The Cowboy's Last Goodbye (Grass Valley Cowboys Book 6) Read online

  “Can’t Daddy make a river for Uncle Ben? We all could play on it.” Emily looked at her father, convinced he could do anything.

  The adults laughed.

  Trent gave her an indulgent look. “No, baby, we can’t put in a river.”

  Cady and Denni stood and began clearing the table. Tess groaned and started to rise, but Travis pulled her back down. “Stay right there, Honeybee.” He stood and took two bowls into the kitchen.

  Harper hopped up to help and carried a stack of plates into the kitchen, but Denni shooed her toward the table. “You’re a guest. Go sit down.”

  “Guest or not, I’d rather help than sit.” Harper followed Denni back to the dining area.

  Denni hugged her shoulders and offered her a satisfied smile. “Then you’re my kind of girl.”

  Harper leaned over Ben to pick up his plate and inhaled his scent. It put her in mind of fresh ocean breezes with a hint of spice.

  As she glanced down, she noticed he tenderly held Emily as the little girl fought to keep her eyes open.

  The sight of the cowboy cuddling the teeny girl made her so languid, she almost dropped the plate in her hand. At the sound of her uncle clearing his throat, she hurried to gather more dirty dishes and return to the kitchen.

  She volunteered to carry the ice cream to the table as Denni and Cady took in two apple pies.

  After everyone had a slice, Trey took a bite and smiled at his wife. “This is every bit as good as the first time I tasted your pie, darlin’.”

  Trent laughed. “That’s a good story, Harper. Have you heard how those two met?”

  “No, I haven’t,” Harper said, taking a bite of the delicious pie.

  Cady’s cheeks pinked and Trey gave her a bold look full of love. “The woman who worked many years as our housekeeper and cook retired. Trent and I were doing our best to make due until we had time to hire a replacement.”

  “And doing a miserable job of it,” Trent added.

  Trey nodded in agreement. “We decided to go to Viv’s for dinner one evening. A new waitress had just started working there. The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen turned around and dumped a glass of ice water all over me. It was love at first soaking.”

  Chuckles blended around the table.

  “I was a horrible waitress. Aunt Viv was fortunate I didn’t run off all her customers in the few weeks that I worked there,” Cady said.

  Trey picked up Cady’s hand and kissed her fingers. “I was smitten before we ate dinner, but by the time we finished a piece of the apple pie she’d made, I was a goner. We offered her a job at the ranch, and the rest is history.”

  Cass giggled from her seat near Travis. “Mama says the way to a Thompson man’s heart is a direct route past his tastebuds, except for Uncle Trent.”

  Harper cast Trent a questioning glance. He wrapped his arm around Lindsay and kissed her cheek. “My wife is beautiful, intelligent, funny, a die-hard romantic, wonderful mother, incredible teacher, and an amazing athlete, but cooking is not her thing.”

  “Which is why I’m thankful Cady doesn’t mind frequently feeding us.” Lindsay grinned at her sister-in-law and friend.

  “I’m cooking for the ranch hands anyway. What’s a few more?” Cady smiled and returned her attention to the pie on her plate.

  “Who took over cooking duties this evening?” Hart asked as he finished his pie and leaned back in the chair.

  “Tommy. He does a great job when I’m gone,” Cady said, grabbing Shane before he jumped off his chair with sticky hands. “You should come see the ranch, Harper. We’d be happy to have you and Cletus join us for lunch or dinner sometime.”

  “We might just do that,” Cletus said, surprising Harper and everyone else at the table. “Cady has got to be one of the finest cooks in the state. I’m not dumb enough to turn down an invitation to eat.”

  Everyone laughed as they finished dessert.

  Harper noticed Ben shared his pie with Emily. The little girl lifted a spoon and played with the ice cream Ben had moved to the side of his plate while he took the last two bites of pie.

  “You finished, Pinkerydoo?” Ben jiggled his leg, making her giggle.

  “Yes, Uncle Ben,” she said, hanging onto the front of his shirt as he moved his leg back and forth, like he tried to buck her off.

  He scooped up the last of the rapidly melting ice cream and ate it. After wiping his mouth on a napkin, he playfully covered Emily’s head with it.

