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A SHIVER OF DISQUIET raced through Mari. She took one step forward, and Travis’s hand dropped to his side. “I’m staying,” she said. She waved towards the table. “Dinner’s ready. Please take a seat.”
Daniel swooped forward to pull out a chair for his wife. He squeezed Caroline’s shoulder before taking the seat across from her.
Travis followed Mari to the stove. “Need any help?”
“Everything’s under control. Go sit.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Without fuss, Mari delivered biscuits, peas and mashed potatoes to the table and then a platter of fried chicken. A mantle of calm had settled over her. Later, she’d wonder at the speed her fighting instincts came to the fore and what that meant. For now, she focused on serving the meal and taking part in the conversation.
Daniel led them in grace. While he spoke, Mari glanced up to share a quick, amused smile with Travis across the table; it made a change hearing grace instead of Mutt’s unintelligible but no less heartfelt mumble. Travis winked before bowing his head.
“Amen,” Daniel said. “Let’s eat.”
Mari passed the platter of chicken to Caroline. “Ladies first.”
“You have such a charming accent,” Caroline said as she helped herself to a chicken breast and wing before passing the platter to Travis. “I understand you’re from Louisiana?”
“Yes. Born and raised. I lived in Houston too. Peas?”
“Yes, please... Did your family always live in Louisiana?”
“My maternal great-grandmother married a Creole man. Spanish Creole. She’s the one who ran away from the Blackfeet reservation. I assume you know that story? Mashed potatoes?”
“Thank you... Such a fascinating story. I can imagine Jonathan’s shock when he got that call from Sheriff Torkelson on Christmas day. Until you showed up, the Redfoxes had no clue what happened to your great-grandmother.”
“Well, it all came about thanks to my father. If he hadn’t put together a family tree of my mother’s ancestors, I wouldn’t be in Montana. Would you like a biscuit?”
“My goodness, these are light as a feather. I can never get mine to turn out this nice. You have to share your secret... I understand your father died before you were born. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. I’m proud of his service... When I was fifteen, I went to live with his brother. My uncle had raised my father like his own son. Their parents died just after Aloysius—my father—was born.”
“Aloysius?”
“Can you pass the butter? Thanks... My uncle told me everyone in his family had a longer first name to compensate for the last name of Jones. There’s no trace of my paternal ancestors’ original surname. They took on the last name of their owner. The last port the slave ship stopped at before sailing to Virginia was Nigeria. So, it’s assumed my paternal ancestors came from that country.”
“Mari’s full name is Maribella,” Travis said, his placid tone a marked difference from his twinkling eyes.
“You two should stop yammering and eat before your food gets cold,” his father said, his expression touched with humor. He threw Mari a conspiratorial smile. “My wife has always had a fascination with history and linguistics. Careful, she might follow you around with a voice recorder.”
Travis’s cheeks dimpled. “She did that to Sage’s brother. Last Christmas, she cornered Danny and made him repeat words like ‘car’ and ‘far’ and ‘wicked smart’ into her cell phone. Poor kid couldn’t wait to get home.”
“He loved the attention,” Caroline said. “Stop mocking me, you two.” Her glance at Mari held apology. “Sorry if I’m being too nosy. It’s seldom we see new faces in Hollister. And I’m glad you’re staying on.”
Mari nodded. “It’s all right.”
Over dessert—a blueberry pie Gigi made that morning—Daniel regaled Mari with tales of Travis’s boyhood. How he was riding horses before he could walk; that time he was eight and figured he was old enough to ride his horse into the backcountry and nearly got mauled by a bear; the time he and Spence got caught red-handed with all the beefsteak tomatoes their mother had painstakingly grown—they were using them for target practice. And then there was that time Noah Olstad caught Travis and Spence smoking in the hay barn.
“I couldn’t sit on my horse for a week,” Travis said. He winced at the memory of the walloping he’d taken.
The men wandered out to the porch with second cups of coffee while Caroline helped Mari clear the table and wash the dishes.
There were no more questions about Mari’s past. Instead, Caroline talked about how Gigi surprised Sage at the café. Then they discussed Shawna’s plans to open an art gallery. And then the topic switched to the upcoming wedding.
