“I suppose that’d be okay,” he told her.
She frowned. “Or maybe you’ve changed your mind about them camping here.”
“No, no, that’s not it. I was just thinking there might be prettier spots to camp than back behind the barn.”
“Oh?” She tilted her head to one side. “I suppose that’s true, but I don’t think there are any unattractive spots around here. Even behind the barn, you get a decent view of the vineyard. And Gina and her friends have done a nice job of cleaning things up for your mother’s party. Their flower barrels are looking really good.”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure it’s just fine. Go ahead and help themget set up there.” He crumpled his empty cup and stood. “I think I’ll go say hello to Sophie now.”
“No, Pappy.” Lucy stepped in front of him. “Mama saidno onein the kitchen.”
“Even me?” He acted hurt.
“Yeah. You’re too dirty to go into the kitchen.” Lucy stood her ground, blocking his path to the front door.
He shook his head. “Banned from my daughter’s house. What is the world coming to?”
“Want me to go see if Sophie can come out here to talk to you?” Brynna asked.
He considered this. “Nah, it’s not important.”
“I’ll get Mama for you!” Lucy took off like a shot. Addison started to follow, but Brynna stopped him.
“Hey, why don’t you go find the soccer ball so you can show your pappy how good you’re getting at kicking a goal,” she suggested. As he took off, she pointed to a couple of boxes set up in the front yard. “That’s our makeshift goal.”
Addison had just demonstrated his kicking skills by knocking into a box when Sophie came out. “You wanted to see me, Dad?”
“Well, it wasn’t that important.” He felt conspicuous since this didn’t seem like the right time for a conversation about Brynna. “Anyway, thanks for the tea.” He held out his filthy hands. “I better get home and get cleaned up.”
She nodded. “Yeah, you’re a mess, Dad. Why don’t you give Bree a ride back? It’s so hot out and—”
“That’s okay,” Brynna said. “I have the bike and—”
“I can give you a lift,” he told her. “If you don’t mind riding with a dirty bum.”
“You’re not a dirty bum,” Lucy told him, coming out the front door. “You just need a bath, Pappy.”
“You can take a bath here.” Addison pointed to their nearby wading pool. “That’s what I do.”
They all laughed. Then Leroy thanked his grandson for the offerand he and Brynna got back into the Jeep. It wasn’t exactly what he had planned when he’d stopped, but he didn’t exactly mind either.
“I’ll show Jan and Mike where to camp when they arrive,” Brynna told him as he drove. “And if it’s okay, I’ll help them get set up with water and electricity from the barn.”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
“I don’t want their visit to be any trouble for you,” she said. “And we’ll be out of your hair sometime tomorrow.”
“Look, Brynna, I may have given you the wrong idea. It’s not as if I want you off the place ASAP. That’s not it at all.”
“Well, I don’t really see the point of prolonging my goodbye. I was going to tell Sophie about me leaving, but she seemed kind of stressed and I was there to give her a break from the kids. Didn’t seem like good timing.”
“I understand.” He tried to think of a way to say this. “What I meant is that you don’t really have to leave, Brynna. Not if you don’t want to.”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean, I realize you’ve enjoyed working here, I get how much you like this place, and well, I was thinking about everything while I was working on the burn area. I decided that if you really wanted to remain on throughout the summer, well, I don’t mind.”
“You don’t mind?” She sounded a little hurt.
