He laughed and climbed down the ladder, walking up on me. He tapped the brim of my hat before he stepped around me. “Let’s get this door up so I can eat.”
“Do you mind if we eat in town? Maybe Pancake House. I need firewood and other things from the grocery store.”
Ro didn’t offer any objection and we got to work on the door. It took about thirty minutes to get it on the track then we headed back to the house to drop my Jeep off since Ro insisted on driving.
We ate at Pancake House, where we consumed too much and barely managed to roll ourselves out of there to head to Lumber Lovers to get the firewood. As soon as we walked in, I was greeted by Larah Gamble. She and her husband Nixon owned Lumber Lovers. They had four hundred acres of land that became the local source for wood in Miller’s Pointe and surrounding areas. With the frequency of trees cut down on their property, they replanted new ones yearly to replenish what was cut to ensure their supply was always fruitful and had both oak and black locust.
“Hey there, Reecee Cup. I was wondering when we’d see you.” She walked right to me with open arms and I snuggled into her embrace. My dad had enlisted several women throughoutMiller’s Pointe to help as sergeant mothers when he felt lacking with the knowledge I needed in order to understand certain changes in my life and Larah had been one of them.
“I’m a little behind but I had a bunch left over from last year so I’ve been okay. It’s good to see you too.”
“Oh I’m sure you were just fine or you would have marched yourself right on down here. A tree with no fireplace is a criminal offense in the Allen house.”
I grinned and nodded. “It is.”
She returned a smile and looked past me at Ro who was at my side. “And you must be the holiday houseguest?”
“Yes, ma’am. I guess I am.”
“You know who he is?” I asked and she nodded.
“I know what Mel told me and I think she might be on to something with this one. Definitely a looker. You, sir, are very handsome.”
She did a once over, surveying Ro from head to toe, and he played right into it, delivering that damn cocky smile of his.
“Thank you.” He tipped his hat and his smile deepened.
“Oh, you’re definitely one ofthose. Hang onto this one, Reece. I can tell he’s a charmer, and with that good bone structure and those kind eyes, the two of you together could make some pretty babies.” She tapped the side of my hip. “Might as well put these to good use.”
“How about we not talk about my hips and discuss the firewood I’m here to pick up.”
Larah laughed, seemingly unbothered by the fact that she’d paired me with a stranger with the indication of us starting a family together.
“Just wait until I tell my blockhead son that he really dropped the ball with you.”
“You dated her son?” Ro’s eyes turned on me and I rolled mine.
“In third grade and it wasn’t actually dating. He sent me a secret admirer valentine.”
Larah shrugged. “Life is simple here. I married Nixon because he bought me coffee.”
Ro seemed amused by our interaction and so did Nixon who walked up behind his wife and dropped a kiss on her cheek.
“I’m pretty sure the reason you said yes had a lot more to do with just me buying you coffee.” She blushed and it brought a smile to my face because they were cute.
“Maybe, but that’s how it all started.”
“It did,” Nixon agreed.
“Take note, cowboy, it’s all about the simple things. Our girl Reece appreciates the simple things, so if you plan on appreciatingher, then you keep that in mind.” Larah flashed a mischievous smile in Ro’s direction. “Nix, come help me get Reece’s order ready. They’re pretty busy back there and I might need a handor two.”
He walked away with his wife but not before pulling her into another kiss. “I’m keeping my hands to myself until later, sweetheart. No sneaking off today. We’ve got too many orders for us to go missing, no matter how appealing the offer is.”
“Sorry about that. I guess everybody in town is invested in finding me a husband,” I mumbled more to myself than to him.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It means they care about you and want you happy,” Ro stated with his eyes locked on me.
“True but cataloguing a stranger’s features, pairing them with mine to determine what our kids would look like, might not be the way to go. I’m pretty sure that will have a man running away, not down the aisle.”
