Trace’s warm chuckle hit her in the chest and she scowled at him. “You did that on purpose,” she said. “What if I’d fallen off?”
“I’d never let anything happen to you,” Trace said letting Dandy splash across the stream to follow the old road to the onetime sawmill.
Marissa turned startled eyes to the cowboy studying his serious face and realizing that he meant what he said. What would it be like to be taken care of? She wondered. She’d been largely on her own for the past four years. Even living with Ray hadn’t brought any sense of security.
Ray wasn’t a bad guy. He was probably too easy-going for his own good, but he had no real ambition and wanted life to stay unencumbered, where Marissa had wanted something more.
She had worked her way through college, earning her teaching degree then working hard to add a variety of specialties to her teaching certificate, so that she could get the job she wanted the most. Still, it hadn’t been enough. She had wanted the whole enchilada; a home, a husband, a family. Now she was back to doing everything on her own again. Sure, she had Kade and Michelle, but they wouldn’t understand her thoughts, and after the first day, she hadn’t discussed it further with her sister.
No, she was on her own and she had two choices to make. Did she want to be a single mother, struggling to keep it together, or did she let go of this dream and start over again somewhere down the road?
“Dinner would be nice,” Marissa said not sure how to fill the silence between them.
“Mommy,” Kadence said as they made the turn around the road that opened up in front of the long dark wood building with the massive sliding glass doors.
“Yes, Mommy,” Marissa agreed. “We’ll have lunch with mommy today before your nap.”
“No nap!” the boy said shaking his head but grinning.
Marissa tapped her nephew on the nose and smiled. He was growing so fast but was so full of love and the wonder of everything being new and fresh.
“Whoa,” Trace called pulling Dandy to a stop in front of the big building. Behind them, he could hear the water wheel splashing as it creaked slowly generating power to work the machines inside.
“I'll put Dandy up,” he said, “then head back. If you need me just holler,” he finished indicating the cell phone attached to his belt. “Your sister has the number.”
Marissa climbed out of the small cart reaching for Kadence who dashed to the big doors pounding on them with both hands.
“Thank you again,” Marissa said as Trace lifted the reins again.
“How about I pick you up at six tonight,” Trace said turning and smiling at her.
“Sounds like a plan,” Marissa said turning and racing to catch up with Kadence.
***
“What are you two doing here?” Michelle called running toward her little boy and bending low to scoop him into a tight hug.
“We thought we’d come down and check on you,” Marissa said. “I figured we could have lunch together then I’ll take Kadence up to the house for his nap.”
“No nap!” Kadence shouted turning to glare at his aunt.
“You’ll have a nap today,” Michelle affirmed, kissing his chubby cheek before putting him down to go find his toys. “He isn’t being difficult is he?” she asked turning to walk back behind a tall counter covered in cards and brochures.
“No, he has been an angel,” Marissa said. “Mrs. Wade fixed him up with oatmeal this morning, and I had a big breakfast.”
“How d'you get here?” Michelle asked her brow knitting in confusion. “I didn’t hear a truck.”
“Trace brought us in the pony cart,” Marissa said noting the lift to her sister’s dark eyebrows.
“Don’t start thinking I have the hots for some dumb cowboy,” Marissa said. “I’ve only been here a week, and I’ll be headed home before long.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Michelle protested watching as Kadence plowed into his big toy box.
“No, but you thought it,” Marissa said. “Now what can I do to help? I have no intention of sitting around doing nothing all summer.”
Michelle plopped a ream of paper into Marissa’s hands then pointed to a copy machine. “I’ve just sent the file if you’ll make four hundred copies for me please,” she said sweetly. “I’ll put in an order for lunch and see if Kade will bring it to us,” she finished twirling on the spot and marching to the phone.
Marissa spent a happy couple of hours working with her sister as Michelle explained the job they were hurrying to complete. Summer was an especially busy time for her with designing and printing loads of wedding invitations and party cards.
“You want to do anything special tonight,” Michelle asked, a while later as she boxed up the pretty flyers she had made. “We could go out, or rent a movie.”
Marissa felt her cheeks heat knowing what her sister would say when she said she was going out to dinner with Trace, but she might as well face the music now.
“I’m going to that new steak house in town with Trace,” she said casting a hard glare at her sister. “No, it is not a date.”
“Okay,” Michelle said biting her lip to keep from saying something she was sure to regret. “Sounds like you made a friend.”
“I guess,” Marissa admitted. “I just figure I don’t have anything better to do and a body can only sleep so much.”
“Tell that to Chase and Phil,” Michelle said with a laugh. “Last night was the first time they’ve gotten more than four hours sleep in one stretch for the past three months.”
Marissa laughed. “They did seem pretty shocked when they came home and Megan was asleep in her crib. That was all Trace,” she finally finished. “I don’t know what he did, but he bundled
