The Delivery of Decor (Shiloh Ridge Ranch in Three Rivers #7) - Liz Isaacson Page 0,35
the twins never did. They’d seen Ranger and I get the punishment.”
“It meant that much to her?”
“Mother wanted us to learn to take care of things,” Ward said, going for more sugar. “It was important to her that we knew how to do household chores and not just ranch chores.”
“Why’s that?”
“She wanted us to be good wives and husbands.” He glanced at Dot, who nodded. “Daddy educated us about the ranch. Mother taught us about the house. They weren’t strict, not really, but I know I didn’t want to disappoint them.” He grinned and tasted his coffee again. It was definitely better with more sugar. “I especially didn’t want Mother to march into my class and announce to everyone that I’d forgotten to make my bed, and she was so sorry, but she needed to take me home so I could.”
Dot giggled as she stirred her coffee. She didn’t add anything to it before taking a drink. She didn’t flinch or grimace, but Ward had no idea how she drank it so bitter. “How old were you when she did that?”
“Fifth grade,” he said. “I had a crush on this girl named MaryLou.” He shook his head. “She was so pretty, and I was so embarrassed.”
“MaryLou, huh?” Dot’s dark hazel eyes glinted. “Did you and MaryLou ever have a thing?”
“I was ten,” he said. “So no.”
“Lots of kids would ‘go together,’” she said. “You never did that?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Your mother scarred you, is that it?”
“That’s totally it,” Ward said. “No wonder I haven’t been able to find a girlfriend all these years.” He grinned at her and sipped his coffee again. The English muffins popped up, and Ward got busy spooning on the avocadoes he’d chopped and seasoned.
He took the plates over to the table and set them in the only two clear spots. He and Mister used them, and Mister never said anything about the photo albums on the table.
“No girlfriends?” Dot asked. “A tall, strapping cowboy like you?”
Ward dang near choked on his avocado muffin. He managed to swallow and wipe his mouth. “I mean, I’ve gone out with a lot of women.” Especially recently, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“How many?”
Ward shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, let’s see.” He started to count on his fingers, Dot’s eyes growing wider and wider. “About eight in the past couple of years.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I am not.” Ward took an overly large bite of food so he wouldn’t be able to talk for a minute.
Dot stared at him. “You didn’t like any of them?”
“No,” he said. “I liked them, but not all that much. There was no…spark.”
Dot nodded as if she understood. He wanted to ask her if she could feel the sizzle between them, but he managed to keep the embarrassing question quiet. “What about you?” he asked instead. “Who have you been out with?”
“Just me and Brutus for a while now,” she said, ducking her head and taking a large bite of muffin too. He recognized the tactic, and let her have a minute to chew and think.
“You know,” he said. “I’d gone to the potluck lunch after church specifically after praying I’d meet the right woman for me there. Then I ran into you.”
“Yeah, and you ruined my raspberry cream whip.”
“You ruined my shirt,” he threw back at her, along with a smile. “Can you make that raspberry cream whip? Seems like the perfect thing to have on Christmas Day.”
Alarm crossed Dot’s face. “Do you think we’ll be stuck here all day?”
“Yes,” Ward said matter-of-factly. “I do. Holly Ann just texted to say she can keep the food until we can get together, but that they aren’t hosting a meal today, because the wind is still howling out there.”
Dot got up from the table and walked to the window as if she didn’t believe him. Ward didn’t even have to move to see outside. The snow still swirled through the air, and the glass in front of her rattled right on cue.
She went over to the built-in desk and picked up her phone. After returning to the table and taking another bite of her breakfast, she said, “Three Rivers is reporting eight inches overnight in town.” She looked up. “Has to be more than that here.”
“Probably,” Ward said. “I haven’t been outside yet today.”
“Then we’ll just stay in,” she said. “We have power.”
“I need to go check on the gasoline for the generator,” he said. “I don’t know how long it had to be used last night.”