He didn’t argue as he scanned her, and she closed her eyes in embarrassment as she tugged the edges of the garment together at her throat. The thin flannel robe probably clung to every roll on her body. The slippers her neighbor’s Rottweiler had chewed on, clung to life by a few threads.Darn dog.He’d stolen them off her feet one morning at the mailbox. Wrestling them away from Killer had taken several minutes.
Essie lifted a hand to her hair. Was it sticking up more on one side than the other?Kill me now.
To give herself a chance to pull herself together, Essie repeated her brewing process to create a fresh cup. She carried both to the table and sat down across from the man she refused to notice seemed well-rested and still too handsome for his own good. “Why are you here, Zander? You haven’t talked to me since our mothers decided our friendship wasn’t appropriate.”
“Did you miss me at all?” he asked.
Did he sound like he regretted losing their relationship? She’d always figured he’d easily moved on. Essie squashed the burst of hope that blossomed in her chest. “Of course not. Besides, you were too busy dating Mary Lou Jenkins.”
“Oh, yes. She was the head cheerleader.”
Was he trying to piss her off? Essie hadn’t attended school in this town. With her lack of coordination and aversion to short skirts that revealed her chubby thighs, she couldn’t have been a cheerleader even if she’d wanted to join the squad. And she hadn’t.
“Your love life survived just fine, I’m sure, Zander. I’d think you’d be ready to thank me for interrupting your teenage fling. Mary Lou has nine children, and each of them is worse than Nelson everwas.”
“True. The poor woman runs the children’s choir. She never had that nervous twitch when we were young,” Zander said.
Delighted laughter exploded from Essie’s lips. When the sound died out, Essie couldn’t help but notice that worry lines creased Zander’s forehead. “Why are you here, Zander?”
“Your aunt promised to sell me her property and land. I came to find out if you’ll honor her word.”
“Zander….” Essie struggled to figure out what to say. In her heart, she was positive Ferguson’s Folly was where she was supposed to be. Not for a short time but for her life. Whatever claim he thought he had wouldn’t change her mind.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Zander muttered, shaking his head.
“I haven’t had my final meeting with Mr. Woods or read the letter my aunt left me. Can you understand I can’t… I can’t figure out what my aunt wanted me to do until I see everything through.”
He stared at her hard before nodding. “You aren’t saying no immediately. I’m going to take that as a win.”
“I’m not saying yes either, Zander,” Essie warned.
“But that’s still not a no.” Zander set his hands on the tabletop and pushed himself up to stand. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“That’s not much time for me to make any decisions, Zander.”
“That’s all I have.”
“What does that mean?” Essie searched his face, concerned by his statement. Was he ill? In trouble?
“I have a herd and crops planted on your land. I’ll need some notice to move the cattle somewhere. Tomorrow, Essie.” He stopped and scanned her face. His lips twitched at the corners. “I’d come later, but I wouldn’t want to miss this excellent coffee.” Zander drank deeply and set his cup down.
The door closed behind him before she could come up with a snappy response. Why couldn’t she ever think fast enough tosay something amazing? Essie took a sip of her coffee. She couldn’t look that bad. He would have commented on her appearance.
“Thanks for dropping by. Call next time,” she announced to the now empty room.That’s a pretty good response.
“You want me to call before make you breakfast?” Sara asked, walking into the room. She stopped and stared at Essie. Her eyes grew larger as she spotted the second coffee cup on the table. “You entertained company?”
Self-conscious, Essie lifted a hand to smooth her hair. “Is it that bad?”
“Oh, honey,” Sara said. “Did you sleep standing on your head? Esther ordered some fancy satin pillowcases one year. I’ll have to remember where I stashed those when Esther decided the wrinkle-preventing, hair-protecting silky fabric wasn’t worth picking her pillow off the floor each time it slipped off the bed while she slept.”
“I have wrinkles?” Essie said in horror.
“Of course not, Essie.” Sara leaned in closer to peer at Essie’s skin. “Well, not too many at least. You’re only twenty-eight. Let me make you something to eat, and you can get ready for your appointment with Mr. Woods.”
“That’s several hours from now.” Essie pointed out.
Sara didn’t comment but simply bustled around the kitchen. Soon, the entire room smelled amazing. As Essie devoured the delicious meal, she gathered her courage. She needed to read the letter before she met with the lawyer.
