“I’ve been after Easton to move that pile of dirt between the barns for two weeks now. He’d dug it up to lay some drainage, and then the big tractor conked out. I’m so glad Grant was able to get it working again. Now they can get the job finished. Come on, let’s go back to the house. It’s hot out here.”
Katrina could have stood out there for hours and watched Grant, but she followed Lydia back to the house and poured herself another glass of tea.
“Okay, about the sleeping arrangements. You and Grant will stay at one of the other houses,” Lydia said.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Flynn, Barrett, Tucker, and Mia aren’t coupled up. I think I’m putting Barrett and Tucker at the guesthouse, and I was wondering if it would be all right if Leo and Anya stayed here at the main house with us.”
“Um, you don’t have to keep them here. I’m sure they can stay wherever I do.”
Lydia offered up a knowing smile. “Then how will you and Grant get to be alone?”
The woman was entirely too knowing. “That’s not necessary, you know.”
“Please. I was young and dating once, too. I know what it’s like to try and grab some time alone. And with your brother and sister along, I know you haven’t had a lot of moments to yourselves. There’s another house a few miles from here. You and Grant can stay there. There are five bedrooms in this house, so plenty of space for the kids.”
This was the most bizarre conversation she’d ever had.
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
She wanted to tell Lydia that there wasn’t anything serious going on with her and Grant, but she supposed that would be up to Grant to discuss with his mom. It wasn’t her place to define her relationship with him to his mother.
“How about I drive you over to the house? You can get your things unpacked and settle in and we can come back here and start dinner. Tucker should be here soon, and if Flynn hasn’t arrived by the time we eat, then he can grab leftovers when he does.”
“I don’t want to put you out, Lydia. If you give me some directions, I’m sure I can find the house myself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m so happy to have another female here. Mia and I both are. You noticed she absconded with your sister as soon as she could, didn’t you?”
“I did notice that.”
“Trust me. There are a lot of men on this ranch. You just haven’t seen them all yet. Easton’s brother, Elijah, lives here as well. He’s not here at the moment, but he’ll be back tomorrow. Anyway, since his divorce six years ago, Elijah spends a lot of time hanging around us. Not that I mind. I love my brother-in-law very much. But the testosterone overload when those two get together is enough to make my head explode. You’d think they were teenagers again the way those two get on. I was happy having Mia home again for the summer, but she comes and goes a lot, as all kids her age do.”
Katrina nodded. “Yes. I was just thinking the other day how it won’t be long until Anya will be leaving for college. She’s not my daughter or anything, but I think I was having some empty-nest pangs. I’ve been responsible for her since our mother died ten years ago.”
Lydia grabbed a set of keys from a drawer. “Wow. That’s a lot of responsibility for a young teenager to handle. Should we drive over to the house now? I’ll text Mia to let her know where we are.” As Lydia and Katrina made their way outside and climbed in a bright red truck, Lydia asked more questions about Kat’s parents and what had happened.
Katrina found it easy to tell her about her mother and father and raising the kids on her own as they made the drive over to the other house. It was odd to be so open and comfortable with Lydia, since it wasn’t a story Kat typically told anyone.
Except Grant. And now his mother.
“That must have been so hard for you, being basically Anya’s age when you had to become an adult.”
“I managed.”
“You did. And you managed well.”
“Thank you.” She never wanted kudos for doing what had been, for Katrina, the obvious choice. She couldn’t imagine her life without Leo and Anya in it.
They approached the house. She’d expected something small, like a guest cottage, but it looked just as amazing as the main house … and almost as huge.
“Does someone live here?” she asked as Lydia stopped in front.
“Not at the moment. When we bought the property there was a home here, but it was run-down and in dire need of renovation. So we fixed it up, knowing we’d have family and friends who’d want to stay over.”
She grabbed their bags and followed Lydia inside.
“There’s a master bedroom at the end of the hall.”
Lydia led her past a spacious living room and dining area, and a wide-open kitchen with a lot of room, much like the main house, only on a slightly smaller scale.
The master bedroom was good sized as well. Katrina put their luggage in there and turned to Lydia. “It’s beautiful.”
Lydia smiled. “Easton and I enjoyed the renovation, and I had fun decorating.”