Chapter 8
Amy bit back a smile as she listened to Paige talk.
“We always get together at the ranch for a barbecue on Labor Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. Oh, for Thanksgiving and Christmas too.” Paige sucked in a breath and waved her hand in the air as she talked. “Come to think of it, we spend most holidays and special occasions at the ranch. I guess it’s because they have so much space and so many fun things to do.” Paige’s excitement about spending Labor Day at the ranch was apparent, not only in her words, but in the way she bounced in her seat as she talked.
Ben’s sister had missed the ranch while she’d been away.
“You’ll like the ranch, Amy” Paige said.
Amy nearly dropped her spoon. “I don’t think... I should go.” Ever since her brief run-in with Debbie two days ago, Amy had been conscientious about not taking advantage of Ben’s family. Crashing a family party seemed to cross that line.
Everyone at the table responded at once.
“Why not?” Paige asked.
“Of course, you should come,” Hope said.
“We’d love to have you,” James said.
“I don’t know... It seems like a family event.”
She’d never spent time with a big family before. It had only ever been her and her mother.
It had taken Amy several days to feel comfortable with Ben’s parents. She wasn’t eager to face his extended family. She’d feel like an outsider looking in, liking what she saw but knowing she could never have anything like that.
“Well, as long as you’re staying here, we’ll treat you like family,” Hope said. “Besides, you won’t be the only one who’s not related. There will be ranch hands and other friends.”
“Please say you’ll come,” Paige pleaded. “I can’t wait to show Kallie the horses, cows, and other animals.”
Paige’s enthusiasm was contagious. Amy wanted to raise Kallie differently than her own upbringing. This could be a good start. Growing up in the city, Amy had hardly ever seen a horse, let alone other animals. A day at the ranch might be fun.
“All right, we’ll go.”
Before she knew it, Amy found herself driving to the Double Diamond Ranch. The three women had spent the morning preparing food while Dr. Young did morning rounds at the hospital. She’d insisted on taking her own car in case she needed to bring Kallie home for a nap. Truthfully, Amy felt uncomfortable with the idea of spending so much time with Ben’s extended family.
Would he be there? From the concern she’d seen his family—immediate and extended—exhibit she didn’t think Ben spent much time with them.
Paige talked the whole way about time spent on the ranch when she was young. Riding horses and four-wheelers with her cousin, Riley, and the ranch foreman’s son, Daniel.
“My cousin Damon, Aunt Faith’s son, sometimes joined us too. Damon and Daniel are two years older than Riley and me, but they were too young to keep up with our older brothers,” Paige said, talking with her hands again. “Daniel hung out with us a lot. It’s not like we were girly-girls or anything, though. I mean, we spent most of our time riding horses and four-wheelers. We liked it when he hung out with us because our parents were more lenient.” With a chuckle, she added, “If they knew half the things we talked Daniel into letting us do, they wouldn’t have let us hang out with him so much.”
Shortly after they left the outskirts of town, Paige pointed out a white rail fence along the highway. “This is part of the ranch.”
Amy’s eyes widened.
The fence spanned miles. This was no small ranch. Robert’s family appeared to be as affluent as Ben’s. Amy wasn’t sure why, but the knowledge made her uncomfortable.
Debbie’s words,‘you don’t belong here,’echoed in her head, and Amy couldn’t help but agree.
Following Paige’s instructions, Amy drove through a large gate with the words Double Diamond Ranch written in wrought iron across the top, flanked on either end by interlocking diamonds. She followed the tree-lined lane to a sprawling, white ranch house with a wrap-around porch. If the expansive fence line hadn’t convinced her of the ranch’s success, the size of the house did, not to mention the massive stables and other outbuildings.
Amy climbed from the car and stretched, taking in the front lawn that blended right into the fenced pasture. A breeze stirred the branches of the massive oak trees, carrying the unmistakable scent of animals and hard work on the otherwise fresh air.
Paige unbuckled Kallie and began introducing Amy to the family. She would’ve been overwhelmed with all the names and faces if not for her years as a waitress. Faith’s daughter, Riley, and Paige could almost have been twins, except Riley had darker hair and eyes. They were younger versions of their mothers.
When she met Robert’s brother, Jake, she agreed with Janice. He was every bit as handsome as Robert, despite not having his brother’s long eyelashes. Both stood roughly six feet tall, but Jake had broader shoulders.
She met Charity’s two oldest sons, Steven and Matt, and their families and learned Steven managed Knight’s Grocery, the only grocery store in town. Matt worked as the pharmacist inside the store. Not only did Charity own the diner, the gas station and repair shop, but Knight’s Grocery was among the family-owned businesses as well.