  Indignant, she huffed and daintily dabbed her mouth then placed the napkin beside his plate with painstaking care.

  When she finished, she pointed to the napkin and glared at Ben. “It works like that, Uncle Ben. The paper doesn’t go on your head.”

  He affected a chagrined look. “I’m so sorry. I did not realize that was how it worked.”

  Emily giggled and poked a finger into his chest. “You’re teasing me again.”

  “Yes, I am.” Ben stood and tossed her into the air, catching her in his arms as the rest of the men rose to their feet.

  “Come on, Cletus. I’ll show you some of the best beef cattle you’ll ever hope to see,” Hart said, pointing outside to the pasture visible through the window.

  “If the steak we had for dinner came from your herd of strange bovine, I might have to rethink my opinions of them,” Cletus said. Trent helped him stand and Harper handed him his walker.

  Surprised her uncle appeared to be enjoying himself, Harper watched him shuffle outside with the men and children.

  “Sugarplum, you go sit in the living room and put your feet up. The rest of us can clean up this mess.” Denni placed a hand on Tess’ shoulder as she picked up the dessert plates near her.

  “Thanks, Denni. This heat is killing me.” Tess got to her feet and waddled down the hall.

  “I don’t know how she’s going to make it to Thanksgiving,” Denni whispered as they carried the last of the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

  “She might have to cut back on her workload,” Cady suggested as she started loading plates into the dishwasher.

  “Or stop trying to do so much at their place. Travis said he caught her up on a ladder trying to put up a wallpaper border in the nursery,” Lindsay said, wrapping plastic wrap over a bowl of green salad.

  “Let’s schedule a work day at their house and take care of whatever it is she wants to accomplish before the baby arrives. Maybe then she’ll relax a little,” Cady said, looking to Denni and Lindsay.

  “Great idea. As soon as the wheat harvest is finished, let’s plan something,” Lindsay agreed.

  “I’d be happy to help,” Harper said, joining the conversation.

  “Oh, Harper, we’d love to have you,” Cady said, turning to her with a warm smile. “Are you sure you want to put up with all of us for a workday?”

  “I’d love to.” Harper smiled, feeling like a part of the big, loving family. “Tell me when and I’ll be there.”

  “We will,” Lindsay said, picking up a steak bone that still had some meat on it. “Would your dog like this?”

  “The only thing that rivals his love of bacon is a good bone,” Harper said, watching as Lindsay opened the back door and gave General the bone. He flopped down with a happy dog sigh and started gnawing on it.

  “That was so nice of you to think of him. Thank you.”

  Lindsay shrugged as she washed her hands. “You’re welcome. He seems like a great dog.”

  The conversation went from family pets to a new recipe Cady wanted to try, to Trent and Lindsay’s anniversary soon approaching.

  “I noticed Emily seems quite attached to Ben,” Harper said, trying nonchalantly to glean more information about him without seeming obvious.

  A soft smile settled on Lindsay’s face. “The Morgan and Thompson siblings have always been close. When Emily was born, she came early and we had a little scare with her delivery. Ben was working when she arrived, but he came to the house to see her as soon as he had a day off. He brought an enormous pin
k teddy bear. For whatever reason, he and Emily bonded.”

  “Our kids think Ben and Brice are their uncles even if they aren’t related by blood. It’s the ties of the heart that connect them,” Cady said, grinning at Harper.

  “Brice’s little one will no doubt think Trey and Trent are her uncles, too,” Denni said. She noticed a confounded look on Harper’s face as she tried to recall who belonged to which family. Denni rushed to explain, “Even though there are Morgans and Thompsons, at the end of the day, we’re all one big family.”

  “I think that’s absolutely wonderful,” Harper said, impulsively hugging Denni. The feisty woman was easy to like, as were all of her family. For the first time in a long while, Harper felt as if she was making good friends.

  It was hard for her to imagine people as generous, kind, and caring as the Thompson and Morgan families seemed to be, but the more she saw of them, the more they proved it to be true.

  “Before you moved here to take care of Cletus, what did you do, Harper?” Lindsay asked.

