about. Like what she’d do when Savannah left the Triple-C. She’d lose her best friend … to a man she was more than a little sweet on. It was a double blow. But she wouldn’t stand in their way – it wouldn’t be right. And landing a beau wasn’t what she was here for. Savannah was.
They reached Rayne and Arturo’s cabin, where Rayne was doing laundry and Arturo was fixing a chair. He spied them and waved, and the twins ran toward him. “Arturo!”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to tell which is which,” Parthena lamented.
“Just listen to them,” Thatcher said.
“I picked that up, but when only one talks, it’s hard.”
He laughed. “We all struggle with it. Sometimes Alastair changes his voice to fool everyone. He’s a very good mimic.”
Rayne looked up from her work. “Hello, what brings ye here?”
“Parthena wanted to visit,” Thatcher told her.
Rayne smiled and wiped her hands on her apron. “How nice. I’ll make some coffee.”
“You don’t have to go to any trouble on my account,” Parthena said.
“No trouble at all,” Rayne insisted. “Come, I’ll show ye the cabin.”
Parthena caught the pride in her voice and followed.
“I’ll join you in a few minutes.” Arturo started to speak to the boys.
Once inside Rayne turned to her and smiled. “Well, here we are.”
Parthena looked around. It was very charming. “Lovely. You decorated it?”
“Oh, aye. Do ye like it?” Rayne went to the nearest window. “I even made the curtains – no small feat. My sewing skills are nothing like the other women here.”
“They’re pretty.” She fingered the material. “I like the flowers.”
“So do I. At first I didn’t think Arturo would, but he loves them as much as I do.” She giggled. “Ye know how men can be about some things.”
“Yes, of course.” Thank Heaven for lots of male relatives. It wasn’t as if she had a husband.
“Come sit. I just made a batch of cookies.” Rayne motioned her to the table, then headed for the stove.
Soon they were chatting over coffee and munching sugar cookies. “Do ye like it here?” Rayne asked. “Will ye come to visit again?”
“Oh, I don’t know …”
“But isn’t this the most beautiful place ye’ve ever seen?”
Parthena smiled at Rayne’s obvious love for the farm. “It’s very different from where I live.”
“Ye love it there, I’m sure.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “You and Arturo should come visit.”
“I’d love to. Neither of us has seen Lucy for a long time.” She stared at the table. “It would be nice to see the new baby.”
“When she has it, that is,” Parthena added.
“Oh, aye. I hope it’s a boy.”
“That’s what Max and Lucy are hoping for too.” Parthena stared at her cup. She caught the same sadness in Rayne’s eyes that Ma had, and hoped the Lord blessed her with a child soon.
Arturo and the boys came inside. “See, I told you there’d be cookies.” The boys headed for the cookie jar in a rush.
“Two each,” Rayne warned. “I’d like to have some for dessert tonight.”
The twins exchanged a shy look.
“None of that,” Arturo said. He winked at Rayne. “You’d think my sister never feeds them.”
“They had two breakfasts,” Parthena noted.
The boys looked at her as if she’d just told them they’d been cattle rustling. “We only had oatmeal and fruit at home,” Thatcher said in defense.
“And flapjacks at your Nonna’s,” Parthena replied.
Arturo crossed his arms. “Is that so?”
Parthena thought in that moment that he looked a lot like Leo. Great. Was she ever going to escape him? Did she have to see the man in his brother? She tried not to roll her eyes at how silly it sounded, even to her. But there was no help for it. She’d have to come up with some way to get Leo Cucinotta out of her head.
Chapter Fourteen
“Would you ever want to leave?” Savannah asked. They were sitting in the middle of an orchard and she enjoyed the sweet smell of the blossoms.
Leo plucked a blade of grass and chewed on one end. “I don’t know. I’d like to see other places, of course. Why are you asking? We already discussed this.”
She shrugged. “It never hurts to ask again. For all I know, you’ve been thinking about it and changed your mind.”
“Not likely. But I wouldn’t mind seeing Clear Creek.”
She smiled and sensed he was just trying to be polite. His mind was elsewhere, she could tell, and she wasn’t sure how to get his attention back on her. She could always do the obvious. “What are