Authors: Lorraine Nelson
“Did you make them, Dad?” asked Abby as her
sister closed the fridge door.
“No, dear. Luke’s wife, Zakia, sent them over. I’m
not much of a baker.”
Abby crossed to the patio doors and looked
outside. “It’s like a Christmas card. All those trees laden with snow and the
fields a pure white. It’s beautiful here, even if it is a little on the cold
side.”
nothing. The temperature’s been known to drop to minus forty Celsius at times. Makes
it kind of hard to keep the stock fed, especially if the wind is blowing.”
Rena hugged herself. “Brrr, that is cold. I hope
the clothes I brought are warm enough.”
“With all the clothes you packed, you could
dress in layers every day for a month and still have some left over. Don’t
worry, Rena. You won’t freeze to death.”
at Abby, a juvenile gesture that gave him a glimpse into what their lives had
been like as children. Lacey had definitely had her hands full.
As if thinking of her had conjured her from thin
air, he glanced over to see Lacey hesitating in the doorway. “Come in and join
the party.”
She lurched ahead as if pushed and it was then
he noticed Lynne standing behind her mother.
“It sure smells good in here,” Lynne said. “Need
any help?”
“Thanks for the offer, but everything’s ready.”
He stood back to allow them room. “Grab a plate and help yourselves.”
“All right!” Rena grabbed a plate from the table
and advanced toward the stove.
Abby picked up two plates and passed one to her
mother as she took her place in line behind her sister.
Lynne followed suit, picking up two plates and
passing one to him.
“Thank you, Lynne.”
She smiled and got in line behind her mother.
everything and smothered the works with gravy. From the amount of time he’d
spent with them in
he knew they liked to eat, so he wasn’t surprised. What did surprise him was
that they never seemed to gain an ounce.
Dinner was a boisterous affair as the girls
asked more questions about the ranch. Their excitement showed in their animated
expressions, and even Lacey wasn’t immune. More often than not, her gaze
connected with his as he regaled them with tales of ranch life. He enjoyed
having them here.
“Thank you all for coming to Thunder Creek. You’ve
made me a very happy man.”
“And you’ve generously provided us with the
opportunity of a lifetime. Thank
you
,
lay on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“My pleasure, ladies.” He lifted his glass in a
toast. “To us and whatever the future may hold.”
“To us!” they chorused.
“I especially loved seeing the pictures of us
that you have on display in the living room. Makes it feel more like home,”
said Lacey.
“When I came back from
house felt too empty. Once I hung those pictures, it felt as if you were here
with me. Sounds stupid, I know, but there you have it.”
girls have any interest in skiing?”
He laughed as they all began talking at once. “Okay,
okay. We’ll plan a day trip to
do, we’ll try a little cross-country skiing on the ranch to teach you a few
basics. I don’t suppose you packed ski suits, did you?” All four faces fell as
they looked at each other, and he tried his best to stifle a grin. “Then I
guess I’ll just have to take you shopping first.”
Lacey was the first to jump up and give him a
hug, a hug that he gladly returned. He was soon surrounded by gushing females,
and it didn’t bother him a whit.
“Time for pie,” announced Rena as she went to
the fridge. She set the pies on the table and unerringly opened a cupboard door
and found the dessert plates on her first try. She did the same with the knife
and pie server.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Find everything so quick.”
Rena paused and glanced back at the cupboards. “I
know this is going to sound strange, but somehow I knew where they were.” She
went back to the cupboard. “This is where you keep coffee and canned goods.”
She opened the door and was right on. “And this cupboard contains more treats.”
She smiled as she opened that one, a glowing smile lighting her face. “
she said as containers full of cookies and squares that Zakia sent up came into
view. “I feel as if I’ve been in this house before, and I just know I’m going
to love it here.”
“That’s weird, Rena,” said Abby.
“Really weird,” agreed Lynne.
“Are you sure you weren’t in here snooping
earlier?” asked Lacey, her forehead furrowed in a frown of confusion.
“No, Daddy was already in here when Abby and I
came downstairs. Maybe it’s from working in kitchens for so long. I don’t know.”
Rena shrugged her shoulders as if to say “it is what it is.”
“Well, I think it’s great,” said
up.”
Everyone laughed and the tension evaporated as
if it had never been, but
wondering if his daughter had premonitions or some such and they were just now
evolving.
He reached a hand out for the lemon pie, but
Lacey beat him to it.
“I’ll serve,” she said, smiling at him.
smile and wondering if she had anything else on her mind. When she served his
pie, slivers of each, he dove into the plate with great gusto. It was the
perfect ending to their first meal together on his home turf and augured well
for the future.
“Do you pretty gals want to stay home tonight
and rest up, or shall I call a meeting of the clan so you can get acquainted?”
“
to meet your family, but I have to admit to not sleeping much lately,” Lacey
answered. “Do you mind if we lie around here and relax this evening?”
“Not at all. I have an excellent collection of
movies to choose from. What do you say we clean up in here, and I’ll get a fire
going in the living room?”
