Choosing His Family Page 7

“That’s not true. Being a stay-at-home mom takes incredible skill.” His mom had done the same.

  “Thank you. But try writing that on an application or a résumé. Opening the café for Charlie, with Charlie...it sounds like finding a piece of myself again. Like proving something to myself. Maybe even to my parents. She said she’d give me a reference for when we move on to California, and I could use that.” She shrugged. “But that’s my problem, Finn. Not yours. I didn’t know Charlie was going to suggest me not paying rent. I’m sorry we were dumped on you. If you don’t want us here, it’s okay. You can say so.”

  Her deep lake-blue eyes were knowing as they met his. Of course she’d been able to recognize his hissy fit the day she’d been moving items into the bunkhouse.

  He’d been so worried about rescuing Ivy, but tonight, she’d rescued him. If he’d been on his own, he’d still be working. Still be locating calves and praying that he hadn’t lost any in the weather.

  Thanks to Ivy, that hadn’t happened.

  “I’m not asking you to leave.”

  “You’re not asking us to stay, either.”

  “Can the one be enough?” Finn’s pulse faltered, then revved. This was his opportunity to shirk out of having Ivy and the girls stay in the bunkhouse, but he couldn’t take it. She needed this time in Westbend, and who was Finn to steal that from her? He wasn’t rescuing her. She was rescuing herself, and all he had to do was stay out of her way. That wasn’t breaking the rules he’d set for himself.

  Ivy studied him, contemplative. Pretty. Even prettier now that he’d seen her heart on her sleeve while she’d worked alongside him tonight. “Maybe. I do need the place if I’m going to stay in Westbend with the girls. And the first week of work at the café has been great. It made me feel valuable and alive again. Not that the girls don’t do that. They do. They’re everything to me. But I want them to know the version of their mom who existed ten years ago. Before Lee. I used to be amazing. A strange thing to say, right? But I look back on that young woman, and I think, where did she go? What happened to her? I want her back. My girls need her. I need her. And I think staying here, having the opportunity to open the café for Charlie, will give me back a piece of her.”

  “I’m looking at that woman right now. I don’t know where you think she went, but everything you’ve done since you arrived here matches everything you just said about that old version of yourself.”

  He hadn’t meant to travel down the road of encouraging Ivy. Not when that was how things had first begun with Chrissa. But after Ivy had helped him with the calves and opened up to him, Finn couldn’t keep the assurance to himself.

  “I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did tonight without you. I’d still be out there. And who knows how much work I’d have left.”

  Ivy teared up slightly, then blinked, causing the moisture to scatter. “Thank you.” The short gratitude seemed to encompass so much more. It was a thank-you for the words, yes, but also a thank-you for letting them stay, for letting her find herself again.

  “You’re welcome.” Finn could only pray he wouldn’t come to regret that he’d had a second opportunity to send Ivy away...and he hadn’t used it.

  Chapter Six

  Brown leather ankle boots or red flats? Ivy analyzed her choices with one shoe on each foot. Her camel sweater belted at the waist, and her jeans were dark indigo. The red added a pop of color, but the boots were more practical in inclement weather. It hadn’t snowed in the week and a half since she’d helped Finn with the calves, though, so the flats weren’t an outrageous option.

  She’d fit in one quick load of laundry the Saturday after their save-the-calves adventure, but Finn hadn’t been home. Besides church last week—she hadn’t spotted him at this morning’s service—their interactions had been in passing. Which Ivy was fine with, of course.

  Just fine.

  She couldn’t possibly want to see the man, could she?

  Ivy found the girls impatiently waiting for her in the living room.

  “What time is the party at, Mommy?” asked Reese. “Are we going to miss it?”

  “No, we’re not going to miss it. We’ll be right on time.” Or perhaps a few minutes late. Ivy wasn’t about to share that news with three little cherubs whose concept of time revolved around morning, bedtime, meals and snacks. “Help me decide which shoes to wear and then we’ll go.”

