you can. Just gotta get your dad to remember to bring you some time. Maybe if we both bother him about it, he’ll do it sooner than later.”
“Good thinking.” She beamed at me before darting off to join the other kids.
Turning back to the crowd, my eyes found Eryn again. She’d been watching me this time. I wondered if my interaction with Abby surprised her. I knew I wasn’t exactly a friendly guy, but she had to know I wasn’t cold-hearted.
We’d eaten together with Walker and her friends and the conversation flowed easily. They all asked questions about the ranch and the business we did, what the weather was like throughout the year, what it was like to grow up in Whittier. It felt natural, despite our coming from two totally different worlds.
Eventually, my mom and Gran had made their way over and introduced themselves. Just as I’d thought, Mama had been as taken with her as the rest of the town. Gran probably thought she found a kindred spirit. I’d watched them talk for the better part of an hour before Eryn excused herself to go to the bathroom.
“She’s just the most beautiful woman, Gray,” Mama had said. “Inside and out. I mean it, you need to take her on a date. I bet anything she’d say yes.”
Gran waved her hand excitedly. “Oh, yes, son. Take her out and woo her. A woman like that needs a strong manly man like you, not one of those Hollywood types. We need muscles and grit. A little bit of dominance.”
“Jesus, Gran. Please stop talking.”
“What? It’s true. How do you think I ended up here of all places?”
“I don’t want to think about it.”
“Come on, Hazel, let’s get you some dessert.”
Mama winked at me and wrapped her arm around Gran’s shoulders, guiding her to one of the tables near the deck.
I found Walker and had a beer with some of the guys, trying anything to keep my mind off of that woman. But everything either reminded me of her (like Walk’s friends talking about the waterfalls they used to take dates to) or bored me to death (like Mitch droning on about batting averages of his favorite players from the eighties).
After talking to Mitch about the latest Mariner’s game I couldn’t care less about, and getting into an argument with Mason about the best dry seasoning for ribs, I excused myself from the conversation and found myself searching for Eryn. If I couldn’t get her out of my head, I might as well face her head on.
She stood out like a beacon, her dress still swaying gently in the breeze, the last rays of sunlight catching the highlights in her brown hair. She was chatting with Mama and Gran, her amber eyes lit with the genuine warmth that drew people to her. Even I couldn't deny the pull, though I fought it every step of the way.
Mama's gentle hand rested on Eryn's arm, her blue eyes twinkling with mirth as she spoke. “Now, Eryn dear, you must tell me where you got that lovely dress. We don’t get such nice options here in Whittier.”
“Thank you, Sharon,” Eryn replied, her smile reaching her eyes. “There's this little boutique in Santa Fe—oh, I could spend hours there!”
“Santa Fe, you say?” Gran chimed in, her sky-blue eyes sharp with interest. “I danced there once, a lifetime ago. But you’re right, the shopping is top notch. You have good taste, my dear.”
Eryn's laugh was easy and free, and I noticed how Mama's face softened, the lines of worry that often creased her forehead smoothing out as they talked. They were drawn to Eryn's light, her sunny disposition that seemed unmarred by the weight of her last name or the wealth it carried.
“Sounds like quite the adventure, Hazel,” Eryn said, turning her attention to Gran. “I bet you have some stories to tell.”
“Stories?” Gran chuckled, leaning in conspiratorially. “Darling, I have sagas. But they're not for the faint of heart.”
“Then it's a good thing I'm not faint-hearted,” Eryn shot back playfully.
I watched, a curious tightness forming in my chest. This woman, who I'd pegged as an outsider with her fancy upbringing and city ways, fit into this scene as naturally as the ponderosas dotted around Mason's yard. And my family, they were eating it right up, their affection for her as clear as the open sky above us.
“Gray, come join us,” Mama called, waving me over. The last thing I wanted was to get pulled into their orbit, to let Eryn's charm seep under my skin any more than it already had. But Mama had that look in her eye, the one that said there was no room for argument. And Eryn’s eyes pulled me in, like a siren’s call.
I stepped closer but before I could sit, Mama motioned over to the back of the property.
“I was telling Eryn about the natural hot spring Mason has out there in the back woods. You know, she’s never seen a natural hot spring? Not in all her travels.”
Mama’s smile was elastic and her eyes were close to twitching. Eryn appeared to be trying not to laugh.
“Is that right?”
“Mmhmm, I told her she has to go see it. Nature’s true beauty. Why don’t you go on and show her?”
“Now.” It wasn’t a question, more of an accusation at how obvious this woman was being.
