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I didn’t think that was true, but it was nice to hear anyway.
“I should go. Jasper’s waiting for me.” Stella gave me a quick hug. “You know where to find me if you ever need anything.”
I thanked her and watched as she walked toward the trail that led to the parking lot. She was still so young and full of vitality. Me, on the other hand? I felt a thousand years old.
* * *
After the meeting at the restaurant, I went home to shower and change before heading over to the church preschool to pick up Chloe. I found the scent of food clung to my black skirt and crisp white shirt paired with a white apron. In addition, I looked forward to the showers and dressing alone. As much as I loved my little girl, it was nice to have a moment to myself.
Our room at the house had once been the ensuite for Stella and Jasper. Since they’d moved out, it had sat empty. Fully furnished with a bed, dresser, and walk-in closet, it was ideal for my situation. The house in Tennessee I’d lived in with John had been given to us by his father. John had grown up there, but his father had moved out after the death of his wife when John was sixteen. It had sat empty for several years, and I’d done my best to make it our own, picking colors for walls and finding furniture and decor. My dad had said I took after my mother, not only in appearance but in certain talents and interests. “She always wanted to make everything prettier,” he’d said to me once.
Yet it had always felt as though I lived in a stranger’s house. I’d been here for only seven months, and this house and ranch felt more like home than John’s ever had.
As I dried my hair, I thought about what to do with the rest of the day. Chloe and I often stopped by the grocery store to grab a few items for dinner. Thad had suggested months ago that the guys pay the grocery bill every week. In exchange, I had agreed to make dinners and keep the refrigerator stocked. Soren and Thad were home most nights for dinner, but Caspian ate at the restaurant. I usually fed Chloe and put her to bed before the three of us sat down to eat. I found I looked forward to those evenings more than I’d thought possible.
At the store, I asked Chloe if she wanted to sit in the cart, but she preferred to walk beside me. I’d trained her to hold on to the side so that I knew where she was at all times.
We got to the produce section, and she asked if she could pick out a few peaches, her favorite fruit. I tore a plastic bag from the roll near the lemons and gave it to her. “Just four, okay? No bruises.”
Chloe held up her hand and counted off on her fingers, “One, two, three, four.” Then she scurried off to scour the pile of peaches. She knew not to touch them unless they were going into her bag.
I kept watch while I grabbed a head of lettuce and a bag of carrots. Seconds later, Chloe bounded over with her bag of peaches. I looked quickly to make sure they weren’t overly ripe and found them satisfactory. “Well done, honey.”
“Thank you, Mama.”
We were headed to the checkout line when I spotted Elliot. Chloe called out to her, and Elliot turned, breaking into grin at the sight of us.
“What are you two up to?” Elliot asked.
“Just grabbing a few things for dinner. You?” I asked.
“I’m meeting the real estate agent. She has a place she wants to show me.” Elliot hauled Chloe up for a hug and a kiss before setting her down. “It’s a run-down old farmhouse, but she says there’s potential. It wouldn’t be ready for us to move into right after we get married, but maybe by the holidays.”
“Are you anxious to move out?” I asked.
“Not that it isn’t fun, but yeah. I just want to start a life with my husband in our own little nest.”
“I understand.” I’d be the same way if I were in her position.
Elliot and Caspian had set a wedding date for the third week in August. They were hoping to find a house before then, but around here there wasn’t much inventory. As of now, the decision seemed to be between building a house on the family’s property from the ground up or finding an already-built house somewhere nearby.
“Would you want to come with me to see it?” Elliot asked. “I could text the Realtor and tell her we’ll meet her there.”
I hesitated, knowing I had groceries in the cart that needed to be refrigerated, yet I would love to go out and see the house. Then I remembered the ice chest in the back of my car. I’d put it in there last week when I’d had to take ice cream for Chloe’s preschool party. “I’ll get some ice for the chest,” I said out loud. “For the meat and dairy. So, yes, I’d love to.”
Elliot clasped her hands together. “Great. It’s always good to have another opinion and set of eyes. I’m not great at seeing what could be done in a remodel.”
“That’s my specialty,” I said.
Soon we were driving down a dirt road I hadn’t known existed. Elliot had decided to ride out with Chloe and me, figuring she could get back to town with the Realtor.
Bluefern was a small town, but the surrounding area was vast, with ranches spread throughout the valley. Although Stella had decided to use her land for tourists, there were many families still ranching in these parts. Arabella, our town vet, often told us tales of her adventures on various farms and ranches.
We came upon a farmhouse surrounded by meadows peppered with yellow and purple wildflowers. I parked in the driveway and then unbuckled Chloe from her car seat. The Realtor arrived seconds later.
Set against a backdrop of sprawling fields and distant mountains, the classic 1940s farmhouse gave the impression of a simpler time. However, the place was in a terrible state. The wraparound porch was a mess of rotten boards and sagging steps. Wooden siding, painted a shade of barn red, had faded and peeled. The gabled roof was in obvious need of repair. Yet it was easy to imagine how it would look after getting a facelift.
“It’s wonderful,” I said under my breath.
