The backup bride proposa.., p.16
The Backup Bride Proposal, page 16
Wow. He had to be careful or he was going to fall in love with this woman.
Chapter
twenty-one
Mae was fortunate to be given the week of Thanksgiving off, even though they had a couple of bridal tours scheduled on Friday and a wedding scheduled the Saturday after the holiday. But the Bellinis had assured her they had things well in hand, and she hadn’t taken any time off since she’d started working for them, so they practically pushed her out the door on Monday morning when Kane came to pick her up, this time in a silver SUV.
He put her suitcase in the back of the car and she climbed in.
“Yet another new vehicle?”
He grinned and slid on his sunglasses. “Gotta stay one step ahead of the paps, ya know. Plus, I thought this one would be more comfortable than the truck for the drive down to the ranch.”
She figured it was more about her comfort than hiding from the media, but she wasn’t about to complain about the extra legroom.
As they drove off the property, she searched for paparazzi but didn’t see anyone lurking at the gates. Which didn’t mean they weren’t there, just that she hadn’t spotted them. Kane was probably a lot better at this than she was, but he hadn’t said anything, so she decided to let it go.
“Okay, so in the back within your reach are drinks and snacks, in case you’re hungry or thirsty. Or we can stop. I had a couple of cups of coffee before I left, but we can stop if you need something.”
“I had coffee as well. And Louise was up early as usual and packed us bacon-and-scrambled-egg burritos with peppers.” She dug those out of her tote bag and unwrapped one, handing it to him along with a napkin. “They’re best eaten warm.”
“Oh, man. This smells so good.” He took a huge bite and made a moaning sound. “Tastes even better than it smells.”
That made her smile. She had a similar reaction to Louise’s cooking. She unwrapped her burrito and ate it, trying not to make the same moaning sounds Kane had made.
Over the next several hours, she discovered that the snack bag had been more than adequately packed as well. There were chips and crackers, fruit, various cheeses, along with teas and juices and sodas. They’d stopped once for a bathroom break and to grab cups with ice, then breezed their way down the turnpike all the way into Texas. It was a beautiful, sunny day and for once the wind was blowing, and the farther south they traveled the warmer it got. She shrugged out of her sweater, leaving her wearing an off-the-shoulder T-shirt. Kane’s gaze roamed over her bare shoulders, which made her laugh.
“You should focus on driving,” she said.
“How can I when you’re doing a striptease in the car?”
“Oh my God. I just took my sweater off.”
“Yeah, but you have amazing shoulders and I want to kiss them.”
The thought of his mouth on her skin never failed to make her shiver.
“You cold?” he asked. “I could turn on the heat.”
“I’m good, thanks.” It was nearly eighty degrees outside. Sure, it was November, but weather was unpredictable around these parts, which was why Mae was generally prepared with about three layers of clothes.
She kept watching for the landscape to change. It didn’t, since Texas and Oklahoma were mostly the same. Flat, brown this time of year, with mostly bare trees. Not exactly exciting, though they did pass the occasional ranch so she got to check out cattle and horses, even a few sheep here and there.
“Bored?”
She pulled her attention from the window and put it on Kane. “No, not at all. Did you know the farther we get into the wilds of Texas, the more ranches and farms we pass?”
“Yes.”
“I keep waiting for you to turn down one of these roads.”
As if she’d willed it, he turned on his blinker and made a left turn down a dusty, unpaved road.
“Now you’re just messing with me.”
He laughed. “I’m really not. This is our road.”
She sat up straight and stared through the windshield as Kane came up to an impressive-looking steel gate with the words Double A Ranch above it. Kane’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, smiled, then replied to the text. The gate miraculously opened, as if the gates of heaven had just parted to welcome them.
“Someone knew we were here?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yup.”
They drove through and Mae turned around to watch the gate close behind them.
Impressive.
“There must be cameras I missed.”
“Yeah, they’re in the trees. It’s better to keep things like that hidden. Makes folks feel welcome. Then neighbors and local folk just beep their horn and Grandpa can let them in.”
“Whereas other people…?”
“Are given more scrutiny.”
She blinked. “I had no idea that ranchers needed that level of security. Then again, I honestly know nothing of ranching.”
“We house and train several thoroughbred racehorses,” Kane said as he made the turn and pulled in front of what was a surprisingly impressive two-story home. “Some of these horses are worth a lot of money. We take our responsibility to protect these animals very seriously.”
“I’m not going to see armed guards patrolling the stalls, am I?”
He laughed. “No, we don’t go that far.”
It was obvious he wasn’t going to elaborate on just how far they did go in protecting the horses.
They got out of the SUV and Mae stretched, very happy to be standing. A woman who looked to be in her midfifties came out of the house and down the steps, throwing her arms around Kane. Slender, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, she had short blond hair and the same blue eyes as Kane’s. Wrinkles lined the corners of her eyes, but she was beautiful.
“You don’t come around enough,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
“I know. I’m sorry. Aunt Tess, this is my friend Mae Wallace. Mae, this is my dad’s sister Tess.”
