can tell them we’ll be over.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. We’re starting our own Christmas traditions.”
They finished coffee and grabbed donuts on their way out since it was past lunch and they hadn’t eaten yet.
“We need to grow up,” she mumbled. “Why are we getting drunk and sleeping half the day away and then not eating? It’s ridiculous.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll take you to the roadhouse for dinner if you’d like.”
“Oh, shit, I just remembered that I’m older than you are!”
“Amber, too bad. That doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“It might when my reproductive clock starts ticking.”
He grabbed her hand. “I didn’t use anything last night. That might be a nonissue.”
“I take the pill,” she said, smirking at him.
“Why if you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Because I’m a sexually active adult woman, as you discovered last night.”
“So do I have to worry about STDs now?”
“Jeez, I hope not. At least not from me you don’t. I just had all those tests for school. Maybe I need to have you checked out.”
“Not me. I’m not sexually active, as you said.”
“Oh, bull crap.”
“I’m not! I swear to you. I haven’t had a date all summer. Maybe all year. I can’t even remember the last time I was with someone unless it was you.”
“Whatever,” she said, laughing.
Watching the scenery go by, she wondered what the day would bring. Going to Maggie Angel’s cottage was not something she normally would look forward to because she was jealous of her being with Justin. But now that she was with Dave, well, maybe she’d be able to relax.
They arrived at the gate, and they watched Justin jump off the porch, jogging down the driveway.
“My brother is sure a looker.”
“Ha! That he is. But so are you, Dave. Justin has that wild look of a motorcycle gang, and you look like a hunky cop.”
“He’s never been on a motorcycle to my knowledge, but on the back of a horse? Did you ever see him ride bareback? I even get hot.”
“You’re insane,” she said, laughing.
Justin waved them by after he opened the gate, and then he shut and locked it again.
“Who are they worried about getting in?” Amber asked.
“Justin said the traffic of uninvited is steady here.”
“That’s awful. I guess I don’t blame her, then.”
They pulled the truck up next to Justin’s. Maggie stood next to him, smiling, looking unthreatened. They greeted each other warmly, Maggie sincerely happy to see Amber and Dave together, having put aside any animosity she once felt, and they grabbed the dog’s leash and a saw and made a beeline for the woods again.
“Aw, you still have your band of horses,” Amber said, crouching down to love on Brulee. “That’s nice they stayed here.”
“Yeah, we were surprised too. The original band doesn’t have any pregnant mares either.”
“Looks like our plan of population control is working for the wild horses,” Justin said. “Not so much dogs and cats.”
They told Dave and Amber about the plan to move Kelly’s rescue to Bayou Cottage, and they were excited and supportive, offering help where needed.
“I’d love to help out. It might even help me with school,” Amber said. “Just let me know.”
It appeared old wounds were healed over, for now.
Chapter 7
Christmas was on everyone’s mind, and it drove Maggie nuts. She had one goal and that was to paint the cottage while the dry weather held out. That meant starting in the back so Justin wouldn’t notice, and working around to the front during the week so he’d only see the outside after sunset.
After promising secrecy, Steve ordered the paint and delivered it to her early on Monday morning.
“Should you be up on a ladder with no one around here?” he asked, concerned.
“I don’t have a choice. I’d ask Annie if she wants to hang out here, but you know her, she’ll insist on helping. So mum’s the word.”
“I don’t know…”
“Steve, I swear to god!”
“I promise! I won’t say a word. But just so you know, there are harness hooks about every four feet on your roof right above the gutters. I saw them when I was up there installing your satellite dish. You tie a rope around your waist and loop it around the hook; then if your ladder falls over, you’ll hang there until someone comes along.”
He slapped his knee, laughing.
“Real funny. I’ll do that, and I have my phone in case I fall.”
“Whatever. Women. Look, while I’m here, do you want to walk the property with me? Show me where you’d like the foundation for the trailer to