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“Sorry I’m late,” Grayson said, walking in on Margaret in the common area of the office space.
“No worries, I heard there were some issues with your rental.”
“Yeah, the heat went out, and it will be a bit of a process to get it fixed. Though, I had already decided to keep it month to month and find something more permanent. And this morning, I found a house!”
“Oh great, where?”
“The realtor said it was the Henderix’s old place?”
“Oh, yeah. They moved to Milwaukee to live near their kids. That is a great old house, and I know they had updated everything about a year ago, getting it ready for market. That will definitely give great space for the girls. They had five kids of their own, and all left Little Bend as they grew and had their children. Broke their hearts, as I think both Marge and Bill Henderix had hoped to pass the house onto their kids.”
“I met them, seemed like the salt of the earth people,” Grayson added.
“I assume this means you are staying past your temporary employment period we discussed?”
“I was going to come speak to you about just that subject,” he said, chuckling a bit. “I was hoping you are happy with my work.”
“Definitely! You are doing great and have a wonderful budget and investment ideas. We are lucky to have found someone with your experience, who also seems to fit in here. The girls will love growing up around the ranch and Little Bend.”
“I intend to take them to New York on vacation from time to time, to allow them to keep their history there. Allow Amanda to remain present with them,” he responded.
“The best of both worlds for sure. If you can work with the attorney to have a more permanent contract written up, and I will make it official,” Margaret stated.
“Thank you,” he said. “I will run over to the nursery quickly with these rascals,” he indicated Phoebe and Emma patiently waiting for once.
“No worries,” she said, turning back to her office.
He headed outside and across the yard toward the nursery building. Not surprised with Stormi coming their direction, he felt the smile splitting his face as she neared. They had done the Friday night dinner thing, with a lot of cleanup needed after. It was the first in many other such evenings, he hoped.
“Guess what, Stormi?” Emma said before he got in a word.
“What?” She said, bending down to eye level with the girls.
“I got a new pink bedroom,” Emma said.
“Mine is blue,” Phoebe added.
“That is wonderful,” she said standing up, “so you made the offer.”
“Yes, I decided just to bite the bullet and buy, as we would need to relocate temporarily anyway for repairs on the house due to it being so cold. I made an offer this morning and should know shortly.”
“Excellent,” Stormi said.
“Are you coming for Mac and Cheese,” Emma asked.
Grayson watched Stormi’s face for any sign of interest or lack thereof. She just smiled at Emma, and then at him.
“You are always welcome,” Grayson added.
“I would love Mac and Cheese,” she said to Emma’s question, but she never let her eyes leave his.
“Excellent!” Grayson said, moving forward, just a step. “I assume that means that you are throwing your hat in the ring?”
“She’s not wearing a hat,” Phoebe said, confused.
Stormi and Grayson laughed. “No, I am not, because I definitely am throwing it into the ring.”
Grayson, “excellent,” he said, softly moving forward just enough to run a light kiss across her lips.
“Ewwww,” Emma said, causing them to come apart with a laugh.
“Until tonight,” Grayson said, moving to open the door, as Stormi walked away toward the barn.
As the girls entered the nursery, he turned to the side to watch Stormi and caught her gaze firmly on him. With a slight nod and a smile, she turned once again.
More possibilities stretched out in front of him than he could have ever imagined, he thought. As he followed the girls in, he felt that bubbly gurgle of happiness in his stomach. A sensation that had been growing with each day here on Living River Ranch, and one he expected to continue far into the future.
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Read More by Everlee Whitman
Book 6: A Time To Mourn and A Time To Dance
Book 7: A Time To Scatter and A Time To Gather
Book 8: A Time To Embrace and A Time To Refrain
Book 9: A Time To Search and A Time To Give Up
Book 10: A Time To Keep and A Time To Throw Away
Book 6: A Time To Mourn and A Time To Dance
Chapter 1
Amy waited for all the activity just to stop. It had been a rough morning, and she was numb from her head to her toes. Her mother had been ailing a long time, but still, watching them put her in a bag and take her from their home one last time was breaking her heart in two. She didn’t know what to do but sit here on the couch and let everyone from emergency services and hospice finish their work. She was missing her kiddos this morning. As the nursery director for the Living River Ranch, the children she was entrusted with each day was a calling that kept her sane on the tough days as cancer had ravaged her mom. She would miss all those faces today and in the coming few as she took care of this.