  “I’m a CPA.” Harper helped Lindsay wipe off the counters while Cady and Denni finished the dishes.

  “An accountant?” Cady asked with interest. “Do you focus on tax preparation or do you handle monthly bookkeeping, too?”

  “I can do any of it,” Harper said, remembering what Ben said about a need for an accountant.

  “Would you be interested in opening up an office locally?” Cady asked, hoping the answer was yes. She and Trey handled all of the ranch’s financial records. It took up a large chunk of time they both would rather spend doing other things.

  “I might, if I decided to stay permanently with Uncle Cletus and if I could generate enough business to keep me busy.”

  “Oh, we’d keep you busy,” Denni said, grinning at her. “Hart mentioned something the other day about wishing he could find someone nearby to take over his books. He’s been driving to Portland once a month to meet with an accountant there.”

  “Oh, wow! Well, that definitely gives me something to think about.” Harper entirely liked the idea of moving to Sherman County. She’d noticed a few empty buildings in Moro and Grass Valley. Either location would work to open an office since her uncle lived between the two towns.

  “Did I hear someone say you live in Boise?” Cady asked, wiping her hands after the last dish was dried.

  “That’s right. I have an apartment there, and my office. I share a space with four other accountants,” Harper said, knowing she needed to make some decisions soon. She’d paid both her office and apartment rent through August. If she wasn’t planning to return to her life in Boise, she needed to clear out her things and cut her ties in the city.

  “Well, if you decide you want to make this area your home, let us know what we can do to help. I’ll volunteer all my boys to help you move.” Denni winked at her as she put away the last of the bowls and motioned for the girls to precede her to the living room.

  “You should give Harper a tour of the house, Denni,” Tess said from her spot on the couch as they walked into the spacious room.

  “Would you like one, Harper?” Denni asked as she handed Tess a glass of ice water.

  Harper nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to see the rest of the house.”

  “Come on, then.” Denni guided her up the stairs.

  The house was a mixture of log walls, drywall painted in earthy tones, and wood trim, creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

  As Denni showed her the bedrooms, Harper admired the quilts on each bed. She recalled someone mentioning that the woman used to own a quilt shop in The Dalles.

  In the master bedroom, Harper gaped at the rock fireplace filling one wall and the spa bathroom with a soaking tub big enough to accommodate two people.

  “This has got to be the most fabulous bedroom I’ve ever seen,” Harper said, admiring the furniture and intricate quilt on the bed.

  “Hart built the house before I knew him, so he gets all the credit for the design. Brice made some of the furniture, and my contribution was to add curtains and quilts.” Denni appeared pleased by Harper’s praise.

  As they made their way back downstairs, Harper leaned closer to Denni. “I’ve got to ask.”

  “Ask what, honey?” Denni gave her a curious look.

  “Does Hart sing? I keep picturing him on stage belting out Livin’ on a Prayer or Blaze of Glory. You know, with the big hair and tight leather pants Bon Jovi always wore back in the day.”

  Denni laughed so hard she almost missed a step and stopped until she regained her ability to speak.

  “Oh, Harper, that’s a good one.” Denni wiped tears from her eyes. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I’m not sure whether it’s a curse or a blessing that he could be Jon Bon Jovi’s doppelganger. Most days, I look at it as a blessing. Hart actually has a wonderful voice, but he isn’t much for public performances. He sings in church, though. You’re welcome to join us any Sunday you like.”

  “I might just do that. Uncle Cletus isn’t big on attending services, but I’d like to go.”

  “We’ve always got room for one or two more in our pew.” Denni put a motherly arm around her waist as they continued downstairs.

  When they returned to the living room, Tess asked about General and how long the dog served in the military. From there, the discussion turned to unsung military heroes.

  Harper glanced outside the large bank of windows and saw the men standing near a fence, looking over the cattle.

  “I’m glad Ben is so good with my two little hooligans,” Cady said, pointing to where Shane and Shiloh both tried to climb up Ben’s legs. Emily sat on Trent’s shoulder, yelling something to her cousins, most likely encouraging their antics. General sat nearby, enjoying his bone.

  While the men talked, Cass rode a beautiful appaloosa horse past the barn. Harper admired both the horse and how well the little girl handled it.

