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“The redhead is Katrina. Annie is single. I’m just bustin’ on you. Do you want it to be obvious, so she knows you’re interested, or subtle?”
“Obvious. I don’t have any time to waste, seeing how I live three hours east of here.”
“Gotcha. Come with me.”
Annie first set eyes on Chris when he made his first trip to Bayou Cottage with his brothers. She saw him talking to Maggie in the barn, stealing looks at Annie as though they were talking about her. A few minutes later, he followed Annie out of the barn.
“Annie,” she called out. “Remember the long-lost brother you were asking about? Here he is.”
Chris barked out a laugh. “Really?”
“Really. The day we met, we were sitting on the dock and Annie asked if Justin had another brother.”
Chris put out his hand, grinning down at beautiful Annie. “Your wish is my command.”
“Are you really a brother? What am I saying? It’s clear you’re a brother. I’m Annie Casson, soon to be Markley again.”
“Chris Harcourt, of Mobile, Alabama. Er, actually, originally from Cypress Cove, I’m just finding out.”
“Gotcha. I think I’ve heard the story,” Annie said. “It’s intense.”
“Very. I’m here for the weekend. Will you have dinner with me?”
“Chris, long-lost brother, I’d love to have dinner with you, but I don’t have a sitter for this guy. Can I fix something for us at my house?”
“I’ll bring dinner,” he said.
Baby Stevie was squirming around, trying to get down. “I’d better get moving, or I’ll have to put him down in the grass.”
“I’ll come along, if you don’t mind.”
She looked up at him, at his handsome face, and saw sincerity in his brown eyes.
“I don’t mind.”
Maggie called out, “If you want to take a walk, go that way.” She pointed west, to the horse trail.
Giving a thumbs-up, Annie nodded to the back of the cottage. “Follow me. They have wild horses here. If we take that trail, we might see them back in the woods.”
“Wild horses! It sounds dangerous.”
“It’s not. If there are any on the trail, we’ll retreat. They are usually grazing, though, on the other side of the fence. They’ll come to the cottage tonight, after sunset. If you hang around long enough, you’ll get to see for yourself.”
They hiked through the yard to the trail. It was drier than usual, but there was rain in the air.
“It’s humid like this in Mobile,” Chris said.
“You’re used to it. We have similar weather. Being right here on the water like we are, we always wear boots.” She looked down at his feet in cowboy boots. “Justin warn you?”
“He said I could ride today if I came prepared.”
“You ride?”
“I do if Justin keeps his word.”
They high-fived and laughed.
“I take it you aren’t married,” Annie said, grabbing his left hand, which didn’t have a ring or an indentation where one used to be.
