Jake flashed her a smile. “Somebody had to, and who better than me and CJ?”
“That’s a scary thought. Hey, which one of you wants to donate your hat so I can teach Isabel the card flipping game?”
“You can use mine.” CJ sliced a carrot and added it to the bowl of veggies. “It’s hanging over my bunk.” He paused to give Izzy a smile and treat himself to a glimpse of her. A purple tank top and snug jeans showcased the curves he’d be loving tonight.
She smiled back. “I got a demonstration of card flipping last night but there wasn’t time to teach me.”
“We’ll be in the bunkroom if you need us,” Millie said. “We’ll just sit on your bunk, CJ, if that’s okay.”
“Sure.”
After they left the kitchen, Jake lowered his voice. “She seems to like it here. Maybe that means you two will be able to visit often.” He smiled. “Or you three, eventually.”
“I’d like that.”
“We would, too.”
“By the way, have you ever heard of a game where you try to find safety pins in a bowl of rice?”
“Nope. Why?”
“They played it at the shower last night, and for some reason they want the Brotherhood to keep the bag of rice with the pins in it. Izzy gave it to me when I picked her up just now.”
“Keep it where?” Jake scooped the meat into the stewpot and added the veggies.
“I don’t know. I just tucked it into the drawer under my bunk for now.” He rinsed off the cutting board and dried his hands. He was done until it was time to make the Texas toast. “Evidently they think we have a hidey-hole where we stash Brotherhood-related stuff.”
“Why would they think that?” Jake added tomato sauce to the pot and pulled his favorite spices out of a drawer.
“I guess because they put Babes-related stuff in that big old safe of Henri’s.”
“They do?”
“That’s what Izzy said.”
“News to me.” Jake turned the heat on low and covered the pot. “Hey, Millie! What’s this about the Babes keeping memorabilia in Henri’s safe?”
She came to the doorway. “I thought I told you about that.”
He checked the pot and turned toward her. “Not that I remember.”
“They use her antique safe for keeping what they jointly own, like the autographed Tim McGraw hat.”
“The Tim McGraw hat.” CJ smiled. “They were so excited about that concert.”
“Yeah, the hat’s special,” Jake said, “but hanging onto a plastic bag full of rice makes no sense. Eventually it’ll get weevils in it.”
Izzy came in holding his hat and a deck of cards. “I think they just want to keep it pristine until the grudge match next week.”
CJ looked at Jake. “A grudge match sounds like what they’d do, but why can’t one of them hang onto the bag? No reason for us to be involved.”
“The way of the Babes is mysterious.” Jake shrugged. “They want us to keep it, so we’ll keep it.”
Izzy glanced at CJ. “Where is it?”
“Right now it’s in the drawer under my bunk.”
“I guess that’s okay,” Millie said. “But I thought the Brotherhood would have a special place in the bunkhouse for all your Brotherhood stuff.”
Jake looked puzzled. “Like what?”
“Souvenirs, photo albums, sentimental things you can’t replace.”
“We don’t have souvenirs and photo albums.”
“What about things related to your oath?”
“It’s all up here.” Jake tapped his head. “Now I’m curious about this rice game, though.”
“I’ll fetch it.” CJ slipped past Izzy and breathed in her scent in the process. Got slightly high doing that. Being in love was awesome.
When he returned, Izzy stood at the end of the kitchen table with her back to him while she flipped cards toward his hat sitting in the middle. She got one in and Millie gave her a thumbs-up.
“Good job, Iz.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks. I have a long way to go before I’m in Millie’s league.”
“Don’t we all.” Jake stood watching, arms folded. He glanced toward CJ. “So that’s what all the hoopla is about.”
“Yep.” He handed it over.
Jake tilted it back and forth. “I see little glints of metal. How many pins are in there?”
“Twenty,” Millie said.
“What’s the object of the game?”
Izzy paused and turned. “You pour everything into a mixing bowl and without looking, you feel around in the rice until you find a pin.”
Jake’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Izzy went back to flipping cards.
“Sounds like a piece of cake. I wouldn’t mind trying that. How about you, CJ?”
“Suits me. We could play tonight after dinner.”
“Yes, we certainly could.” He gave a nod of approval. “Something different.”
“We’d have to ask, first,” Millie said. “The bag is the official property of the Babes.”
“Then we’ll check with Henri when she gets here.” Jake set the bag on the kitchen counter.
“Good idea. I think the guys will enjoy it, don’t you, Isabel?”
“Definitely. Great game. Everyone should try it.”
She and Millie were up to something, which tickled CJ to no end. Jake’s comment today at lunch had been right on. Izzy was one of them, now.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Isabel’s cheeks hurt from laughing. The men of the Brotherhood were in rare form tonight, teasing each other unmercifully all through dinner.
Their rowdiness was partly fueled by bottles of cider and a warm summer night, but clearly they were used to giving each other a hard time no matter what the circumstances.
They hadn’t let go like this during the wedding, maybe because the occasion was life-changing for one of their own. Evidently chuck wagon stew night was all about fun.
And what could be a better after-dinner event for slightly toasted and unsuspecting cowboys than the rice and safety pin game? When Henri granted their request to play it, she insisted they should go first to show the ladies how it was done.
Everyone got up from the long picnic table and gathered on chummy stumps around the fire pit. They didn’t need a fire for heat, but Rafe had made a small one so the smoke would keep away