Mae held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Tess.”
Tess gave her a very hearty handshake. “It’s so nice to meet you, too, Mae. Come on inside. I made some lemonade and iced tea. We also got whiskey if you’re ready for something harder.”
Mae watched Tess turn and bound up the stairs in her tight jeans and cowgirl boots.
“Wow, she’s something.”
Kane grinned. “She’s my favorite aunt.”
“You have more?”
He nodded as he pulled their bags from the back of the SUV. “My dad is the second oldest of four, and the other three are all girls. Tess was born two years after him and is the only one who stayed to work at the ranch, along with her wife, Donna. If you think Tess is a live wire, just wait until you meet Donna.”
“I can’t wait.”
She heard barking and turned to see two beautiful dogs bounding toward them. One was black and white with fur flying and the other a short-haired solid black.
“That’s Shadow and Lucky,” he said, bending down to receive the brunt of the attention. The dogs were extremely enthusiastic in their greetings and Kane seemed to love it. After they had been thoroughly petted, they made their way over to Mae, who gave them both copious amounts of love.
“Aren’t you two the sweetest things?” Mae asked.
“And spoiled, too, aren’t you?”
The dogs’ tails whipped back and forth.
“Come on, let’s go in,” he said.
She walked side by side with him up the wide wooden steps onto what had to be the biggest front porch she’d ever seen. The Bellinis’ house had always impressed her, but this place? This place was something. It had all the looks of a modern log cabin, making Mae wonder who had built it.
“My grandparents designed this place about ten years ago and some fancy contractor built it. My grandparents’ first house was a two-bedroom. Imagine my dad and three sisters sharing one bathroom.”
She could envision that. “Your poor dad.”
He laughed. “Yeah, he tells me the teen years were no picnic, and his sisters were mean to him.”
“Your dad’s a big whiner,” Tess said as they walked into an amazing kitchen that anyone who enjoyed cooking would fall in love with.
“I’m gonna tell him you said that,” Kane said, taking a seat at the oversized kitchen island. The dogs had come inside with them, all filled with energy and playfulness until Tess told them to go lie down. Which they did, right near Kane.
Tess shrugged. “Go ahead. I might be younger than him but I can still kick his ass.”
The back door opened and a tall, gorgeous brunette came in. “I heard our favorite nephew is here.”
Kane stood and wrapped the woman in a huge hug before turning to Mae. “This is my aunt’s wife, Donna. Aunt Donna, this is my friend Mae Wallace.”
“Hey, Mae, nice to meet you.” Donna came over and shook her hand.
“Great to meet you as well.”
“You gonna hoard that lemonade or are you pouring?” Donna asked Tess.
“I don’t know. You gonna ask nicely?”
“Babe, I’d love some of your awesome lemonade, please.”
“That’s better.” Lemonade was poured and Mae pulled up a seat at the island. The lemonade was tart and sweet and utterly delicious.
“Where’s Grandpa?” Kane asked.
“Out working with one of the horses,” Donna said. “He said you and Mae could come join him if you wanted once you get unpacked.”
“Your room is ready,” Tess said. “You can take your stuff up whenever you want.”
Kane nodded. “Okay, thanks. Hey, have you talked to my dad?”
Tess gave him a questioning look. “Not in recent weeks. A couple of months, maybe. Why? Haven’t you?”
“No. I mean yeah. We talk. I just thought…never mind.”
“You thought what?” Now Donna looked concerned. For that matter, so did Mae, but she was going to stay silent.
“Kane,” Tess said. “Is something going on?”
“No. Everything’s fine.”
Tess pulled up a chair on the other side of Kane. “Everything’s not fine. I know you. Tell me what’s up or I’m calling your dad right now.”
Kane had a tell. Mae hadn’t known him forever or anything, but when he was frustrated or something was on his mind, he pulled his fingers through his glorious mane of hair.
He did that now, then inhaled and let out a forceful sigh. “He’s not talking to me. I mean, he talks to me, but it’s all generalities. The weather, how’s work going, Mom is fine, that kind of stuff. Our conversations are short like he doesn’t want to stay on the phone.”
“Maybe he’s just busy,” Donna suggested.
“He’s always busy. This is different. He’s different.”
Tess leaned across the island and grabbed Kane’s hands. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t know. Something feels off. It’s his tone of voice. He’s usually upbeat and super busy but always has time to chat, ya know? Lately he either tells me he has to call me back—and he doesn’t call back—or the calls are short. And again, it’s his tone.”
“Tone like what, honey?” Donna asked. “Depressed? Sad?”
“I don’t know. Just…monotone. Like he isn’t present.”
Tess straightened. “What are his and your mom’s plans this week?”
“I…don’t know, honestly. We haven’t talked about it. I just assumed they’re either hanging out at home or taking a trip.”
“Okay. Excuse me for a minute.” Tess left the room. Donna came over to sit next to him.
“You’re worried.”
“Yeah, a little. He’s not himself.”
