Jed stood in one of the pastures, running his hand over a tall black gelding’s back while Ben explained more of the equine therapy operations. The sun was warm on his shoulders, the hint of a breeze bringing the smells of spring with it.
Ben stopped talking, then asked, “What?”
Jed shook his head, not understanding.
“There’s something about the way you looked just then. Made me wonder what you were thinking.”
He laughed. “I’m not sure.” But that wasn’t true. “I was thinking this probably beats working in an office for ten to fourteen hours a day.”
“But you love what you do.”
“True. I do love it. But I have to admit, this is nice for a change. There’s something to be said for sunshine and fresh air and horses. I’d forgotten how much I like it. And what you’re doing for the people who come here.” He shook his head again. “It’s amazing.” He didn’t add that he envied Ben for having such a strong sense of God’s call and direction on his life.
“I can’t argue. It is amazing.” Ben’s gaze moved to the house. “And I never would have managed without Ashley’s help.”
“I can believe that.”
“You don’t have to sound so sure.” Ben punched him lightly on the arm. “Now come on. My stomach tells me it must be close to dinnertime.”
Jed gave the horse one final pat, then turned and fell into step beside his cousin. “Your grandpa said you’re doing a horseback wedding here on the farm.”
“Yeah. It was Ashley’s idea.”
“And you’d do whatever it takes to make her happy.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“Lucky Ben.”
Ben’s laughter was a sound of agreement. He was still grinning as they climbed the steps to the porch and went into the house, Ben leading the way. Delicious odors greeted them.
“Hey, you two are just in time.” Ashley appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. “Go wash up. We’re about to get dinner on the table.” She put one hand to the side of her mouth and, in a stage whisper, added, “It’s much better than expected, thanks to Holly.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Holly said from somewhere out of view.
Ashley mouthed, Yes, she did, before she, too, disappeared from sight.
The two men took turns washing their hands in the bathroom sink, then went to the kitchen table where the meal awaited them—fried chicken, tossed salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits.
As Ashley took her seat, she said, “There wouldn’t be gravy or biscuits if Holly hadn’t been here. And I would have burned the chicken if she hadn’t been watching it.”
Ben leaned to his right, toward Holly. “Then, may I say, thanks again for coming.”
Jed watched the blush rise in Holly’s cheeks. He loved the way the extra color made her eyes appear even more blue than usual.
“Let’s give thanks so we can eat.” Ben offered a hand to the women on either side of him, and Jed completed the circle. After the blessing, the serving dishes quickly began making their rounds.
Jed smiled as he remembered other times in this kitchen with members of his extended family. There’d been one particular rousing game of spoons with so many people crammed into the room they were lucky there’d been enough oxygen to breathe. He didn’t recall the rules of the game. Only that at a certain point, spoons had been grabbed from the center of the table, one less than there were people playing. Lots of shouting and laughter had been a large part of the mix. He supposed he’d been no more than seven or eight, so Chris would have been too young to join in, although, knowing his brother, the kid would have tried.
“We haven’t registered for gifts yet.” Ashley’s voice drew Jed’s attention back to the present. “But I suppose we should. I don’t know what I should ask for. I’m not much of a homemaker. I’d rather be out with Ben and the horses.”
Holly glanced around the small kitchen. “Ben doesn’t have much in the way of pots and pans. What about you?”
“Even less than he has,” Ashley answered with a shrug. “And where would we put them if we had much more?”
“You could hang them from the ceiling over there.” Holly indicated the place with a tip of her head. “With the right cookware, it can be attractive. I could give you some suggestions, if you’d like.”
Ashley turned toward Ben. “Do you think marriage will domesticate me?”
The look the couple exchanged was filled with love and joy—it was almost palpable—and Jed felt an unexpected flash of envy for what his cousin had found with Ashley.
* * *
It had been ages since Holly enjoyed an evening as much as she was enjoying this one. Ben and Ashley were easy to know and easy to be with. She liked them both and was convinced friendship with them had already begun.
Since moving from Thunder Creek to Boise, Holly had gained plenty of friendly acquaintances, especially at her new church, but so far she hadn’t made any close friends. That was her own fault, of course. She’d been focused on other things, mostly keeping her restaurant afloat. But it would be nice to have somebody other than her sisters and parents to call when she felt stressed or to go with to a movie or a sporting event or something.
Her gaze shifted to Jed, observing him as the foursome lingered around the table. The evidence of dinner had long since been cleared away. All that remained were mugs of decaf coffee along with plenty of laughter as Ben and Jed shared memories from their childhoods. The Hennings were a large family. She’d lost count of the many aunts, uncles, and cousins—first, second, and third, as well as a few once-, twice-, and thrice-removed varieties. Lots of the memories the two men shared were set here in this house and on the surrounding acreage, back when it had been a working farm.
It was obvious that Jed enjoyed reminiscing about his family. Holly could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. But there were moments when she glimpsed something despondent, too, as if his thoughts had gone some place less happy for an instant. She wondered what was behind it.
Jed looked at the clock on the wall, and genuine surprise crossed his face. “Is that really the time?”
“On the nose,” Ben answered.
Jed’s gaze shifted to Holly. “I’d better get you home.”
She hated for the evening to end but knew he was right. Turning toward Ben and Ashley, she said, “Thanks for such a wonderful evening. I loved learning about your therapy barn. Maybe next time you do a fund-raiser, I could donate some desserts to sell.”
“That would be fabulous.” Ashley took Ben’s hand. “Let’s not forget that offer.”
He nodded. “We won’t.”
Jed stood, then stepped over to hold Holly’s chair for her. The simple gesture made her feel pampered. How long had it been since she’d felt that way? Or even trusted a man enough to let him make her feel that way?
“Thanks,” she whispered, her pulse suddenly erratic.
Jed led the way into the narrow entry where Holly collected her purse and sweater from a small table. Ben and Ashley followed them out onto the porch.
“We’ll see you at church in the morning,” Ashley said.
“See you there,” Jed returned as he and Holly descended the steps.
At the car, Jed reached to open the door for her, then stopped. “Look.”
She followed his gaze toward the west. The sun had dropped from sight, its final rays painting scattered clouds in shades of lavender, pink, and peach. “Beautiful.”
“Yes.”
“My mom calls a sky like that God’s finger painting.” She turned from the sunset to look at Jed again.
“Good description.” His eyes shifted to her.
The way he looked at her made her feel seen, truly seen. Made her think he was the type of man who could care, the type of man who could be honest and steady and true. A more trusting Holly would have been tempted to lean forward and kiss him over the top of the car door. The woman she had once been might have done that. But she wasn’t that same Holly. She didn’t trust herself. Jed was likable in many ways, but he wasn’t worth the risk. No, she’d worked too hard to piece her wounded heart back together to be careless with it now.
Lowering her gaze, she sank onto the car seat. Oh, please don’t let him guess my thoughts.
“Thanks for joining me tonight,” Jed said as he got behind the wheel and started the car.
“It was fun. Ben and Ashley make a great couple.”
“That’s what I think. Fascinating what they’re doing with the farm. Maybe next time we visit there’ll be an equine therapy session in progress. That would be interesting to see.”
“Next time”? “We”? This was Trixie’s fault. Her little sister had put crazy notions in her head that made those words mean more than they should. Holly didn’t want or need romantic complications in her life. Especially the kind that couldn’t have a happy ending. She’d been there, done that, and owned the T-shirt.