His auburn hair had been freshly trimmed—close on the sides and left to wave freely on top. He smelled like shampoo and aftershave. As usual, he was wearing a t-shirt and faded jeans. Today, however, he had on cowboy boots instead of hiking shoes, which made him look a little more like the locals.
While he listened intently to the boys, he set them back on their stools so they could continue eating. Then he motioned for Halle to be seated. Only after she had climbed on her stool did he grab a paper plate and build a burrito for himself.
While he piled on toppings, he cast a worried look at her. “Is everything okay?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Mostly.” She nodded at the twins, not wanting to discuss her concerns in front of them.
He nodded back in understanding. Backing up to lounge against the kitchen cabinet, he took a bite of his burrito.
She motioned to the empty stool beside her.
He shook his head. “Listen, Coop is back to vacuuming up his burrito, and Ryder has a front-row seat to his antics. I could announce that we’re going on a trip to the ice cream shop after lunch, and they wouldn’t hear a word I said. See?”
It was true. The boys were fully engrossed in Cooper’s quest to finish his entire burrito without using his hands.
“So, start talking,” Owen urged. “What’s bothering you?”
His perception both surprised and touched her. “I think some of my family’s belongings might’ve ended up at the Timeless Trinkets thrift store.” She tried to speak in a normal voice, but it wasn’t easy.
His expression sharpened. “No kidding?”
She told him about her mother’s ring that Brooke had been wearing when she’d delivered her blueberry pie to the house.
The cursory glance he gave the pastry in question wenta long way toward restoring Halle’s better mood. “Did you tell her the ring belonged to you?”
“No.” Halle wasn’t sure why she hadn’t. “I should have, but I didn’t. I was just so stunned to see it.” Afterward, she’d been too busy trying to keep it together in front of his snooty neighbor.
“She thinks Coop eats like a pig,” Ryder announced during the stretch of silence that followed what she’d told his father.
Halle gaped in astonishment at him, wondering what else he might’ve overheard her tell his father. “Oh, sweetie! She didn’t say that.” She shot a harried look at Owen. “All she did was suggest we should work on our dining etiquette.”
Owen’s eyebrows rose. “With five-year-olds?” Anger simmered in his gaze.
My thoughts exactly!Halle hid a smile. “Not everyone understands the mysteries of the kindergarten intellect.” She chose her words carefully, not wanting the ears of their young listeners to latch onto any buzz phrases that could be misunderstood.
Owen polished off his burrito. Instead of making a second one like she expected him to, he pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I think it’s time to pay our next-door neighbor a visit to thank her for the pies.”
Halle’s heart sank, but he didn’t need to know that. She carefully schooled her expression. “While you’re away, we’ll head outside to start our afternoon chores.” She’d assigned light summer chores to the boys that were to be completed in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Not only did it give their days more structure, but they were also learning a lot about caring for chickens.
“I’ll join you guys when I get back.” Owen winked ather, making her heart do a dizzy little dance for no particular reason. “I won’t be gone long.”
His words made her feel a little better, though she still wasn’t thrilled about the idea of him paying a visit next door. She especially couldn’t bear the idea of Brooke flirting with him. He deserved so much better than a shallow, pretentious creature like her, but guys could be notoriously blind about stuff like that. Halle’s only comfort was that she wouldn’t be there to see it.
After he took off, she scraped their plates into the bowl of food scraps she kept beside the stove. “Alrighty! It’s chore time,” she sang out.
Ryder and Cooper sent up a shout of elation that shook the rafters and made her ears ring. They adored chore time. They quickly abandoned their stools and rushed toward the door.
She met them there, barring their exit. “Aren’t you forgetting something, my dear little chicken farmers in the making?”
“Um…” Cooper glanced over his shoulder, understanding lighting his gaze. “You want us to clean up the kitchen.”
She broke into a celebratory two-step. “You’re so smart that I might recommend you for skipping kindergarten and going straight to college.”
“Without Ryder?” He looked so horrified by the prospect of being separated from his twin that she chuckled.
“I’m kidding.” She swiped a hand playfully over the brim of his hat, knocking it down over his eyes.
It didn’t take them long to toss their wadded-up napkins in the trash can, put away the meat and toppings, and wipe down the counter.