“Have you asked him if something’s wrong?” Mae asked, figuring if he didn’t want her in his personal business, he’d say so. But now she was worried, too, and she couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
He seemed unfazed by her involvement when he answered her. “More than once or twice. He shrugs it off and says everything’s fine. At first I thought I was overreacting, that I was reading something into our conversations that wasn’t there. But I don’t know, maybe I’m the one that’s off.”
She squeezed his arm. “When you know someone so well you know their voice, their mannerisms, you know when something is off. Trust your instincts. You’re not wrong.”
“No, you’re not wrong.” Tess came into the kitchen and slid her phone on the counter. “Something’s off with your dad.”
Kane shifted and Mae felt the tension in his arm. “You called him?”
“I did. I told him your grandpa wasn’t doing well healthwise and it would be a good idea for him to come here for Thanksgiving.”
“You lied?” Donna looked aghast.
Tess just shrugged. “He’s coming, so now we can all talk and figure out what’s going on with him.”
“He’s gonna be pissed when he finds out you lied about Grandpa,” Kane said.
“When isn’t he pissed at me about something or other? He’ll get over it. Or I’ll get Dad to cough a couple of times while James is here.”
Donna rolled her eyes. “You will not. You’ll hit James with the truth as soon as he gets here. And shame on you for lying.”
Tess looked unaffected by Donna’s accusation. “It’s not like he’d show up otherwise.”
The door opened and a tall, weathered cowboy likely in his late seventies or early eighties walked in, though he still looked muscular and healthy. He removed his hat and put it on the hook before turning his attention on Kane. “Thought for sure I’d see you out by the horses as soon as you drove in.”
“Hey, Grandpa.” Kane got up and walked over to his grandfather, giving him a big hug. His grandpa returned the tight squeeze.
“Good to see ya, boy.”
It warmed Mae to see the affection all the family members had for each other. Even the dogs wound their way around Kane’s grandpa.
“Grandpa, this is my friend Mae Wallace. Mae, this is Adam August, my grandfather.”
Mae stood and shook his hand. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. August.”
“You can call me Adam. Or Grandpa. No one around here calls me Mr. August unless they’re tryin’ to sell me something.”
“Okay.”
“Pour me some of that iced tea, Donna.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“We have a problem to discuss, too,” Tess said. “About James.”
Adam frowned. “What’s going on with James?”
Kane and Tess filled him in on their conversations with Kane’s father. In the middle of the conversation they all made their way outside, and, wow, the back porch was a beauty. Huge, with a built-in kitchen, fans overhead and a vista that was not to be believed. Mae saw a winding river a ways out that was certainly within walking distance. She hoped they’d get a chance to see it.
“James and I don’t talk all that much,” Adam said. “Can’t really recall the last conversation we had. I think he called on my birthday, but the call was short.”
“Your birthday is in June, Dad,” Tess said. “Now it’s November.”
“Huh. You’re right. We used to talk every week. Then it was once a month. I guess I just didn’t notice. That’s my fault.”
“We’ve been busy here,” Donna said. “But that’s no excuse. We should have stayed in touch.”
“And he could have shown up more often,” Tess said. “He hasn’t. When was the last time he visited?”
“Not anytime I’ve been here,” Kane said.
Tess raised her hands. “I don’t remember the last time.”
“Was it for Grandpa’s seventieth birthday?”
“He didn’t show up for that,” Donna said. “Claimed he had a business trip and that your mom wasn’t feeling well.”
“Well, hell,” Tess said. “There is definitely something going on.”
“What about your mom, Kane?” Donna asked. “What does she say?”
“As little as my dad. Whatever’s going on, it’s both of them.”
“I guess y’all can get to the bottom of it when your dad gets here,” Donna said. “When’s he coming?”
“He said he’d be here Wednesday,” Tess said. “Oh, and Dad, I got him to come by telling him you weren’t doing so well, healthwise.”
Adam nodded. “I’ll cough a few times.”
Tess looked over at Donna. “See? I told you.”
Kane shot Mae a shrug. She smiled at him. This family was something. Something she really liked.
They finally took their bags upstairs and Mae had a few minutes to admire all the amazing work that it must have taken to build this home. The structure was incredible. She normally wasn’t into the log cabin type of look, but it was such a big, spacious house and they had wisely not put wood everywhere so it didn’t feel stifling. Thick wood beams here and there and the occasional paneling were more than enough to give it that woodsy feel. The arched ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the expansive woods and incredible view of the river made her pause at the top of the stairway, gaping at the scenery outside.
“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Kane asked.
“I don’t know how you ever left this place. If I had been raised here, I never would.”
“I wasn’t raised here, unfortunately. But I came as often as I could. And, trust me, it was hard as hell to leave this ranch. Which is why, when I have a little time off, this is where I come.”
“I can see why. It looks beautiful out here.”
He started walking down the hall, so she followed. He opened a door to a bedroom that was much larger than she expected, with a huge bed that she also didn’t expect. There were French doors that led out to a balcony overlooking that amazing view of the river and beyond. “Wow.”
He put the luggage down and walked with her to the door. “Wait till I take you on a tour. You’ll fall in love.”
