The Delivery of Decor (Shiloh Ridge Ranch in Three Rivers #7) - Liz Isaacson Page 0,47
body.
He got up and left her on the couch, and only then did she hear what he’d said. I can bake a few things, but cherry pie isn’t one of them. Etta put one in my freezer a couple of months ago. It’s a heat and eat.
“Heat and eat,” she said, reaching up to touch her face where he’d kissed her. Before she knew it, he’d returned, and he started clicking around on the computer. He turned the monitor so it faced the couch, and he settled on the other end of it with his guitar on his knees.
Another man blipped to life on the screen, and Ward said, “Ranger. Wow, it’s good to see you.”
“This is nuts, right?” His older brother looked at Dot. “How are you holding up, Dot?”
“Good,” she said.
“I hate being trapped inside,” Ranger said. He leaned closer to the screen, his eyes darting left and right. “Bear and everyone are coming into the conference room, but my word. You should see him. He’s like a wild bear in a too-small enclosure.”
Ward chuckled, and Dot watched him with his family, even if they were on a screen. “He’s got a newborn, Range. Remember when you brought Wilder home? You were a snapping zombie for at least a couple of weeks.”
“I didn’t want to kill the child,” Ranger said.
“You never slept,” Ward said. “Cut Bear some slack.”
“Some slack would be nice,” someone said from off the screen, and Ranger leaned away. The monitor got turned, and Bear grinned at Ward.
He held a tiny infant in his arms, and his wife sat next to him, their other child on her lap. “Lincoln got a tambourine for Christmas,” Bear said. “I’m not sure who’s great idea that was, because I’ve had a headache since six a.m.” He still grinned like it was great. “He wants to play with you and Judge.”
“Sure thing,” Ward said. “I’ll text you the set list for him.”
“Of course,” Bear said as another screen popped up and another Glover joined the video chat. “The set list.”
“How many songs on this set list?” the third man asked.
“Glad to see you have a shirt on, Bish,” Bear said.
“Oh, be quiet,” Bishop said. “You know what I meant.”
“How’s Montana?” Sammy asked. “Her back hurt yesterday when y’all left.”
“She’s okay.” Bishop looked to his right. “She doesn’t want to be on screen. Mother and Donald are getting coffee. Aurora is sending Ollie the link. Hope that’s okay.” While he’d been talking, three more people had joined the chat.
Some of them kept themselves muted, but some greeted everyone and someone asked if Oliver Walker was going to marry Aurora.
“You dang near killed Montana,” Bishop said, his eyebrows drawn down. “We don’t know. They have several months of school left.”
More people joined, and finally, Bear asked, “Is everyone here? Who are we missing?” He leaned closer to the screen too, obviously counting. “We’re all here. Ward?”
“You should introduce Dot,” Ida said, smiling as she held one baby in her left arm and Brady held one in his. Dot smiled at the pair of them, because they were great people, and she’d had fun going out with them.
Ward looked at Dot, and Dot looked at Ward. He shifted like he’d done out on the hearth before playing his Carrie Underwood smash hit. “All right,” he drawled, and that caused Dot to grin. She managed to tame the giggle, thankfully, as most of the other women on the screen in front of her seemed made of refinement.
“This is Dorothy Crockett,” Ward said. “Or Dot. She owns From the Ground Up, and we’ve been seein’ each other for a few months now. Give or take a few weeks. On and off.” He cleared his throat. “I’m hopin’ it’ll stay on, but I’ve done some pretty dumb things in less than twenty-four hours, and I’m pretty sure she can’t wait to make a break for the exit.”
Several people laughed, Dot herself included. She reached over and took Ward’s hand in hers, knowing it was in plain sight of everyone on the screen. “Thanks, Ward.” She faced all the Glovers, and even virtually, it was a sight to behold. “It’s nice to meet y’all. I hope we can do it in person when I’m not bleeding.”
That prompted a few questions about why she’d been bleeding and how her fingers were doing. She and Ward answered them, and then he released her hand and lifted his guitar into place.