Page 21 of The Cowboy’s Forever Promise

June pulled her toward the porch steps. “You are in for a treat. Arlene is the best cook.”

“Welcome, Abby,” Arlene called out.

“Thanks, Arlene so much for having me. You have a lovely home.” From her handbag she took a small gift and handed it to Arlene. She’d brought a few presents along to give to June’s new family. “Just a small gift to thank you.”

Arlene hugged her. “That is so sweet of you, thank you. Come on in. I can’t wait to open this. It’s so beautifully gift-wrapped.”

“It’s just something very small, a multifunctional cloth,” Abby said as she followed Arlene into the house. “The Japanese call them furoshiki. Foru means bath and shiki means something to spread out.”

Oh, my word, she was talking way too much, but she couldn’t stop now. “Uhm … the public bath has been part of the Japanese culture for centuries. People used to wrap everything they needed for a bath in a big, square cloth which they’d spread on the changing room floor to stand on while undressing. Anyway, you can wrap a bottle of wine or candles or anything odd-shaped. They’re also reusable.”

“How charming.” Arlene looked slightly overwhelmed.

“Sorry, I get so excited about what I do.” Abby smiled.

“So, is this all part of what you do?” Arlene asked.

“Don’t get me started,” Abby warned with a smile, “I won’t stop. I’ll tell you all about it over a cup of tea one day.”

It was, as June had promised, a lovely lunch and Abby smiled and chatted with everyone, but her eyes kept straying to the door.

What was wrong with her? She should be pleased Carson wasn’t here, not disappointed. Disappointed? That was ridiculous. Why would she be disappointed?

As her head turned toward the door again, she caught Willow’s eyes. Quickly looking away, she turned to speak to June. Willow couldn’t possibly know what she was thinking, could she? It wasn’t just a little disconcerting that she read minds as June had mentioned. Being the subject of her scrutiny was downright disturbing.

“So what time are we leaving for Bozeman?” Arlene asked. “Abby, let me pick you up and we’ll meet the others at the ranch, what do you say?”

“Why don’t you come for breakfast?” Willow asked as she got up, her eyes dancing with mirth. “We can leave afterward?”

“What a great idea,” Arlene said as everyone got up from the table. “Abby, June has probably told you about Isabella, who cooks for all of us. Well, her breakfasts are out of this world.”

Without anyone saying anything, they all moved to the kitchen where amidst teasing and laughter, the dishes were washed and the kitchen tidied up.

Nobody was organizing the process, and Abby had to bite her lip not to take over. To her surprise, it went quickly. Within half an hour, all the dishes were washed, the counter tops cleaned. Again, she had to put her hands in the pockets of her jeans not to start decluttering, but at least everything had been put away.

Abby made sure she stayed close to June and made a point of not looking at Willow. Saying goodbye and rounding up the dogs seemed to take a while but eventually they were all outside.

Arlene turned back. “June, just wait a moment please?” As Arlene disappeared into the house, Abby said goodbye to Cooper and Becket and their wives and dogs—they’d all arrived in the same truck. By the time she’d finished, Dylan was ready to go.

“If you don’t mind stopping at the guest house?” Abby asked as she got into the truck. “Everything I need for taking the measurements as well as the storage containers I’ve brought are in my car.”

“Of course,” June said. “You’re the one helping us.”

Chapter Seven

Carson only arrived back at his house around six. He’d been out on his horse with his camera and George in a packsaddle. It had been a beautiful fall day and he’d enjoyed taking pictures of the rich orange, brown, and red trees on the ranch.

Photography had always been his way of shutting out the noise. Through a camera lens, he could control what he saw, focus on the perfect picture in a particular moment in time. As a child, this hobby of his had been his sanctuary from his mother’s harsh words and his dad’s long-suffering face. While photographing, he could ignore everything else.

He was excited to develop these. Hopefully Noah Felix, the owner of the gallery in Spokane, would like them as well. On the back of a horse had always been his happy place, but today he was restless.

As he stepped into his house, he checked his phone for the first time since this morning. Arlene had texted to say she’d sent leftovers with June but there wasn’t anything from Abby as he’d hoped.

His tummy rumbled. He hadn’t had anything since this morning’s sandwich. He put George down and left his camera on the table. “Okay, George, let me feed you and get myself cleaned up before we visit other people. I’m hungry and my fridge is empty.”

George just about attacked his food. Poor baby was also hungry.

Half an hour later, Carson stopped in front of his brother’s house. He’d showered quickly and put on clean clothes. Maybe once he’d eaten, this empty feeling inside of him would fade.