Saturdays are tricky, she finally responded.But I’ll see if one of my parents might be able to bring her.
Again, that anticipation bubbled under the surface while she waited for his reply. This was new. She’d talked to Spencer several times in public and never once experienced the nerves she felt now. Was that really all it was? Nerves? Or maybe she was coming down with whatever had taken Liam down today. Her stomach tumbled even more when the text finally did come through.
Tell me what day is best for you and we’ll make it work. I want this to be a positive addition to your lives, not an added stress.
Well, itwouldbe a stress, simply because it involved her daughter and horses and that entire scenario felt unpredictable in Trinity’s eyes. But she didn’t want to send that message to Spencer. He was going out of his way to make her daughter happy, and that wasn’t a small thing.
What about Thursday afternoon? Three o’clock?
Spencer confirmed the day and time almost immediately and gave Trinity a few more instructions regarding proper attire.
Two days. Trinity had just two days to wrap her head around this, and two days to find someone to help her out at the flower shop. Her mother volunteered her time when available, butshe’d taken advantage of her mom’s good graces for far too long now. One more shift, and she’d have to get her on the payroll permanently.
As Trinity fell asleep that night, a smile crept onto her face. Mia was going to be absolutely over the moon. It would be like Christmas, her birthday, and a fairytale all wrapped up in one.
And for the first time, as she let herself drift off to sleep, Trinity didn’t feel like this was just another experience in Mia’s life that Calvin was going to miss out on. In a way, if felt like the first step in creating a new life for themselves, one that involved taking risks and experiencing adventure together, the three of them.
Trinity would have to get used to it, and she would, simply because she believed in her little family and in the promise that better days were ahead for them all.
CHAPTER 9
“What was in the box?” Spencer asked, his voice cutting through the bustling kitchen of the ranch house.
It was a lively morning; the previous night had brought several visitors, and everyone seemed to converge for breakfast simultaneously. The toaster popped up two slices of golden-browned bread at the same moment the tea kettle began whistling its symphony on the stove. Meanwhile, Nana Jo sliced through a colorful assortment of fruits meant for a salad: strawberries, bananas, melons, and peaches. Spencer had tried to make himself useful with the coffee pot, but in reality, he was just stalling, attempting to stay out of his grandmother’s earshot so he could get some answers from his sister.
Clara, his twin, blinked up at him, a jug of orange juice in her hand. “In the box? Nothing special, really. Just a few patchwork quilts we worked on when I was back in high school and never finished.”
A young woman with a bright smile bumped into Spencer’s side, flashing a deeper grin with her apology. He just tipped his hat and refocused on his sister while he poured himself a cup of hot coffee.
“Why do you think she wanted you to have them now? Seems like something that could have waited until you came out for the holidays,” Spencer pondered aloud.
He didn’t like his grandmother’s sense of urgency lately. She’d always been generous, but in recent years it went beyond simple gifts and tiptoed toward liquidating her assets. He knew she was getting up there in years…He shook the thought from his head.
“I don’t know why it couldn’t wait, either,” Clara replied, downing a swig of her juice. “She asked if I would want to work on finishing them while I’m in town for the next few days.”
Clara had relocated to Sacramento years ago for a position at a marketing firm specializing in digital media. Of all the grandchildren, she had embraced the ranch life the least and was eager to establish herself far from Snowdrift Summit. Initially, Spencer had missed her company, but as fate would have it, his cattle ranching didn’t take place too far from where she’d settled. For years, they were able to meet for weekly lunches, moments he cherished now that they were each other’s closest remaining family.
He’d missed her since moving back to the ranch. Of course, he had wanted her to visit, but he still wasn’t clear about these particular circumstances.
“She’s up to something,” he mused, returning the pot back onto the coffee maker.
“She’salwaysup to something,” Clara said with a snort. She tugged on the handle to the refrigerator and placed the orange juice container on the middle shelf next to the milk. “Either way, I’m happy to be back in Snowdrift for a bit. My PTO was stacking up. I needed to use it or lose it.”
Spencer guessed he could just choose to be happy and not curious like his sister, but he was never any good at that. Even as a kid, he asked questions, unrelenting in seeking answers. Whydo horses wear shoes? Why do roosters crow at daybreak? Why do you put chains on your tires when it snows? Some found it annoying, but it served him well in the long run. He was always learning something new.
“What have you got on the agenda other than quilt making?” he asked.
“I told Nana I’d go with her to her doctor’s appointment.”
Spencer bristled. He wasn’t aware she had one. “Something wrong?”
“Don’t think so. Said it’s a routine checkup but I volunteered to tag along, because hey, what better do I have to do than accompany my beloved grandma to her doctor’s visit?”
“You could work the horses with me.”
“That would be a big, fat no.” Clara gave him a look. “You know that’s not my thing.”
It wasn’t, never had been, and he knew better than to push his sister.
