“I’ll remember that next time I want dessert.”
“Why don’t you invite Becky out here? She already knows Amy.”
Sean frowned. If his family realized how much he liked Becky, they’d be all over him like a rash, adding their two cents’ worth to something he didn’t want to share.
“She’s bringing Mary here on Sunday.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because I knew you’d make a big deal out of it. I promised Becky I’d show Mary the animals in the barn in return for the help she’s giving me.”
“If that’s all she’s getting, you’d better throw in a meal. Better yet, come to our house for dinner. I’ll turn on the barbecue and we can have something casual on the back veranda.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’ll cook something at my place.”
“When Amy realizes Becky’s there, she’ll want to say hello. It won’t be long before Catherine and Toby join her and, before you know it, you’ll be cooking for all of us. Why not save yourself the bother and come to our place?”
A vision of all the Gray family siblings arriving for dinner made him more nervous than planning Matthew’s wedding. Becky and Mary would enjoy seeing everyone, but Sean knew what would happen. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll keep it simple.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “Keeping things simple hasn’t worked for any of us. Even Liam has his hands full with what’s happening in Vancouver.”
As Nathan told him about their older brother’s latest relationship disaster, Sean could only hope the same thing didn’t happen to him. Being single had definite advantages, especially when you came from a family who enjoyed being part of each other’s lives.
Chapter7
Becky checked the rearview mirror before turning into Sean’s gravel driveway.
“How far away is Sean’s house?” Mary asked for the tenth time.
“We’ll be there soon. Remember what I said about staying beside me. Sean lives on a real ranch with lots of machinery and animals around him. We need to be careful where we go.”
“I told Tommy I was coming here. His granddad and grandma live on a ranch, too. He knows all about cows and sheep and hay.”
“I’m sure he does.” In the distance, a large homestead rose from the flat pasture surrounding it. Pine and spruce trees clumped together to form a natural shelter from the weather. Farther back, almost hidden behind more trees, was a splash of red that could only be the roof of Sean’s home.
“They’re big cows.”
The amazement in Mary’s voice made Becky smile. “They are big, but they aren’t cows. They’re called bison.”
“They’re scary.”
They definitely weren’t as cute and cuddly as the calves Mary had seen at the school fair. “Do you think they would look better with a haircut?”
Mary giggled. “Then they would look like cows. We could make flowers for their hair.”
“And tie ribbons around their necks.”
“They would be real pretty.” Mary sat taller in her seat. “Is that Sean’s house?”
The white homestead they were driving toward was surrounded by a garden filled with colorful flowers. “That’s Sean’s brother’s house. Catherine and Toby live there.” Mary had spent time with Catherine at the after school program the church ran. The second best thing about coming here today was visiting her friend.
Thankfully, before they’d left town, Sean had texted Becky with instructions on how to get to the ranch. Even though she’d lived here for years, everything was so spread out in Montana. Trying to find a ranch, especially one that wasn’t well sign-posted, was almost impossible.
“We’re nearly there,” Becky said to Mary. The second two-story house was as pretty as a picture. With its steep gabled roof and stone chimney, it was everything a ranch house should be.
It was easy to see why Sean enjoyed living here. Apart from being close to work, the wide-open spaces and peaceful surroundings were completely different from living in town.
“There’s Sean!” Mary said excitedly.