  “What a stunning horse,” Harper said, watching as Cass rode it up a rise then turned around and came back.

  Cady smiled with motherly pride. “That’s Rowan. Cass is convinced her grandpa will let her stake a claim on the horse if she keeps doing chores for him.”

  Denni laughed. “Considering how well Cass has Hart wrapped around her finger, he probably will. Besides, she outgrew her pony and a girl needs a horse to ride.”

  “I don’t think she needs that much horse to ride, although Rowan is gorgeous,” Cady said, then turned to Harper. “She’s a red leopard appaloosa.”

  At Harper’s uncertain look, Tess offered an explanation. “Rowan has a white base coat with the dark red spots of varying size all over her body, hence the reason for calling her a leopard appaloosa.”

  “Hence?” Lindsay looked at Tess and giggled. “Did you get another word-a-day calendar at work?”

  “If I wasn’t as big as a water buffalo and only slightly less mobile, I’d walk over there and slug you.” Tess sighed. “I’m too tired to even throw something at you.”

  “Do you need to cut back at work, Sugarplum? What does your doctor say?” Denni asked, taking a seat beside Tess on the couch.

  “I’ll strangle you all if you breathe a word to our overbearing, bossy men, but the doctor suggested I gradually cut back until I’m working half days by month seven. Starting next week, I’ll work six hour days instead of eight.” Tess glared at first Lindsay then Cady. “And I mean it, not a word to any of the boys outside or they’ll act like a bunch of knuckle-busting cavedwellers about the whole thing. You know how they get when one of us is pregnant.”

  Harper couldn’t quite stifle the giggle that burst out of her. To hide her humor, she looked out the window and coughed, but not fast enough.

  “Oh, believe me, Harper, it’s nothing to laugh about,” Cady said, leaning back in her chair. “I thought those three Thompson brothers would drive me bonkers when I was expecting the twins. Ben and Brice, and even the hired hands, weren’t much better, acting like I was going to explode or break every ti
me I turned around.”

  “Part of that was your own fault for trying to do all the cooking and housecleaning when you were out to here.” Lindsay held her hand out far in front of her. “It’s a good thing Trey forced you to take it easy the last few months or you wouldn’t have had the strength and energy to deliver those two little turkeys.”

  Tess grinned at Harper. “We refer to the boys as turkeys because together they weighed almost sixteen pounds.”

  “Oh, my gosh!” Harper stared at Cady. “That must have been awful.”

  “Not as bad as you might think. I had lots of good drugs and a C-section.”

  The women all laughed.

  “Here comes Tee. Just watch, he’ll march in here and start snapping orders and bossing me around,” Tess said, pointing out the window as the men moved toward the house.

  “Tee?” Harper asked, noticing most everyone in the family seemed to have a nickname or two.

  “Sorry, we forget not everyone knows our code names.” Lindsay looked at Harper. “Trey is boss man. Cady’s real name is Cadence, but Trey shortened it and it stuck. Trent calls me Princess and I call him Cowboy. Tess is referred to as Tessa or Honeybee by her adoring husband, and Tessie by Brice, which would get the rest of us clobbered. Oh, and you probably noticed Denni calls her Sugarplum. Tess refers to Travis as Trav, Tee or idiot interchangeably.”

  Tess smiled. “And he eagerly responds to whatever I call him.”

  Lindsay rolled her eyes and continued with her list. “Tess also calls Brice BB and occasionally refers to Ben as Bubba. Brice calls Bailey Sugar. Hart calls Denni his sunshine.” She leaned closer to Harper. “And we all refer to Mr. Hammond as hunky Hart.”

  Harper joined the girls in their laughter as the door opened and the men trooped inside.

  “Honeybee, I told you we should have stayed home so you could rest. Look at your poor little feet,” Travis said as he walked into the room and towered above his wife.

  Tess stuck out her tongue at him as he lifted one swollen foot then the other. “I didn’t want to miss dinner with Harper and Cletus, so just be quiet, Tee. If you want to be useful, help me get up from here. It’s the last time I can sit on this couch. These soft, comfy cushions make it too hard to get up.”