She could often read his mind and that’s what she did. “It’s absolutely nothing to worry about, and it can wait. Let’s join the others.” She called to her granddaughter, “Amber. Take Lulu to the barn and take care of her before supper.”
Amber made a disappointed scowl, but hung her head and said, “Okay.” She took the mare’s reins. “Come on, Lulu.”
Kathleen whispered to Dwayne, “She likes riding and enjoying the fun part of horses, but like every other kid I know, doesn’t want to do the work that goes along with it.”
“Can she unsaddle Lulu by herself?” He knew the weight of a Western saddle and the tightness of the cinches.
“Bart’s in the barn. He’ll help her, but he makes her do most of it. He’ll put a crate on the floor for her to stand on while she brushes Lulu.” She squeezed his arm. “She’ll be a while, let’s go inside.”
Dylan’s three kids ran after Amber to the barn. “Amber, wait up!”
Kathleen laughed. “That’ll speed things up. Lulu will have four kids brushing and fussing over her.”
Marla and Charlene trudged up the polished pine stairway to the second floor. Skipper hopped up the steep stairs one at a time. Marla lifted him in her arms. “Come here, baby. Are these stairs too high for my Skippy baby?”
“Lordy, you and that dog.”
“Char, this house is amazing. All this beautiful wood and antique western light fixtures. I had no idea. Dwayne always said it was a plain old ranch house.”
Her sister sniffed. “Men. They’re oblivious. I said the same thing to Donnie when we got here. He just stood there like a kid, mouth open, stared around, then said, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s nice, isn’t it?’ Wait till you see the bedrooms.”
Char opened a door near the end of the hall and stepped inside. Marla followed her and took a breath and put a hand on her chest. “This looks like something out of Sunset Magazine. Those quilts, the furniture, everything looks handmade.”
“It is. All the furniture in this house was crafted here on the ranch by Kathleen’s grandfather and father. They cut the wood from the surrounding area and built all these beautiful pine pieces right out there in the barn. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Marla nodded with appreciation. “I can’t imagine how long it took.” She stroked the bedposts and the handmade quilt on the bed. “Is this your room?”
“No, it’s for you and Dwayne. We’re right next door so keep the passionate groans to a minimum, please. Donnie and I need our beauty sleep for the wedding.”
“Hah!” Marla snorted. “Where did Kathleen put everybody else?”
“Dylan and Grace are on the other side of you. Kathleen’s bedroom is on the first floor behind the office. Miss Emmaline is staying in the small adjoining sitting room, and the kids are on the third floor. They have two big bedrooms up there that look like bunkhouses. Beds everywhere and a connecting pocket door. It’s where the three brothers stayed whenever they visited their grandparents.”
“What’s in here?” She walked toward a partially open door.
“Every bedroom has a private bathroom. Do you believe it?”
Marla smirked and crossed her arms realizing Dwayne had been teasing her about the outhouse. “Dwayne told me we might have to get in line for the bathroom, and if I couldn’t wait, there was an outhouse out in back of the barn. Wait till I get him alone!”
Char giggled. “Part of it’s true. There is an outhouse behind the barn.”
Charlene boosted herself up on the edge of the bed. “This was Dwayne’s room when he lived here.” She nodded to the large gun rack on the wall. “Kathleen keeps it just like it was when he was a teenager.”
Marla sat beside her. “This place must be bulging at the seams with wonderful memories.”
Charlene nodded. “It’s easy to understand why those boys never wanted to go anywhere else during summer, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t what?” Dwayne thumped into the room, lugging their baggage. He set it on the large pine chest at the foot of the bed. “Beat it, Charlene. I want some alone time with my woman.”
Char hopped off the high mattress and took Marla’s hand. “No way, cowboy. My sister and I have serious business to take care of.”
Marla grinned at his look of comical dismay, thrust Skip into his arms, and followed Char. She leaned close for a quick peck as they passed him. “I’ll make up for it later.” She dodged his attempt to grab her and followed Charlene to the room next to theirs.
In the center of Char’s room stood an old-fashioned dressmaker’s form outfitted in a ruffled white blouse, long, faded denim skirt with wildflowers embroidered around the flared hem, and a pair of red cowboy boots on the floor beneath it.
“Oh, Char, is that your wedding outfit? I hope so, because I love it!”
Squealing with barely contained glee, her sister took her hands and hopped them in a circle. “I’m so happy, sis. I didn’t know it was possible to love somebody so much. Donovan Dempsey’s the most wonderful man ever born. I’m so lucky.”
Marla dropped her hands and put her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “He’s the lucky one, you know. I’d be willing to bet everything I have, and will ever have, that your marriage will be very happy.” She gave her an extra hard squeeze. “But I don’t like it one bit to have you halfway across the Pacific Ocean.”
Dinner was a festive affair and lasted until after seven. The eight adults were seated in the dining room, and the kids ate in the kitchen with Arturo and Cookie. Peals of childish laughter poured through the door when Dwayne peeked in to check on them.
“Daddy! Cookie’s telling stories on you.”
He grinned at her singsong snitching and pointed an accusing finger at the woman who’d been like a second