She exhaled and tried to draw a slow, steadying breath as a tiny errant tear trailed down her cheek. The sadness rolling over her in waves was debilitating at that moment. She wished Ben had been a different brother and could be sitting beside her now, holding her hand. He wasn’t, though. His brushes with the law, dabbling in drugs and other demons drove him, more than the love from his mom and sister. It was a sad state of affairs, but not one Amy could focus on right now, other than the loneliness invading her soul as each moment passed.
A light knock at the front door drew her attention. She glanced about and realized no one was going to answer that; she was on her own. As she rose slowly and padded to the door, she tried to wipe the tears away and put on a welcoming face for whoever was stopping by, probably to pay respects. It had been a steady stream of well-wishers, mostly her mother’s friends, who stopped to say a few words before turning to continue their ordinary days. Her day felt like a pivotal point in her life. She had not planned for what would come after, though she knew the folly of that, she had refused to consider the moment she would go it on her own without her mom.
As she opened the big wooden door to reveal Margaret Katzen and Stormi outside, the tears she had been holding in check let loose. As the screen door opened, solid arms encircled her from both sides.
“I’m so sorry,” Margaret whispered.
“This is so tough, I know,” Stormi added.
“You didn’t need to come,” she sniffled into Margaret’s shoulder. “I know it is a workday.”
“Hey, the ranch can handle a bit of time without us,” she reassured, glancing over Amy’s shoulder.
“Amy, why don’t we go into the kitchen and I can make us a pot of tea?”
Amy nodded in agreement. She turned and tried to ignore the nurses still milling around as she led the women into the kitchen in the back of the house. Tea sounded wonderful, as she checked in with her stomach trying to recall the last time, she had consumed any food or beverage. It had been a long day yesterday, and she had been up with her mother all night until she went on home to visit Amy’s dad. The fact that they were together was the single bit of grace she found at this moment. She would see them both healthy and happy somewhere down the road. Until then, the faith in that promise would get her through to the other side of this moment.
Margaret moved to the stove, grabbed the tea pot, filled it, and put it on to boil. Stormi went to grab some cups from the cabinet. It was a routine they had done several times over the years, and in recent weeks more often. When Amy and her mom had not been able to make the big Thanksgiving shindig, several friends from the ranch had brought it to them. It was the support system she needed so desperately, and she was not sure how she would have made it through without these dear people watching over her.
“Have you heard from Ben?” Stormi asked gently.
She shook her head, “no, but I left a message on his cell phone. I hate for him to find out that way, but I didn’t know how else to reach him or where he might be these days.”
“You reached out,” Margaret whispered, rubbing her arm, “that is all that matters.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“No, we had made all the arrangements with Pastor Necome a couple of weeks ago for the funeral. I just need to let him know to pick the day,” she said, swiping once again at her eyes.
“Anything we can do, you let us know?” Stormi said, handing her a steaming mug of tea.
“You being here right now is everything. I miss the kids and the antics. Even when it is tough, they make me giggle,” she said wistfully.
“You will be back there, getting hugs, laughs and stubborn little faces soon,” Margaret said.
“I know Phoebe and Emma miss you. They told us when we were having dinner over there with them and Scout last night.”
“They are so darling. The day of their birthday, oh my goodness the goats, do you remember how they painted them with a rainbow of watercolors,” she snorted.
“Yeah!” Margaret rolled her eyes. “Those two are a bit of a handful and so stinking smart.”
“Tell me about it,” Stormi said. “I feel like I’ve been to the gym every time I spend more than an hour chasing them around.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Amy added with the first smile lightly breaking through. “I remember the day they first came to the nursery, so sad and gloomy. It broke my heart, and I worked so hard for those first words from them.”
“And now look what we all deal with daily from them?”
Amy thought about those two faces and realized she would be back with those sweet souls soon. She was blessed with the best job in the world after she took a pause to mourn, she knew the sun would once again shine in her world. She just needed to take this one moment at a time for the near future.
