“I’ll stand,” Owen grinned, winking at his daughter who was trying to deal with the crumbs her son was getting everywhere.
“Hey, you started without me,” an indignant Anne walked into the room her eyes lingering on a small group of cowboys by the back door. “I was just checking to see that everything made it to our rooms. Rainy just wait until you see them. They look like they are right out of an old western novel.”
Rainy suddenly felt the long drive and busy morning descend on her like a blanket of weariness. “I’m sure they are very nice.”
“No, you don’t get it. There is all this antique furniture and framed letters from the original family who lived here. Did you see the dress in the hall? It’s stunning and so tiny. People back then must have been really short.”
Rainy felt a smile break across her face as her mother returned with two coffees handing one to her and one to her father. With Anne here, she knew she would have loads of fun. Her friend's active imagination would soon be making up stories of love, romance, and adventure at the Broken J, convinced they had all come true somewhere in the past.
“Anne stop your nattering and grab a coffee,” Mrs. Smythe stated. “I’m getting a couple of those cookies.”
“Me too!” Lucas said squirming from his seat.
“Oh no you don’t,” Rainy grabbed the boy swinging him up. “You can finish what you have right here, and then it’s off to bed.”
A soft chuckle drifted from where her father stood, looking at old photos of horses, cows, and ranch people.
“Dad, you are not helping.”
“Here,” Anne returned handing Rainy a cookie. “Let Lucas go, we’ll all keep an eye on him,” she urged. “We’ve all been cooped up in that car too long. Let him stretch his legs.”
Rainy relented with a nod. After all, they were on vacation.
Chapter 3
The sun was barely up when Rainy felt a tug on her arm and rolled over with a groan.
“Wake up Mommy.” Lucas tugged at her hand again. “It’s time to see horsies.”
Rainy felt herself chuckle, even though another couple of hours of sleep wouldn’t have gone amiss. “Alright,” she laughed. “It was nice having her own room at the old ranch house, and it was everything that Anne had said, but oh how she would have loved to send the boy to his grandparents and roll back over.
“Mommy,” Lucas raced to the window. “Look at the horsies and towboys!”
Rainy rolled out of bed, her bare feet hitting the soft rag rug before she padded across the room to the window overlooking the barnyard.
A pale amber glow radiated around the house spilling into the lawn and pushing the shadows of night away while bright lights sparkled in the big age-darkened barn across the way.
“See, see!” Luca’s voice squeaked with delight.
“They must be getting ready for a ride,” Rainy sighed. She knew that today riding was not on her schedule, but she couldn’t corral her son for much longer. “We’ll go out and see the horsies after breakfast.”
“Now!” Lucas scowled.
“No, now you have to meet little Kadence Ballard, remember. You’ll have a boy your age to play with.”
Rainy felt her heart sink at the words. She knew that Lucas would be happy to have a friend to play with, but what would she possibly have in common with Michelle Ballard. The woman was at least seven years older than she was. A flicker of annoyance filled her soul as she thought about women having the opportunity to wait until they were ready for children.
“Come on.” Lucas took her hand heading for the door.
“We have to get dressed first,” Rainy’s voice was weary.
Lucas let go of her hand and ran for the small red and blue suitcase that held his clothing, tossing items onto the floor as he dug for his favorite jeans and shirt.
Rainy grabbed her jeans from the night before, pulled a clean shirt over her head, and brushed her hair into a messy bun with a plastic clip.
“Help, Mommy.” Lucas was half in, half out of his shirt as he struggled to get his head through his armhole.
“Here, slow down so we can fix it.” Rainy grabbed the shirt, turning it and slipping it over the boys head. No sooner had the boy popped through the shirt than he threw his arms around her neck kissing her lips with a loud smack.
“I love you.” He said leaping away and running for the door.
Rainy felt the smile return to her face as she stomped into her shoes grabbing the boy and pushing socks onto his feet. How could something so precious come from such pain? She wondered not for the first time.
“Now we’re ready.” She reached down waiting until Lucas took her hand, then swiped the key from the bureau top and headed out the door. It was a new day and she was going to try to see it through Lucas’s eyes. Everything was new, fresh, amazing.
Rainy wanted to recapture that sense of awe and wonder as she stepped into a new day. She had come a long way in the past few years, and this was her fresh start. She had her degree, the love and support of her parents, and a friend who knew all of her secrets. Today she would revel in her son’s sense of adventure as she looked toward a brighter future.
“You’re up?” Owen stuck his head out the door across the hall. “Wait, I have something for Lucas.”
Rainy, pulled Lucas to a stop. “Wait for Poppa,” she whispered, not wanting to wake any other guests.
“Hey little man,” Owen stepped into the hall plunking a cowboy hat on the boy’s head. “Now you’re all ready to ride.”
“You shouldn’t have, Dad.” Rainy smiled.
“Our little guy needs to look like a real cowboy.” Owen shrugged, closing the door.
“Come on, Lucas.” Rainy reached down for the boy’s hand as he adjusted