“Sounds good, but we’ll clean up. You go start
that fire,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
just leave it on the counter.”
Rena turned to face him, a thoughtful expression
on her face. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Good enough. I’ll see you in a few.”
When the girls filed in they went straight to
the movie shelf. After perusing the selections available, they passed him a
“Terrific! That’s a favorite of mine.” They’d
picked
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
with Clint Eastwood.
The girls sat on the sofa, leaving the recliner
and rocking chair for him and Lacey. While the girls settled in to watch the
movie, he surreptitiously watched them. Lynne curled up at one end of the sofa,
her feet under her, looking right at home. Abby sat in the middle, hands folded
in her lap and her feet flat on the floor.
a different story altogether. She half leaned against Abby, with one leg swung
out over the arm. She was the flirt, the one he’d have to keep a close eye on.
And then there was Lacey. She’d aged well. Not a
gray hair or a wrinkle to mar her natural good looks, and her figure was even curvier
now than he remembered from youth. Probably due to having triplets. He wished
he could’ve been there to see her grow big with his child…children. To help
raise them would have been a trial and a blessing, he was sure.
Lacey yawned and her eyes began to close as the
credits rolled across the screen. She was fighting hard to stay awake.
“That’s it, girls. Clint Eastwood at his finest.
Want to watch another one or call it a night?”
“I think I’ll call it a night,
Lacey answered as she pushed up out of the rocking chair. “It’s been a long few
days.”
The girls all stood, nodding in agreement.
“Not a problem. Can’t say as I’ve gotten much
sleep these past few days either. You ladies go on up. I’ll lock up and see you
in the morning.”
One by one the girls gave him a hug, said their
good nights, and went upstairs. He found himself alone with Lacey, something he
hadn’t expected or prepared for. When she walked over and gave him a hug, he
held her tight against his chest, savoring their closeness.
“I’m glad you came, Lacey.”
“So am I, Cameron. I’m also sorry I was such a
beast to you in
“It’s all right, love. You’re here now. We’ll
make the most of it and get to know each other again. Okay?”
She pulled away, just a little, and looked up at
him. “Yes, I’d like that.”
inviting. He leaned down for a kiss, just a quick brushing of lips. It wasn’t
enough, but he didn’t want to scare her off. “Good night, Lacey. Sleep well.”
One hand snaked behind his head to pull him
closer as she returned the kiss, this time a gentle meeting of mouths, a
promise.
“Good night,
He watched as she turned and headed up the
curving staircase. At the top, he was rewarded as she stopped and blew him
another kiss before she entered the bedroom and closed the door.
Hope filled his heart near to bursting. It was
going to be a long, lonely night, but he took comfort in knowing that his
family was under his roof…maybe for a good long time. He found himself humming
a few bars of “I Feel Good” as he closed the house up for the night, almost
dancing his way to the den.
****
Sunlight sparkled through the frost on the
windowpane, waking Lacey to a new day in a new land. She stretched luxuriously
in the king-sized bed, feeling slightly decadent to be sleeping in the nude in
wouldn’t sleep a wink because it was a strange place, but to her surprise, she
snuggled under the covers, hugged the second pillow to her chest, and slept the
best sleep she’d ever had.
Was it the jet lag catching up to her? Or was it
because she was in
Probably the jet lag.
Thoughts of Cam
would’ve just kept her awake and wanting, yearning for his touch as she’d done
all these years.
She tossed the covers aside and swung her legs
out over the edge of the bed. The floor was ice cold. She slipped her feet into
her slippers, which Lynne had thoughtfully placed next to the bed, and crossed
the room to don her robe before heading to the shower.
Refreshed and dressed, she ventured downstairs.
No one else was up and the house was so quiet. No traffic, nothing to mar the peacefulness.
She went into the kitchen and made herself at home, started a pot of coffee, and
then rummaged through the fridge and cupboards searching for breakfast fixings.
What she found was a very well-stocked larder. Sweets were a weakness of hers,
so when she found the cookie tins, she had to sample a couple.
When the girls were little, she used to
playfully swat their behinds for doing the same thing. It had always been
breakfast first, a hard and fast rule to make sure they ate something
nourishing to start their day. She giggled softly as she poured herself a cup
of coffee and took it to the table. The Venetian blinds were open on the patio
doors, and she saw a huge field bordered by trees, all covered with a pristine
layer of snow. It was a breathtaking landscape. So clean. So beautiful. No
wonder
Would she? Would the girls? Or would they grow
tired of the snow, the cold, the isolation? Lost in thought, she was surprised
when Rena entered the kitchen.
“Hi, Mama.”
“Good morning, Rena. What has you up so early?”
“Bad dream. I was wide awake, so I figured I
might as well stay up.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No, I’ve forgotten most of it, just that it was
bad.” Rena poured herself a coffee and joined Lacey at the table.
“Abby always used to be the one to suffer
through nightmares. Never you. Any idea what brought it on?”