“I can’t believe the wedding is a week from tomorrow,” Caroline said. “This year’s gone by too fast.” She sighed. “Maybe it’s only because I’m growing older.”
“It feels the same for me,” Mari said.
“You’ll be going to the wedding with Jonathan and Pam?”
“Yes. Pam needs my help with Maddy Rose.”
“Oh, but you’ll make time for dancing, won’t you?”
“You betcha she will,” Travis said from behind them.
Mari and Caroline swiveled around to stare at him. His mother sent him a scolding look. “How many times have—”
“I know, I know. Leave those things and come drive to the south pasture with us. Dad wants to see the new foals before the sun goes down.”
An hour later, Mari stood beside Travis on the porch and waved to Daniel and Caroline as they got in their truck. She watched until the truck rounded the bend. A betraying sigh escaped her lips as tension seeped from her limbs.
“Tired?”
“A little. I’ll leave now. It’ll be busy at the café tomorrow.”
He draped his arm across her shoulder. “You were great. Dinner was delicious. You sure impressed my mom and dad.”
She pursed her mouth. “I don’t think your mom likes me.”
His hand shifted from her shoulder to her jaw. With a gentle nudge, he compelled her to turn her face to his and look up at him. “Now, why do you think that?”
“All those questions about my background... For starters.”
“Ah. Guess I’m used to her direct, no-nonsense approach. My mom taught at Hollister Elementary for thirty years. She was the principal too. She’s tough sometimes but kindhearted.”
His hand slid from her jaw to the back of her neck; his thumb rubbed back and forth across the soft, fine hairs at her nape. “It seems she upset you. I’m sorry for that. From where I sat, you held your own in the conversation. And I didn’t expect you to share so much with my parents this soon. That was brave. I’m proud of you.”
Her lingering tension melted beneath his tender touch and the lulling caress of his words. Still... “She gave me a funny look when you put your hand on my shoulder.”
“I saw that.” His mouth curled in a wry smile. “When you’re the mother of a bachelor, you’ll understand.”
She turned to face him directly. “Wait. She thinks...” Her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t tell your mom there’s something...going on between us... Did you?”
He appeared affronted, but she couldn’t tell if it was real or pretend. He removed his hand from her neck and let it fall to his side. “Sure didn’t. She’s protective of me and Spence. That’s normal.” His cheeks dimpled. “She doesn’t want me trapped by a scheming gal only after my fortune.” He pulled a leering expression. “Is that you, Maribella Jones? You trying to trap me?”
Helpless laughter gurgled in her throat. She shoved at his chest.
He captured her hand and pressed it over his heart, his fingers interlacing with hers. “How about we keep her guessing?” The flippancy in his tone contradicted the warm glimmer in his eyes. “Be my date at the wedding?”
“Oh. I... I’m going with Jonathan and Pam... Aren’t you in the ceremony?”
His gaze skimmed slowly across her puzzled face. “Well, I’m the best man, and my niece is the maid of honor. I can’t expect Whitney to ward off all the single gals plotting to sit beside me at the party. I need you... I want you beside me.”
Happiness surged. Although his request seemed that of a friend, the thumb making a slow exploration of the ridges and valleys of her hand said something different, something that called to the deepest places in her heart. She’d wonder later how she managed to present a casual front to match his own. “Aha. So, I’ll just be a prop. In that case, why don’t you ask Tressa Tanner?”
“Tressa? She’s like a sister to me.”
“Then she’d be perfect.”
He scowled. “No. Not Tressa.”
“How about Stacy?”
“Stacy? You mean Stacy Flanders, the vet?”
“She was all over you the night Diamond Girl was born.”
“See? She’s the kind you need to protect me from.” His smile coaxed. “Come on, Mari... Save me from the likes of Stacy...”
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Okay. Fine. I’ll be your date. But on one condition.”
His eyebrows rose. “What’s that?”
“If your cast is off by then, that you’ll take it easy. You won’t step on the dance floor. I don’t want you re-injuring that leg.”
“Aw, Mari...”
“Promise.”
“Fine.” He lifted their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “I promise.”