  Lola pondered her mom’s selections, her finger toggling back and forth. “Red ones.”

  Of course Lola would be the one to have an opinion. She cared about fashion, always coordinating her outfits perfectly and accessorizing with a bracelet or a necklace, even if they were plastic.

  The other two shrugged with indifference. Back in her room, Ivy slipped off the ankle boot, slid on the flat, then grabbed her purse and keys, plus the small birthday gift she’d purchased for Charlie.

  Charlie had only agreed to let her friend Addie throw her a birthday dinner if none of the guests brought gifts. Ivy was breaking that rule, but only by a smidgeon.

  The dainty gold necklace with the simple circle pendant barely counted as a present. And Ivy hadn’t been able to let the opportunity to thank and celebrate Charlie pass by without commemorating it. Being around confident Charlie was good for Ivy. The woman trusted her to make decisions but was there when she needed someone to bounce an idea off. They’d accomplished so much at the café in the last two and a half weeks. And Ivy had learned so much from observing Charlie. Whatever Ivy did next, she’d be a better version of herself because of her temporary boss.

  “At the birthday party, Ms. Charlie will get gifts, but we won’t.” Lola coached her sisters as they climbed into the Suburban. “We can’t throw a fit about it.”

  “That is true. Definitely no fits.” Ivy scanned for Finn or his truck before leaving the ranch but found neither. She’d thought they might drive together if the timing worked, but the man was obviously off doing something.

  He would be at the party, though, right? Of course he would. Finn and Charlie were close. He wouldn’t miss his sister’s birthday dinner.

  And why do I care so much?

  Ivy hadn’t conversed with him much since the snowstorm, so she was simply curious as to how he was and how the calves had fared. That was all.

  She pulled up directions to Little Red Hen Bed & Breakfast on her phone and started the drive into town. Ivy was excited to check out the B & B and have something social with adult conversation on her calendar. Addie was hosting them on a Sunday afternoon because her guests had checked out this morning and she didn’t have more due until Thursday.

  “Will there be balloons at the party, Mommy?” Sage was no doubt wondering what sort of game—or trouble—she could use them for if yes.

  “I don’t know. Possibly.”

  “There will be cake, right? Nobody has a birthday party without cake.” Lola’s tone was equal parts concerned and confident.

  “If not cake, then I imagine there will be some sort of dessert.”

  A collective cheer came from the back seat.

  “Who will we play with, Mommy?” Sweet Reese with her concern.

  “There will be a little girl named Honor who’s five.” Charlie had fostered Honor last fall and she was Ryker’s niece. She’d mentioned that Honor’s mom sometimes worked weekends, so she and Ryker would have Honor with them. “And Ms. Addie has a little boy named Sawyer. He’s three, like you girls.” Ivy had met Addie and Sawyer when they’d stopped by the café to see Charlie on Tuesday, and she’d instantly liked the woman. “There might be a few other kids, too. I’m not sure.”

  The idea of new people must have ignited Reese’s apprehension, because in the rearview mirror, Ivy spotted tears sliding down her cheeks.

  Lola took her hand on one side. Sage did the same on the other.

  Ivy loved that they always had each other’s backs, even whe
n they were opposite personalities on so many things.

  “If it doesn’t work to play with anyone else you always have each other. Built-in sister-friends.”

  Once she parked, they piled out of the vehicle, and Ivy’s stomach squeezed with a flash of that panic Reese had experienced in the car. She needed adult conversation, and yet, showing up alone without a partner—to parties or in life—still shocked her at times. Lee had been gone for over a year, and somehow she could still be angry with him and miss having a person at the same time.

  Not that he’d ever been her biggest supporter. But he’d never been cruel, either. Never abused her. He’d simply been distant. As if their worlds had been parallel and not in sync. Ivy had grieved more for the girls when he’d taken his life than she had for herself, since their relationship had never been what she’d hoped and imagined it would be.

