Ash nodded, keeping his eyes on hers so she would know he was serious.
“That’s nice,” Maya said, nodding.
“And if you need to take a break from indoor behavior, you just let me know,” Ash told her. “We can come back out here and have a race in the driveway.”
Her relieved smile hurt his heart.
Why should it be such a bad thing that she needs to stretch her legs once in a while?
“I’m ready now,” Maya said.
“Should we race to the front door?” he asked her.
“No,” she said. “Because they’re watching.”
He looked up and sure enough, a middle-aged couple was standing on the porch now, smiling at them.
“Wow,” he said. “Let’s go.”
As they walked calmly toward the stone farmhouse, the front door opened again and Allie appeared.
The next thing he knew, Maya was flying up the driveto get to her, all her thoughts of a dignified walk apparently forgotten.
Ash chuckled to himself and jogged to catch up.
“I’m so glad to see you,” Allie was telling Maya as Ash reached the porch. “It’s been so long.”
“You saw me this morning,” Maya said, laughing like it was the best joke she’d ever heard.
Allie bent to hug Maya close, and then pulled back and turned to her parents.
“Maya, this is my mom and dad,” she said.
“Hi, Mr. Lawrence,” Maya said politely, just like she had practiced with her dad at home. “Hi, Mrs. Lawrence. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you too, Maya,” Allie’s mom said. Her blue eyes were so much like Allie’s, right down to the twinkle in them. “And you must be Ash.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said, extending his hand.
She hugged him instead, and he was pretty sure he’d never received a more reassuring embrace.
“I’m Maggie,” she told him as she pulled back. “And this is Daniel, Allie’s father.”
“Good to meet you, sir,” Ash said, shaking hands with Allie’s dad, who clasped his arm and smiled hard at him, like the two of them had an inside joke.
“A man with a strong grip,” Allie’s dad declared approvingly. “Come on in. It’s cold out here.”
Allie gave him an encouraging smile and took Maya by the hand.
Ash followed them inside and closed the doorbehind him.
“Shoes,” voices near the back of the house yelled out.
“We normally take our shoes off at the door,” Maggie Lawrence explained. “Since most of us spend at least part of our day getting our boots very messy on the farm.”
“My brother Tripp never remembers,” Allie added. “So we’re all in the habit of yelling out a little reminder whenever someone opens the front door.”
Ash was proud to see that Maya was already industriously removing her boots. He kicked his off as well and placed them on one of the trays in the front hall.
