“My apologies.” She nodded at the paddock. “I’m usually involved in training a new horse. And please call me Evie. You were telling me about your plans for the hotel.”
He gave her an understanding smile. “I’ll save that for another time.” He rose from his seat and grabbed his hat. “I should be heading back. I’m expecting a shipment of lumber and I don’t want to miss it. My foreman is a good man and knows what to do, but...” He glanced at the corral. “I think you understand.”
Evie smiled at him, relieved that he accepted her excuse. She walked him to the gate that separated the garden from the front of the house.
He turned toward her. “Would you care to take a ride with me? Perhaps on Saturday? I’ve only been in Serenity for a short time and haven’t quite found my way around. I thought perhaps you could show me the sights. I’m told there’s a spectacular lake not too far from here.”
“There is. Do you fish?”
“When I have the time, I do enjoy it.” He gave her a questioning look, his brows rising just a bit. “What do you say? Should I stop by around eleven? I could show you what I’ve donewith the hotel so far, and then, perhaps we could have a picnic by the lake.”
Why not? He seemed like a nice man and he already said they should be friends. She’d like that. “Yes, of course. Saturday morning. That would be lovely.”
“Excellent! Until Saturday then.” He gave her a slight bow, put on his hat, and walked to where a nice buggy waited in the drive—high-end, and brand-new, by the looks of it. The horse pulling the buggy was also superior quality horseflesh. He climbed in, tipped his hat in her direction and left.
Evie strode across the grass, her attention once more on Jake in the corral with the young horse. She stopped and just stood there, watching. Despite his lack of knowledge, the horse seemed to be responding well to him. Perhaps, like Teddy, Antonio, and herself, he had a natural ability.
Forcing her attention away from him, she retrieved the glasses and the pitcher of lemonade from the patio table and headed for the kitchen.
“Well?” Hilde demanded as she looked up from the blackberries she was rinsing.
“Well what?” Evie placed the glasses and pitcher on the counter beside the sink.
Aunt Felicity stopped peeling potatoes to gesture with the paring knife. “I thought he was rather charming.”
Hilde glanced at Felicity and winked. “Handsome.”
“I agree.” Felicity said. “Such a gentleman.”
“Would you two juststop?” Evie rolled her eyes. “Yes, he is handsome and charming, and I enjoyed his visit very much.”
“I sense a ‘but’,liebchen.”
“I am not interested in finding a husband, as I’ve told you before. And I don’t think he’s interested in getting married again. From the way he talked about his late wife, he’s still in love with her.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, hermovements jerky from frustration. “I wish Lucy had never started this…this...I don’t even know what to call it.” She turned on her heel and left the room.
“You still need to make the pie crust,” Hilde called out.
Evie stopped and turned around, then pushed through the door. “I’ll make the pie crust, but I don’t want to hear one more word about Mr. Parrish.”
Hilde laughed. “That’s fine. We can always talk about Mr. Hannigan.”
“Or Mr. Peña,” Felicity chimed in, as she scraped the paring knife over a potato, though why she should mention Mr. Peña remained a mystery. They hadn’t so much as spoken two words aside from ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ since she hired him.
“We’re not talking about them, either.” But even as she said the words, she glanced out the window and saw Jake gently smooth his hands over the horse’s withers, and an involuntary sigh escaped her. What would it be like to have his hands caress her that way?
She shook her head, then forced her attention away from the window and concentrated on gathering the ingredients to make the pie dough, but her mind just wasn’t on her task, and she almost dropped the canister of flour. Setting the canister on the table, she began measuring out the flour, but try as she might, her attention kept going to the sight beyond the window. Jake was in deep conversation with the sorrel—the filly kept looking at him as he smoothed his hand over her flanks. She imagined she could hear his voice and another involuntary sigh escaped her.
Suddenly aware she was being watched, Evie turned back to the women in the room with her. “What?”
Hilde hid a smile. “Nothing, except how many pies do you think we’ll be making?” She nodded toward the bowl on the table.
Evie looked down and stifled a groan. It was a valid question. The bowl was overflowing, and flour spilled over the sides to sprinkle on the table. “Sorry. I guess my mind wasn’t on my task.”
“Hmmm, I never would have known.” Hilde laughed in that deep, guttural way she had, and nudged her out of the way. “I’ll finish this. Why don’t you go out and talk to Jake? It’s what you want to do anyway. And don’t bother trying to deny it, neither.”
“You’re right. I would.” She handed her the measuring cup, removed her apron, slung it over the back of a chair, and made a quick exit out of the kitchen. As soon as the door closed, she heard Felicity’s giggle. “She’s got it bad.”
“That she does!”
