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“Oh!” I remove a piece of hay from my hair and brush off the front of my overalls. “What can I do for you…?” This close, I can see his striking silver-gray eyes. They make my knees feel weak, which doesn’t help the fact that I’m totally blanking on his name. “Sorry, I…” my gaze flickers to his lips, and suddenly my mind is very, very far away. And it’s in a very stimulating place, I must say.
“Dean Cornel. Like the sausage and the college,” he fills in my memory gap.
“Huh?” I ask. I am an intelligent woman, an attorney, for goodness’ sake. I should not be acting this dumb.
He chuckles, and his deep dimples make themselves visible. “Sorry, stupid joke. Sausage—like Jimmy Dean? And Cornel like…”
“Cornell University. I got it,” I interrupt him. “You know, your Uncle Ted actually went there,” I turn my head to tell Mina. “Remember? Uncle Ted is Grandpa’s cousin, so not exactly an uncle, but close.” I add in explanation.
“Oh, got it.” she answers, with a mischievous smile on her face that makes me narrow my eyes.
“Yeah. He’s super smart…anyway.” I turn back to look at Dean. Yep, he's still just as annoyingly handsome as he was seconds ago.
“Right, apologies. I just wanted to come and re-introduce myself. I feel like we may have gotten off on the wrong foot the first time we met,” he explains, with a huge smile. And there go his dimples again…. and his bright white teeth, and…. good grief!
“It’s okay. I have strangers yell at me all the time,” I say.
He laughs again, apparently mistaking my sincerity as sarcasm.
“No, I’m serious,” I say. “I’m a lawyer.”
He suddenly turns serious again. “Oh. I, uh. Yeah, that makes sense.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not game for a second impression. So, hello, Dean. I’m Mae, and this is my daughter, Mina.”
“Mina? As in Wilhelmina?
“Uh-huh,” I agree.
“Like Wilhelmina Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula?” Dean asks me.
“Oh my gosh. You’re one of the only people who has ever made that connection. Yes! I’ve always been a huge horror and Winona Ryder fan. So, it seemed like the perfect choice to name her that,” I almost shout. A man who’s handsome and smart. Lord, help me.
“It’s a beautiful name,” he says, turning to Mina and tipping his head like some sort of cowboy.
Now that he’s made that connection, I can’t get over how much he looks like Keanu Reeves did in that film, even though he’s older and has those unique, almost silver-colored eyes.
“What brings you over here? Trying to steal the place from us?” I joke.
“No, no.” He’s denying it, but there’s something nefarious about his demeanor. Maybe that’s harsh, and I’m just projecting. Perhaps the thought of Dracula in the back of my mind is making me paranoid.
He continues, “but if all goes as planned, I’ll be your next-door neighbor soon.”
“Really?” I ask, my suspicions rising.
“Yep. The adjacent property is also for sale.”
“Wow, you must really like this area.”
“What’s not to like? Plenty of peace and quiet.” He pauses and grins at me. “When there aren’t two young women having a hay fight.”
Mina and I look at each other and stifle laughter.
“Plus, there are plenty of wineries right down the road. You can’t go wrong.”
“I see.” There’s something there, some clue he’s trying to hide, but I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.
“Hey, Dad!” a squeaky male voice rings out.
