With a long deliberate sigh, she gave up and dropped her arms. “Can you at least button up?”
“Yes, dear.” With great fanfare, he snugged up the zipper and fastened the button. “Better?”
Ho, boy. Her gaze couldn’t seem to move away from that tantalizing area around his fly. Seeing his hands right there, touching that firm abdomen, did funny things to her. Kam wasn’t muscle bound, just very fit. Lean and hard. And she liked how that happy trail of dark silky hair disappeared beneath the waistband...
Kam crossed his arms. “I feel like I should be hanging off a meat hook.”
Instead of acknowledging her faux pas, she spun away and raced to the door, aware of him chuckling behind her. The sexy jerk.
After pulling open the door, she said in a brisk and friendly tone, “Good morning.”
Clearly, Ronna was disappointed that Kam hadn’t answered, but it was Glory’s house after all. It was past time she got control of herself and her life.
And the sensible side of her knew, without a doubt, that Kam wasn’t in the equation.
Never before had she thought she’d enjoy feeding goats, but her cousin’s goats were special. Callie knew their names, not that Glory could remember. Same with the chickens. Farm animals who were like beloved pets.
Her cousin had taken to country life easily. Glory had needed more time, but eventually the slower pace, the fresh air, and the people had won her over.
It helped that she’d gotten a promotion in the company with Callie’s parents. No more nonstop flying from destination to destination. Now she could mostly work remotely from home, with trips to the office twice monthly, or when special needs arose.
Getting the animals out of the pens was easy. They were ready to fill the yard. As she’d been taught, Glory double-checked that the gates were all secure, then released them. Next, she refilled water reservoirs with fresh water and put out feed.
The chickens still worried her a little; she did not want to get pecked.
And the goats, with their creepy eyes and their eerie wailing spooked her.
Okay, so she’d never be good at this. She did well enough to give her cousin a break, and that’s what mattered.
Fortunately, Addie said she’d handle gathering the eggs.
“You’re getting good at that.” As if she’d been summoned, Addie stepped up behind her with a basket.
Praying she wouldn’t blush after everything that had happened with Kam, Glory smiled at her. “Good morning.”
“Morning yourself, Sunshine.”
Was Addie’s smile a little more knowing this morning? The bump of a goat kept Glory from wondering about it too long. With a laugh, she awkwardly patted the goat’s head and, keeping a wary eye on it, stepped aside. “Any sign of the newlyweds?”
“Not a peep.” Glowing with happiness, Addie glanced at the house. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have Callie for a daughter.”
That’s how Addie looked at it, but then, she’d claimed Callie almost from the day she’d moved in. “Callie feels the same.”
“My Tanner deserves the best, but I’d almost given up on him ever settling down. He was always so driven, so determined to make a difference in our town and to help others, that he never slowed down enough to really help himself.”
Glory had learned how dedicated Tanner was about helping underprivileged kids, especially those from neglectful or abusive homes. “He’s amazing, but then he had you to help guide the way.”
“I’d like to think I loved him enough to show him a better way than he’d known, but even if I hadn’t, I think Tanner would have found his path. From the day I saw him walking down the street with a broken arm...” Her voice faded beneath memories, stealing her smile with it. “God gave me such a gift when He guided me to Tanner. Then to give me Kam, too? I’ve lived such a blessed life.”
When the world blurred before Glory, she realized tears had filled her eyes, and she had to quickly blink them away. Since the wedding, she’d been far too emotional.
“I love how you talk about them.” It was something she’d never witnessed from her own parents, and never with such depth from Callie’s folks.
Catching herself, Addie gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “Listen to me, going on and on. Sorry about that. Guess I’m just floating on a cloud these days seeing my boys so happy.” She went into the henhouse to get the eggs, leaving Glory alone with her thoughts.
The hot sun baked down on her, and she inhaled the scents of the surrounding woods, with the richer scent of the animals. It wasn’t unpleasant.
Leaning against a large oak tree, she let her thoughts wander. She knew a little about Tanner’s wretched home life, and that he’d moved in with Addie when he was thirteen. Kam had joined them later, when he’d only been ten. In such a short time, Addie had gone from lonely widow to single parent of two unruly, needy boys.
