After helping Stephanie bundle up in a heavy coat hanging by the front door, they stepped out into the storm, but instead of the blizzard they’d arrived in, the snow was drifting harmlessly to the ground. He looked over to find her glancing around at the blanket of snow, an enchanted look on her face that slowly turned to a smile.
“Oh, Cooper, it’s beautiful, just like in a movie,” she said, walking down the steps and then spinning in a circle. “It’s hard to believe that just a little while ago, it was a blizzard out here.”
“Mother nature can be tricky, sweet one minute, punishing the next,” he said, joining her in the yard. “Let’s get going before she decides to be grumpy again.”
She laughed and took his hand when he held it out to her. “Where are we going?” she asked as they left the yard following the path that led to the barn and then the snug little house tucked back into the trees on the other side of the meadow. “You said you wanted to introduce me to someone.”
“Four someones-- my uncle Ricky, his wife Sue, and their two girls, Melinda and Bridgette,” he said, guiding her through the snow. “He’s not really my uncle, but he’s just like family. He helped raise me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without him.”
“Family is about more than just blood,” Stephanie said, an understanding look on her face. “I still talk to the woman who raised me at least once a week, even though she’s halfway around the world. She’s like a second mother to me. I would have been lost without her so I get it.”
They walked on in silence, the warmth between them enough to keep the cold at bay, but when they got to the barn, Stephanie paused. “I love horses,” she said. “I always wanted to ride the ponies instead of the stupid camels when I was a kid. Did you know the disgusting creatures spit when they’re mad at you?”
“You’ve ridden a camel?” he asked, trying to picture her on top of one of the huge animals. “I don’t know if that’s funny or frightening.”
“Everyone rides camels in Egypt,” Stephanie said, shrugging her shoulders. “They’re really very safe unless you count the spitting.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it, I’ll stick to horses,” he said, guiding her past the barn. “We’ll stop on the way back and I’ll introduce you to everybody. We’ve got six beautiful quarter horses and a couple of paints. They need to be ridden more. Maybe you can help out with that.”
“I’d love to,” she said, a big grin on her face, but then it faded. “If I’m around.”
“Let’s not think about that right now,” he said, taking her hand again. “Maybe you’ll be here longer than you think.”
Ricky was standing in the open doorway of the cabin when they walked up, a big smile on his face. “I was hoping you’d make it down here,” he called. “The girls have been whining about how long it’s been since we’ve seen you.”
“Well, tell them to stop whining, I’m here,” he called back. “And I’ve brought a new friend.”
When he stepped inside, Melinda and Bridgette came running across the room toward him, calling out his name, butstopped short when they saw Stephanie come in with Cooper. They’d grown since he’d last seen them, but they were still just as adorable as ever, and he tried not to laugh when they got their first look at Stephanie. He could practically see the wheels turning in their eight and ten-year-old heads, and hoped they didn’t say anything to embarrass him.
“Girls, come meet Dr. Warner, she’s a real live archeologist,” Ricky called, instantly diverting their attention. “Use those manners your mother taught you and come introduce yourselves.”
“Did I hear someone mention me?” Sue said, coming out of the kitchen, a white towel in her hand. “Cooper, it’s good to see you, it’s been too long since you’ve been home.”
“Don’t you start in on me too, Sue,” he said, but there was a smile on his face. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Not when it means we don’t get to see you for months at a time,” she said, walking over and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “And who is this?”
“Sue, I’d like you to meet Stephanie,” he said, pulling her away from Ricky and the two girls. “We’ve been working together on a project at the university and needed grandma’s advice. She’s making us dinner right now, so we can’t stay long. I just wanted to stop by and check in.”
“Let’s all go into the living room. I’d love to hear about this project,” Sue said, herding them down the hallway. “I’ll just pop into the kitchen and get us some coffee and hot cocoa for the girls.”
She was back in only a few minutes, and he was fairly certain she’d been prepared for their visit. With the girls perched on either knee, he sipped his coffee and listened as Stephanie explained about the settlement, relieved when she left out their discovery of the crypt.
“That’s all so exciting, imagine living underground like that,” Sue said, then shook her head. “Imagine the dust.”
“I never pictured you as the archaeology type, Cooper,” Ricky said. “I thought you wanted to be an architect.”
“I do, that hasn’t changed,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “This internship has taught me a lot about ancient architecture and a few other things. I’m glad things worked out the way they did, even though I thought it was the end of the world when it happened.”
They talked a bit more, but then he looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down. “I guess we should be heading back to the big house,” he said. “Grandma will have dinner ready by now, and you know how mad she gets if we’re late.”
“The last thing we want is Gilda mad, you’d better go,” Ricky said, laughing as he got to his feet. “I can remember a few times when you were a kid watching her blow her top when you came stomping in half an hour late for dinner.”
He winced, the same memories popping into his mind. “Don’t remind me,” he said, standing up, then offering Stephanie his hand. “I still want to run and hide when I think about it.”
“It was so nice to meet you all,” Stephanie said. “I hope we’ll see each other again.”
“Oh, I’m sure we will,” Sue said, giving her a hug. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
