Page 47 of Petals & Promises

“Huh, well then, it sounds like us making a surprise visit to the ranch will be exciting for your mom,” I reasoned. “We might need to do a little shopping, though.”

Yun-Sun held up the tablet he’d been reading on. “We can just order things to be sent ahead. The flight’s gonna be about ten hours, but we’ll be going backward in time so that should work out perfectly.”

Crawling out of Gareth’s lap, I tossed my arms around Yun, smacking a kiss on his lips. “You’re brilliant, did you know that?”

“I might have heard it a time or two in my life, but somehow, it means more coming from you,” Yun-Sun answered and pulled me in for another kiss. “Now, let’s see what Ranch Depot has for us to buy.”

Gareth groaned, falling back onto the bed. “You don’t have to buy from there. Any place that sells jeans and T-shirts is fine.”

“Nope, sorry, pal. We want this to be a true immersive experience,” Warrick countered. “Did you want me to pick you out a new hat?” The only answer he got was a middle finger which had us all laughing.

By the time the day was coming to an end, we’d packed, ordered our new clothes, and alerted the pilot we’d be flying out in the morning. Thankfully, they were merciful to me and scheduled take off at ten, allowing me to sleep until nine, which was good because the guys didn’t let me get to sleep until almost two in the morning. Gareth spun some story about this being the last night we had not to worry about being heard.

Apparently, they seemed to think I was incapable of being quiet during sex.

Well, Vili and I both know that’s not true.

Watson Ranch was located in Molis, a mountainous state in Preidon and a four-hour flight from Windermere. Even disembarking from the plane, I knew this place was unlike anywhere I’d been before. Mountains could be seen on the horizon no matter where you looked. The sky was a bright blue with picturesque puffy clouds floating overhead. Even the air seemed cleaner and smelled better, full of a rich pine scent.

Waiting for us outside the plane was a woman with chin-length silver hair that had a slight natural wave to it. She was dressed in a lovely flowing dress with a bright, bold flower pattern and a rhinestone-covered belt accentuating her waist. The moment she saw Gareth, her face lit up, telling me what I’d suspected—it was his mother.

“Oh, it’s my baby boy come home to visit,” she gushed as she hugged Gareth tightly. “I’ve missed you so much… phone calls don’t beat getting to see you face to face, sugar.”

“Mom,” Gareth grumbled, but he didn’t even try to refuse her affection.

“Hush, this is what you get for not showing your face for four years,” she scolded, rocking him from side to side in her excitement.

Once she released her hold on Gareth, her attention shifted to us. When her gaze landed on me, her smile only grew bigger. “You must be Bailey-Rose. I’m Deanna, but everyone just calls me Dee. I suppose you can call me Mom too, if you like.”

Taking a step forward, I reached out my hand to my mother-in-law. “It’s so nice to meet you, Dee.”

She took one look at my hand, then used it to pull me into a tight hug. “Sorry, darling, but around here, we give each other proper hugs, especially when they’re family.”

It was hard not to like Deanna—she had a warm personality and made you feel at ease. This only confused me even more as to why Gareth and his brothers didn’t come home to spend time with her. I grinned as each guy got their own welcoming hug, suffering as the woman seemed determined to crush them with her excitement.

“How on earth do you have suitcases with you? Everything you ordered arrived about an hour ago. What more could you possibly need?” Dee asked, watching the staff unload our luggage.

“Mom, don’t smother,” Gareth warned. “We decided to come visit at the last minute and originally packed for a tropical island. Shorts and sandals don’t really work when it comes to ranch life.”

Deanna took his grouchy behavior in stride and shrugged. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t. It’s not like we expect them to work for their supper. We have hired hands for all that.”

“Actually,” I cut in, shutting Gareth up. “I was hoping to learn what it’s like to live and work on a real ranch. You know, to understand what life was like for him growing up.”

“Really?” Deanna asked, surprised. “Huh… I suppose that would be of interest to someone who hadn’t grown up in the country. What is it that your family does?”

“Oh, ah… my family is in the oil business,” I answered, feeling odd about admitting that for some reason.

Deanna’s eyes went wide. “Well, shiiit! You’re one of those Thatchers? Lord have mercy, how did I not figure that out before now?”

At the surprise of this news, I noticed her slight accent became much thicker, and it made me like her even more.

“Dee, it’s fine, really. I don’t have much, if anything, to do with my parents’ business. That’s all been left to my oldest brother, Eli. I spend my days in an art studio covered in paint,” I assured her.

“It is what it is,” Deanna agreed, then clapped her hands. “I have the cars waiting out front, but be sure to use the bathroom. It’s about an hour’s drive to the ranch.”

“Mom, I already warned them on the plane. We’re adults and can take care of ourselves,” Gareth pointed out.

His mother just gave him a dubious look then brushed off his words with a shoulder shrug. “Suit yourself, but I don’t want to hear anyone crying when they can’t hold it any longer, and the only option is to drop trou on the side of the road.”