“No, you can’t have that,” she whispered, as she removed his hand from her earring, then covered him with a light blanket. She handed him a stuffed animal in the shape of a lamb, his favorite. He clutched the fuzzy toy, kicked off the blanket then turned on his side, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and closed his eyes. In moments, he was asleep.
She glanced around the room and smiled. For a girl who’d said she was too old for a nap, Savannah was fast asleep. So was Miguel. She was certain Toughie, in his mother’s room on the first floor, was sleeping as well, cuddled up on the big bed.
She quietly crept from the room, closing the door softly behind her. The house, usually a whirlwind of activity with the sound of children laughing and running from room to room, had grown quiet. Nap time was a good thing. She loved the quiet of this time of day, almost as much as she loved the end of the day, when the sun set, and the world breathed a deep sigh.
She walked down the hall to her room and grabbed her hat, then headed downstairs.
She paused with her hand on the banister. Anticipation bubbled through her. Such a small thing—to take a walk—and yet, she looked forward to it. Much more than she probably should. Perhaps it was just because she enjoyed Jake’s company. Or maybe it was the opportunity to steal a kiss or two—or ten—from him.
She continued down the hall, picking up one of Miguel’s carved horses as she did so and placing it on a side table before entering the kitchen.
Hilde sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her. Steam rose from the brew, lending its fragrance to the air to mix with the batch oflebkuchenbaking in the oven. “And where are you going?”
“I thought I’d pick some blackberries.” She opened the pantry door and glanced inside but didn’t see the basket she looked for. Closing the door, she headed to the cabinets beside the sink and looked in there. Still no basket.
“Alone?”
“Well, no.” She closed the cabinet door and stood next to the sink, then pushed the curtain aside and looked behind it. “Where is the basket?”
“In the hall closet.” Hilde took a sip of her coffee. “Who are you picking berries with? The children are all napping.”
“Jake.”
Hilde smiled. “Good. He seems like a nice man. Andmuy guapo,” she said, using the Spanish words for ‘very handsome,’ which sounded funny with her German accent.
“I’ve watched him with the children. He’s very good with them. Kind. Patient, even with Savannah and her million and one questions.” Hilde chuckled. “He’s good with the animals, too. That menace of a cat seems to adore him. And his riding lessons seem to be coming along very well. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. I heard Antonio and Teddy talking about it.”
Evie couldn’t deny what she was saying. She’d seen these things with her own eyes, including Flower’s behavior. “What are you trying to tell me without telling me?”
“I’m not trying to tell you anything.”
“Oh yes, you are. Just spit it out.” She grabbed one of thelebkuchenfrom the plate where they were cooling, wrapped it in a napkin then turned. “You’ve never been known for your subtlety, Hilde, nor have you ever been afraid to express your opinion.”
Hilde cocked an eyebrow as her gaze dropped to the napkin in Evie’s hand, then rose to her face. “Like I said, I think he’s a good man.” She didn’t blink, but she did smile. Broadly. Like she had a secret—or was about to suggest something just a tiny bit wicked. “There could be wedding bells in your future. Or not. It’s really your choice, Evie. You don’t have to marry him.”
“Why are you pushing me at him?”
“I think you finally deserve to be happy,liebchen, even if it’s just for a little while. But you’ll do what you want, as you always do.”
She took the comments for what they were worth, acknowledging that Hilde was doing what she’d always done, which was look out for her. “I love you, Hilde, but why do you think I’m not happy? Why does everyone assume that?”
“You’ve been alone for so long, taking care of everyone else, raising Gina’s children into fine adults, building this ranch to what it is.” Hilde waved her hand to encompass the room. “But there’s more to life than this ranch. You have a big heart. A good heart. You should share that with someone special.”
“Thank you, Hilde.” She pushed through the door, grabbed the basket from the hall closet, and left the house through the front door instead of facing the woman again.
She walked around the side of the house and her heart picked up its pace when she caught sight of Jake. He stood by the chair she’d occupied earlier, hat in hand, and talked to the cats and dog who sat patiently. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the animals didn’t move, obviously listening to every word he said. He patted the dog on the head, then rubbed one of his silky ears. Smokey leaned against his leg, obviously loving the attention.
“They like you,” she said, as she approached him.
“I think they do. They’re great companions, though they don’t say much.” He laughed and his soulful amber eyes crinkledat the corners. “I’ve always liked cats. Their independence speaks to something in me. I’ve never had much experience with dogs, though.” Smoky leaned harder against his leg as Jake continued to rub the dog’s ear. “Why doesn’t he go out with the men when they leave in the morning? I notice he whines and just sits there, watching. It’s obvious he wants to go with them.”
“We retired him. He’s getting too old to chase cattle, though he wants to.” She reached down and scratched the dog’s ear, too, then ran her fingers through his soft fur. “The desire is there, and will remain for the rest of his life, I’m sure, but he pays for it. One day out in the summer pasture and he limps for a week. For now, he gets to stay at the homestead and play with the children. Or follow you around.”
“Are you ready?” he asked, as he held out his arm.
She held up the basket, slipped her free hand into the crook of his elbow, then glanced at the animals at their feet. “Stay,” she commanded, though she knew giving the cats a command like that only worked one out of a hundred times. The dog obeyed, and stretched out on the grass, his muzzle resting on his paws. He whined as they walked away, but never moved from his spot. The cats weren’t so obedient and followed for a short distance…until their attention was captured by something moving in the shadows of the barn and they went to investigate.
She and Jake wandered between the bunkhouse and the barn, coming to the gate in the fence that separated the homestead from the grove of tall trees and the river a short distance away. He held the gate open for her.
