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Lexi offered a strained smile and she murmured something about getting the salads. She moved closer to where Ellie and Mrs. Reilly sat in deck chairs, watching the sky tint rose and gold. Ellie grinned as she held her mother’s hand.
Jackson flipped meat patties, and Lexi marveled at how easily he seemed to be getting on with her father. Judging from her mother’s pre-church comments, she wasn’t sure what her parents thought of the cowboy, but he seemed to have won them over during lunch. Or maybe it was the fact he’d headed to the Bible College yesterday and graded their driveway as promised.
Jackson met her gaze and winked, and she retreated to the kitchen. She braced her hands on either side of the sink and drew in a breath. Where was this going? Was she letting herself fall into heartbreak? It wasn’t like Jackson had said or done anything apart from exchange a few too-long glances with her. She exhaled, shoulders lowering. Maybe this wasn’t something to pin such dramatic life choices on. And she didn’t really want to do that, to make decisions based on a man. But she couldn’t help the sparkles that lit inside whenever he smiled at her. “Lord,” she whispered. “I could really do with knowing if he feels the same way too.”
A noise from the front drive, the crunch of wheels on pebbles, drew her attention. Who was here? Jackson had released the ranch hands to have a night off in town, and they weren’t expected to finish the meal and movie until much later.
She wandered down the hall and peered through the glass pane in the upper part of the front door. Her eyes widened. Who drove a convertible around here? Maybe the man was lost and looking for the fancy Darcy estate next door.
She opened the door and moved onto the front porch and saw the car’s California plates. Then she recognized the man from photos she’d seen inside.
“You must be Cooper.”
“Call me Coop,” he said, brown eyes twinkling. “And you’re pretty.”
“Actually, I’m Lexi. Lexi Franklin.”
He nodded, his gaze dipping below her chin to her throat then straight back up again, with none of the eye-widening or gasps of horror she’d come to expect. “Jackson’s pretty nurse?”
“Your mum’s, actually.”
He chuckled, and again she felt a tug of easy appeal with this family. He swung a bag from his car—so he’d be staying—and then ascended the steps of the porch, gesturing for her to enter the house before him. He followed her through the hall, muttering “the place is looking better”—yes, it did, thanks to her hard work—then dropped his bag in the hall.
“You plan to stay a while?”
“For a few days, at least. Long enough to see this latest crazy scheme that my brother is trying.”
“What he’s trying to do is to save the ranch.”
“Hmm.” He studied her a moment and she wasn’t sure what he saw. “How’s Mom?”
“Doing better.” She gestured through the glass doors to outside. “She’s outside at the moment. She’s been feeling stronger, so she’s making the most of this nice weather.”
He nodded, tilting his head to the other car in the yard. “Someone else is here?”
“Jasper. And my parents.”
“Your parents?” Again that glimmer of amusement. “So you and Jackson—”
“Are friends,” she said coolly, even though the more time she spent in his company, the more she wanted more. Jackson might be under pressure, but he was also kind and compassionate, and she liked him.
“Okay.” His look of amusement saidsure, whatever you say. “Ellie around?”
“She’s out the back with your mum.”
“Mum?” He grinned. “I like it.”
“Excuse me while I get some salads.”
“Need help?”
“Uh, sure. If you can grab some plates from there.” She pointed to the cupboards, then felt foolish. He used to live here. He’d know where the plates were.
“How many?”
“Seven, no eight if you’re eating with us.”
“If there’s enough food.”
