a kiss across his lips. “I really do thank you for everything.”
“Anything for you, my darlin’.” He laid his sandwich down, picked up her hand, and kissed her knuckles.
Chapter Fourteen
Two things that Alana had always envied were classmates who had mothers to bring cupcakes to school instead of a nanny and those kids who had siblings. After church on Sunday morning, Iris insisted that Matt and Alana join them at the Callahan Ranch for dinner. She’d made a huge pot roast, and Bridget had made scones and a lovely peach pie. There was plenty, she said, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
When Alana walked through the door at the Callahan Ranch, memories flooded over her like a warm spring rain. She’d spent time in the small farmhouse when she was a kid, and she’d always loved the bantering that went on between Maverick and Paxton. But what she’d liked even more was riding the bus to their house and walking in to the aroma of cookies or bread fresh from the oven. Her nanny didn’t make supper and left as soon as Matt came in the back door, so Alana cherished the moments she spent at Iris’s house.
“Still smells as wonderful as it did when I was a kid.” Alana sniffed the air. “I’ve missed coming over here to visit with you the past six months, Iris.”
“You always said that as a child.” Iris pulled her into the kitchen. “I need a few minutes alone with you. It’s a strange situation you and Pax have gotten yourselves into, isn’t it?”
Alana’s heart jumped up into her throat. Iris always could see through all three of them, even when they were children. Had she somehow found out about the whole ruse?
“How’s that?” Alana’s voice was high-pitched even in her own ears.
“Pax will need to be over on the Bar C Ranch helping you. Matt has told me that he’s ready to hand it over to you kids and retire to the bunkhouse to live out his days with Lucas and the boys out there. He talked about the first year of his and Joy’s marriage. I remember that time, and they were so happy. I think he wants to relive some of those memories that you and Pax gettin’ married have brought back to mind,” Iris answered.
Alana heaved a sigh of relief. “He has been talking about her more since Pax and I got engaged.”
“So, I’ve made up my mind to change things a bit around here,” Iris said. “I’m going to buy out Pax and hire a foreman to help Maverick. There’s a young man up on the Rockin’ B that I’ve had my eye on for a while. His father has been the foreman up there for years, so he knows the ropes, and it’ll be good experience for him,” Iris said. “I think if we enlarge the tack room a little, we can turn it into a nice little bunkhouse for him.”
“But Pax and Maverick work so well together, and they’ll miss each other,” Alana argued. Those words the preacher had said about tangled webs came to her mind. “I’ve got lots of help on the Bar C. Have you talked to Maverick and Pax about this?” Poor old Pax was going to be divorced and not even have a ranch to call home.
“No, but after the wedding, we’re going to have a long talk, and I don’t think I’ll get a bit of trouble out of them. Pax loves you, and he’s going to want to be a part of the Bar C. Everything is actually working out beautifully,” Iris said. “But for the next two weeks we’re going to concentrate on the wedding, and then we’ll make what plans we’ll need for the changes.”
Thank God for the wedding, Alana thought. It would keep everyone occupied. By the time Iris could get plans in motion, everything would be over and done with.
“What can I do to help get dinner on the table?” Alana changed the subject.
“You could get down the plates.” Bridget came in from the living room. “And maybe the utensils. The guys are watching Laela for me until we can get things ready. We’ll be sitting at the dining room table. It’ll be cozy with the six of us and the baby, of course.”
A memory of her mother teaching her how to properly set a table flashed through Alana’s mind as she carried plates to the dining room. She’d been begging to help on