“It’s pretty incredible,” Lance agreed as he came over to scoop Laney into his arms. The sweet girl placed her hand on his cheek and rubbed back and forth, giggling from the growing beard that scratched her palm. He placed a kiss right on her forehead.
Zeke helped his granddaughter into a big, puffy polka-dot jacket, and the two men vacillated between Laney’s snow shoes and the cowgirl boots, ultimately letting the toddler decide. She chose the boots. Nana Jo would be very happy with her selection.
Moments later in the driveway, Zeke showed Lance how to properly fit the car seat in his truck, the many years at the firehouse making the retired fire chief a pro at installation.
Then they were on their way.
“Hey Laney.” Lance’s gaze connected with Laney’s in the rearview mirror. While his truck wasn’t big, he was grateful for the double cab which allowed her to sit safely in the back seat. “Are you excited to go to Nana Jo’s ranch?”
“Horsey,” the young girl squealed. If Lance hadn’t had a firm grip on the steering wheel, his sudden jolt would have caused the vehicle to swerve. He’d honestly never heard her speak, and he often wondered how much she comprehended regarding the conversations taking place around her.
“Yes. That’s right. We’re going to go visit the horseys.”
“Doo-doo-bug.”
Lance laughed out loud at that. It was a more fitting name for the rambunctious pony than his given one.
“Yep. Doodlebug will be there, too.”
“Carrots,” Laney carried on.
He flipped his blinker at the four-way stop that led them up the hill toward the sprawling ranch. “Yep. We can give him some carrots. I think he would really like that.”
“Horsey carrots.”
Lance wanted to pull over and text Sarah to relay the conversation, simply because he’d never had a full-on one with Laney and it felt like a monumental moment. Instead, he carried on, eager to hear more.
“Nana Jo said we’re going to make personal pizzas for dinner. Doesn’t that sound fun? Are you hungry?”
“Yes.” Laney swung her legs excitedly back and forth. “Apple juice.”
“I’m sure we can work that out, too.” Lance couldn’t explain the way it felt to connect with Laney like this, and even when he pulled up to his grandmother’s and was all the way inside the house, his joy hadn’t dimmed.
“Nana, you should hear her. She and I had an ongoing conversation the whole way over. Talked the entire time.”
“I knew that little girl had a lot to say.” She pulled her grandson’s coat from his shoulders, then did the same with Laney’s. “And I think you should take that as a sign that she’s comfortable with you. Maybe she was a little shy at first, but she’s coming out of her shell.”
“Doo-doo-bug!” Laney pulled on the hem of Nana’s cable knit sweater, an insistent look in her eyes.
“Ha! The perfect name for that little devil.” She ran her fingers through a corkscrew curl. “Let’s get some food in our bellies before we take care of the horses. What do you think of that?”
“I told her we were having homemade pizza. She seemed to perk up at that.”
“Always a favorite among the little ones. I think it’s all the gooey cheese and tasty toppings.” Nana Jo guided them into the kitchen where she had an elaborate spread of yellow cheeses, cured meats, and chopped vegetables across the counter. Eventhe three dough balls portioned off and ready for rolling made the scene so fun and inviting.
Lance noticed a stepping stool placed in the middle of the makeshift workstations and helped Laney up onto it so she could reach the counter.
“Just missing one thing.” Nana Jo turned to retrieve a child-sized apron from a hook on the wall, the very one Lance remembered wearing when he baked with his grandmother as a young boy. She placed the loop around Laney’s neck and made a bow with the back straps, securing it in place. “There you go. Don’t want to ruin that pretty dress of yours.”
“This was really thoughtful of you to go through all of this trouble for us, Grandma.”
She waved Lance off and shrugged. “It’s no trouble. You know I like to cook. Wish I had more people to cook for, honestly. Fixing a meal for one is no fun.”
He knew it. It was why he so often ordered take-out or ate frozen meals. That, and the fact that he’d never properly learned how to cook to begin with.
The trio spent the next half-hour rolling out their dough and topping it with everything from pepperonis to pineapple. At one point, Lance thought he would try his hand at flipping the pizza dough, tossing it high above his head like he’d seen in the movies. The only thing he was successful at was getting a huge belly laugh out of Laney. That made it all worth it, even when his dough landed on the edge of the counter, tearing the circle completely in half so he had to start over.
And later, as they sat around the large dining table in a room all of its own, Lance almost felt like there should be even more people enjoying the feast with them. Nana Jo had hospitality down to a science, from the kitchen aromas to the cozy ambience.
