“The alternative being his complete fascination with other people’s children?”I ask.
Natalie turns toward me slowly.“Ew.”
I laugh.“Exactly.He’s a bachelor.Of course he’s self-centered and egotistical.The goal is that he’ll fall for youandyour kids.No one likeskids.They’re horrible.But they might love certain ones, once they get close enough to them that they see their flashes of brilliance.”
“Flashes of brilliance,” Vanessa says.“I like that.And as parents, we hope for more flashes and less splashes.”
Natalie laughs.“I guess, but it was hard to see a future for us when we’re so different.”
“So...no second date then?”I ask.
Natalie shrugs.“He insisted we try again, and I said that was fine.I’m just not that optimistic, I guess.It feels like my decision in terms of who to date is a pretty important one.I’m not just a lady—I’m a mom.Does that sound crazy?”
“Not at all,” I say.“But don’t forget you’re also a lady.Not just a mom.”
“What about you and Jack?”Natalie asks.“Anything else from his mom?”
Vanessa’s pumpkin horror story takes us to the river and almost all the way back again.
“She’s a complete lunatic,” Natalie says, before I can.“I hope you know that.”
“Even lunatics can make a point sometimes,” Vanessa says.“She knows her son well, and I really may be a grey squirrel.”
Natalie kicks Drew a little harder than I’d have liked, but he picks up a trot and she steers him right in front of Teagan.
Liam, the skittish thoroughbred I’m on, isn’t a fan of the shenanigans.
Neither is Teagan.
Or Vanessa, for that matter.“What are you doing?”She’s scowling as she gets Teagan back under control.
“I wanted to make darn sure you’re listening when I say this.”Natalie leans toward Vanessa, her eyes flashing, clutching all the reins in one hand so she can point at her too.“You, Vanessa Littleton, aren’t a squirrel.You’re a brilliant, talented, gorgeous, fan-freaking-tastic woman, and Jack isn’t saving you from anything.He’s lucky to have met you, and he knows it.Donotlet his insane mother convince you otherwise.”
Vanessa swallows.“I do have a kid who struggles with drugs, three kids without a father, and some self-esteem issues.”
Natalie throws her hands up in the air, dropping her reins, and if Drew wasn’t such a saint, she might be scrabbling at his neck to keep from falling off as he bolted up the hill.“Who doesn’t have a pile of problems?Jack’s got two little kids, and two ridiculously time-consuming hobbies, an insane mother, and...no hair!He ain’t perfect either.”She finally grabs her reins again, and blessedly, she rubs Drew’s neck.“Good boy.”She swings him around and gives Teagan some space.
Vanessa looks like she wants to argue with Natalie, so I figure this is a good time for the good cop to jump in.“I agree with the nutcase over there who’s trying to terrify all the horses.Your boy Jack’s lucky to have you, and if his mom’s too stupid to see it, well, that’s one more thing to put on the column of ‘Jack’s problems,’ but it’s not a reason for you to doubt yourself.”
When we get back, our contractor—Cillian’s hot friend Ronan Murray—is standing by the barn.His hands are jammed into his pockets, and his face is a little brighter red than it should be.That’s a bad sign.
“Did you get a chance to look at that thing around behind the tack room?”I ask.
“What thing?”Natalie asks.“Is something wrong?”
“I noticed a leak,” I say.“Outside, but I’m worried that it’s going to impact more than the stone.”
I swing off Liam, and I point.“I’m going to get the horses tacked down, and then we can talk.”
Murray nods slowly.“Good idea.This may take a bit.”
I catch the girls up on what I found while we get the horses put away.“At least Drew and Teagan did great today,” I say.“But we may have some bad news to follow it.”
And once we’re done, it looks like I’m right.“We’re going to have to open up this wall,” Murray says.“My guess is that the stones shifted after the fire, and at least one of the pipes we ran cracked.”
“What if they shift more?”Natalie asks.“After you fix them, I mean?”
“We’ll plumb it with some give joints this time, now that there’s a known problem.”Ronan Murray shrugs.“But don’t worry too much.It’s a hassle, but I’ve notified the insurance company.I’ll just need some supervision and sign-offs from Natalie as the ‘owner’ and Samantha as the foreman.”
