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“Because what we discuss is between us.”
“You sound just like her.” That was a high compliment, even though I wasn’t certain he intended it that way. “You’ve gotta give me something.”
I pretended to think long and hard. My correspondence with Stone’s grandmother had started after she’d sent Stone to meet us with some of the ranch’s finest food. I’d written to thank her and maybe pry the recipes from her. She’d divulged a few, but I recognized her reasoning for doing so. Every recipe she gave me was a favorite of her grandson’s. I’d inadvertently made the food he loved over the years. Now I couldn’t seem to help myself.
His reaction whenever I presented a pecan pie or macaroni and cheese or chicken fried steak was one reason I loved to cook so much. Underneath it all, maybe I made his grandmother’s recipes because it was the only way I knew how to show him I cared. I couldn’t come out and say it. That would have been leading him on when I knew I would never follow through.
“Mitch and Juliana want to take the girls to Paris.” I settled on telling him something he more than likely already knew about his brother and sister-in-law.
A line creased his brow. “They do? When?”
My shoulder lifted and lowered as I covered my surprise at his lack of knowledge. The Jacobs family usually seemed to know everything about one another. “From what Ruby says, they can’t get a date worked out.”
“Why not?”
“Something about spring break being a bad time because Mitch needs to be around. Gabby wants to go to a summer camp, and Leona says she doesn’t want to go on the trip at all.”
“That doesn’t sound like her.” His frown deepened as he drummed the steering wheel. “I need to pick up the phone more often.”
“Ruby mentioned something about that too.”
“I bet she did.” He canted his head to the side. “Could you help me with something?”
“Okay,” I answered hesitantly because I couldn’t say no to him.
“I don’t know the first thing about Paris, but my brother and Juliana love that place. Haven’t been able to go since they had the girls. I want to make that trip happen.”
His generosity shouldn’t have surprised me, yet it never failed to catch me off guard. A spark of longing for the closeness he had with his family ignited. I had Daniel and Vivian. They were more than enough, but times like this made me miss my mother.
Through our letters, Miss Ruby had made their family real to me. She’d sent photos and newspaper clippings of their accomplishments. Stone’s sister had been featured as a leader of her industry in theWall Street Journalseveral times. His mother and father had walked a hundred miles over six months to raise money for the children’s hospital. Mr. Jacobs the elder, Ruby’s husband, had won first prize in the chili cook-off last September. I had a photo of him holding the trophy up, surrounded by all of them.
Over the years, Ruby had made me part of them with every little bit of news she’d shared. Her monthly letters were a highlight for me. I’d never met Mitch and Juliana, yet I cared about them. Somehow, I had a stake in their happiness.
“If you tell me whether or not it’s really true that a cow comes up to the window every morning for a sip of coffee, I’ll help you.”
His face relaxed in a way it hadn’t all day. “You mean Sissy? Yeah. She really does.”
“Don’t you keep her in a pasture?”
“Of course.”
“Then how does she get to the house?”
“Opens the damn gate.”
I stared at him. “You’re lying.”
He held up both hands. “I swear I’m not.”
I folded my arms over my chest, still unsure. He seemed to be telling the truth. “Have Ruby find out when they can all go. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Thanks. I—”
“You haven’t let them down.” His brows shot up as I addressed the concern that radiated off of him. “But planning a trip for them is a nice thing to do.”
I watchedthe world go by as the concrete and steel of the city gave way to the green open spaces of the countryside. I waited for that little tingle of fear I always felt when I got too far away from familiar surroundings. It never came, which brought on a new kind of scared.
As if he could sense the emotional direction of my thoughts, Stone said, “I’ve never been more afraid than I was last night.”