  She knocked on the front door, and Charlie welcomed her inside. “Come in. Girls, the kids are out back playing. I’ll walk you out there so you can see what they’re up to and if you want to join them.” Charlie’s contagious smile switched to Ivy. “And then I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

  “Great.” Her response was heavy with equal parts apprehension and acceptance.

  Ivy admired the B & B’s beautiful wood floors and original architecture as they headed for the back door.

  Since the surprise snowstorm, the weather had warmed, though the girls wore sweatshirts to combat the remaining chill in the air.

  “This is Honor.” Charlie placed her hand on a little girl’s head after they stepped outside. She was only slightly bigger in size than the triplets, but her curls were the stuff of legends. “Honor, can you show these girls how to play whatever it is you’re all playing?”

  “Sure!”

  Charlie introduced each of the triplets. Reese dropped her gaze. Sage’s fingers slipped into her mouth as intrigue ignited in her blue depths.

  Lola piped up quickly, “We’ll play, but I can’t do anything to ruin my shoes.” She twisted her leg to show off her navy ankle boots with side fringe.

  Addie came out of the house, her son, Sawyer, bounding behind her.

  She greeted Ivy and the girls. “Sawyer wants to play, too.” She gently snagged the boy’s arm, effectively holding him captive for her next statement. “All you kiddos need to stay between the cottage and the B & B, okay? We don’t need anyone wandering into the forest and getting lost.”

  After the kids collectively acknowledged Addie’s admonition, Honor motioned to the triplets. “Come on. We’ll start a new game.” She, Sawyer and the girls all entered the fray with the other children.

  A golden retriever loped up to Ivy and sniffed her knees.

  “That’s Belay,” Addie explained, her concerned gaze still focused on Sawyer. “She was Evan’s dog, but now I’d say she’s more Sawyer’s.”

  Belay settled by Addie’s feet, observing the children like a protective, doting grandparent, and the woman bent to rub the dog’s ears. “You’re a good help, aren’t you, Belay?” Addie straightened, directing her attention to Ivy. “Sawyer’s a bit of an escape artist. He’s been better lately, but he still makes me nervous.”

  “I can stay out here and watch the kids,” Charlie offered.

  “No need. I’ll take a shift.” Evan Hawke came down the back steps, the prosthesis Charlie had mentioned him having almost fully hidden by his pants. Addie had introduced Ivy to her husband at church this morning, and even in that short window, Ivy had witnessed his quiet, steady devotion to Addie and Sawyer. “It’s too people-y for me in there anyway.” Evan squeezed Charlie’s shoulder. “And the birthday girl should really be inside with the other adults. Ryker was just looking for you.”

  Addie wrapped her arms around her husband’s torso and squeezed. “How did you know I’d feel better with an adult out here keeping tabs on the kids? Sawyer in particular.”

  Evan pressed a kiss to the top of Addie’s hair. “I know you. I’ve got you.”

  The simplicity of their love and connection... Ivy barely held back a sniffle.

  The three women made their way inside. Ivy met the other couples from church—parents to the other kids outside—and then she and Charlie pitched in with the rest of the dinner preparations.

  Addie had made numerous pans of lasagna—wa-sagna in triplet-speak—plus salad and bread. The house brimmed with the scents of garlic and oregano and everything good and homey.

  Conversation flowed easily as they set out the food, paper plates, disposable tableware and napkins. Ivy’s momentary panic from when she’d first arrived faded quickly. Never would she have thought that sliding off the road could bring so much good into her life. Addie and Charlie reminded her of her college roommates. She’d had the best girlfriends before Lee. But after her relationship with him had started, Ivy had slowly but surely lost touch with all of her friends. Her desperation to please Lee and make her marriage successful had overtaken all of her efforts and attention.

  “We should feed the kids first.” Addie paused to survey everything when it was ready. “That way they can go back out to play after, and the adults can enjoy their meals without getting up fifty times.”

  “Sounds perfect to me,” Ivy agreed.

