“Essentially, yes,” Callie replied, as Van and Charity rejoined them at the table. “She moved to Bronco from up in Rust Creek Falls after meeting Van and her family down here. Did you hear that it turned out Van’s grandma Dorothea is Winona’s long-lost daughter?”
“Wow,” said Charity.
Jameson slid Van a knowing look. “I did hear that, yes.”
“Anyway, Winona is very wise,” Callie said. “She really does give great advice.” She asked Jameson, “You’ve heard of ‘Wisdom by Winona’?”
“Of course. That column was syndicated. I was a fan back in the day.”
“You should come by, check it out.”
“I just might.” He looked straight at Van then, a lazy sort of look, intimate and smoldering. “Never hurts to get some good advice about all the important things. Money. Love. Whether or not all my secret dreams will ever come true...”
Charity, completely oblivious to her brother’s real agenda, picked up her pink binder and chirped brightly, “Okay, then. Tomorrow. Right here at noon.”
“I’ll be here,” Van promised.
Charity aimed her dazzling smile at her brother. “Jameson, you ready?”
“You bet.” He unfolded his long, strong frame from the kitchen chair, grabbed his hat and followed his sister to the door. “Nice to see you, Callie,” he said as they went out. “Vanessa.” He gave her another one of those scorching-hot looks. Her hormones cried out at all the months of unfulfilled longing. “It’s been a pleasure.”
She pasted on a smile, muttered, “’Bye, now,” and quickly shut the door.
The next morning, Van found Daphne alone at the kitchen table in the Happy Hearts farmhouse, her sweet yellow Lab, Barkley, snoozing at her feet.
“Where’s Evan?” Van headed straight for the coffee maker. Though Daphne usually drank tea, she had coffee ready for anyone who wanted it.
Daphne worked a bit of hay out of her haphazard ponytail. She always rose before the crack of dawn and went out to look after the animals first. Tea and breakfast came later. “Winona summoned him. She needed some help moving things around out at her shop. It seems the spirits have their own specific requirements concerning what has to go where.”
“Feng shui matters, in this world or the next.”
Daphne nodded. “Apparently so.”
Van smiled at the idea of her often-gruff big brother rushing to do Winona’s bidding. “He can be such a tough guy, that fiancé of yours, but he’s good to his great-grandma.”
“Yes, he is. Hungry?”
“I ate with Callie, thanks.” Van took her usual chair at the table. Barkley got up, came over for a scratch behind the ear and then settled back down next to Daphne. “So what’s going on at Happy Hearts today?”
“You know, I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, but we’re actually pretty much on top of things—for the moment, anyway. As we speak, there are ten young, hardworking volunteers outside mucking stalls, feeding the goats and cleaning out the cat barn.” Yep. Happy Hearts had a whole barn where the cats and kittens lived.
Van felt relieved. “Glad to hear everything’s under control. I can’t stay that long today. I have to head back to Callie’s by ten thirty or so to get ready for the rodeo this afternoon.”
“That’s right.” Daphne set down her mug. “Miss Bronco will be making an appearance.”
“Oh yes, she will—and is it weird that we’re talking about her in the third person?”
Daphne snickered, “You mean, given that she’s you?”
“Exactly. Who knewthatwould happen? Oh, guess who came to see me yesterday evening.”
“Not a clue.”
“Charity John.” Van brought her future sister-in-law up to speed on her visit from Charity and Jameson, taking care to mention Jameson only as an afterthought, keeping the focus strictly on Charity’s kindness and generosity. “I really like her,” Van added. “She’s not only a truly good person who’s willing to help me get Miss Bronco right, but she’s also given me a whole new appreciation for the, er, Miss Bronco tradition.”
“More people should be like Charity.” Daphne frowned into her empty mug. When she glanced up again, Van saw shadows in her blue eyes. Daphne had something weighing on her mind. “I think I need one more cup,” she said. “You?”
“Please.” Van waited until Daphne had fixed herself more tea and refilled Van’s mug to ask, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