  They called the kids in from the back and had them wash up. Ivy helped the girls through the line and situated them at the round table surrounded by a bench near the front windows that Addie referred to as the breakfast nook. The girls ate generous portions of wa-sagna, plenty of bread and small amounts of salad—a requirement of Ivy’s they often attempted to avoid.

  The kids around the table talked over each other as they slurped down cups of lemonade and discussed what to play next.

  Ivy’s heart expanded like a balloon filling her chest. It was good to see the girls so relaxed and happy. Reese had even set aside her concerns for the afternoon. She didn’t say as much as her sisters, but she listened with interest to the conversation going on around her.

  Finn arrived just as the kids finished eating and the adults were forming a line. He greeted everyone with ease, hugging and teasing Charlie, man-hugging Ryker and Evan.

  His mannerisms were like a crime TV show that Ivy couldn’t stop binge-watching. How could he be so personable and yet have been so guarded with her at first? After she’d helped him with the calves, Finn had taken care of her by bringing over cookies and coffee. No matter how much he tried to hide who he really was, it always seeped through. Ivy wished she had asked him during their conversation what it was that he was burying. Especially since he’d asked her straight out why she was staying in town.

  At least while helping with the calves she’d accomplished her goal of proving that she wasn’t freeloading and that she could be as much of a help to Finn as he was to her. The way he’d thanked her for her assistance and confessed how much longer things would have taken without her had given Ivy a huge lift. She’d barely resisted letting out a victory whoop.

  Ivy took a plate and filtered through the food line.

  Finn ended up next to her.

  “I haven’t seen much of you since the snowstorm. I mean, I’ve seen you running, but that’s about it,” she said.

  Finn’s shoulders lifted along with his mouth. “Calving season is the busiest. I have been running.”

  “Let me know if you need any more of my expert ranching help.”

  The skin around his eyes crinkled. “I’ll do that. How’ve you been?” He seemed genuine, so Ivy gave him genuine.

  “The girls appear to be adjusting to their new normal. Although, this morning in Sunday school, Lina told me they got into trouble.”

  “How’d they manage that?”

  “They told everyone that Lina was theirs. As in their possession. And that she loved them more than she loved the other kids in the class.”

  Finn laughed. “What did Lina do?”


  “She’d taken care of it by the time I arrived to pick them up. I believe a time-out and apologies were in order.”

  “And what about you, outside of the girls?” Finn scooped salad onto his plate.

  The question surprised her. Sometimes Ivy forgot there was a her outside of the girls. “I’m enjoying working with your sister so much.” She plated a piece of lasagna and inhaled the scent. What she wouldn’t give to have the time and the kitchen to make her homemade lasagna. She loved to cook and used it as a creative outlet and stress reliever. But between moving, the accident and now working full-time and living in the unfinished bunkhouse, she hadn’t had the opportunity in ages. “Charlie’s fantastic. I feel like I’m learning a lot from her about making decisions and trusting my instincts.”

  “That’s great news. I’m glad. Just don’t tell her that. Don’t need her to get a big head.”

  Amused by their playful exchange, Ivy grabbed a set of the plastic cutlery from the end of the island. “How have things been with the ranch?”

  “I lost a calf to a coyote the other day, so I’ve been checking the herd constantly. Cliff and Behr have been working extra. I should really hire someone else, but I can’t decide if it will stay this busy or if things will even out once the calves age.”

  “Or if you should just wear yourself to the bone handling everything on your own.”

  “Exactly.” He chuckled and followed her into the dining room.

  Ivy took the corner spot and Finn sat at the end of the table next to her. After three bites, her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she checked the screen. Her mom. If she didn’t answer, the woman would call back numerous times until she did.

  “I’d better take this. Excuse me a second.”

  Ivy moved into the living room that lined the front of the house and swiped to answer, her stomach dropping to the soles of her red flats. She wanted to stay at the dining table with Finn and the others, but if she didn’t deal with her mom, it would put a dark cloud over the rest of her evening.

  Hopefully, the conversation she was about to engage in wouldn’t do the same.