the ranch as a kid. It had seemed like a fabulous playground then, with endless things for kids to do like romping through the pastures, chasing the chickens, petting the horses, and playing in the mud. She grinned remembering how her mom and Birdie pitched a fit when Noelle and Noah tracked mud in the house. Noah was closest to Noelle’s age, so that’s who she’d played with the most. But she also hung out with Cash, who was a couple years younger. It had been several years since Noelle had seen all of her cousins. She’d seen Zoe, Jaxson, and Mason at her mom’s funeral, but Cash and Ramsey were out on tour, and Noah was on a photo shoot somewhere across the world, Noelle couldn’t remember where.
“Look! Cows!” Aiden exclaimed, his face and hands pressed to the window.
Noelle and Birdie grinned at one another before Birdie answered, “Yep, there are plenty of cows on the ranch, that’s for sure.”
“Can I ride one?” Aiden asked eagerly.
A snigger rose in Noelle’s throat when she saw the surprised expression on Birdie’s face. “He did grow up in the suburbs,” Noelle said in Aiden’s defense.
Birdie shook her head. “We need to get that boy acclimated. You can’t ride a cow,” Birdie explained as she glanced back in the rearview mirror at Aiden, “but you can ride one of the horses.”
“Okay,” Aiden answered in a chipper tone. Noelle turned in her seat to face Aiden. Her heart warmed at the gargantuan smile on his face. It was good to see Aiden happy. Kindergarten had gone better today, which was reassuring. No negative reports from Aiden’s teacher. However, just when Noelle was starting to think that everything might work out, the phone call came that imploded everything.
Kyle had called, asking to speak to Aiden. Noelle was glad that Kyle was finally taking an interest in his son. She’d passed the phone to Aiden, not thinking twice about it. Then, she realized all too late that Kyle had ulterior motives. He started talking up Christmas in Tybee Island, telling Aiden all of the fun things they could do together, if only his mom would let him go. After the phone call, Aiden had broken into tears, saying how much he missed his dad. “I want my daddy,” he’d wailed until he was hoarse. It broke Noelle’s heart to see Aiden in such a state. She was furious with Kyle for manipulating Aiden. Noelle suspected that Dottie had put Kyle up to calling. She was starting to detest her former mother-in-law. The woman would stop at nothing to get her way. Dottie didn’t care about Aiden, not really. All she cared about was herself and what she wanted.
Going to the ranch and having dinner with Uncle Knox and a few other members of the Romeo family was a well-needed diversion from the drama.
Birdie tightened her hands on the steering wheel, her voice gathering enthusiasm. “Aiden, you’ll enjoy getting to know Maddie. She’s a few years older than you, but I think y’all will get along just fine. Maddie’s great with younger children,” Birdie said to Noelle.
“Maddie is a cutie,” Noelle remarked. “She looks just like her mom with her dark hair and eyes.” It had been a while since she’d seen Maddie in person, but she’d seen pictures of her on Facebook and Instagram.
“Yes, she does,” Birdie agreed with a touch of pride.
“Remind me again of the history of the ranch,” Noelle prompted. “Wasn’t it started by Knox’s father?”
“Yes, Hugh Romeo was the one who purchased it. Originally, there were five thousand acres. Over time, parcels were sold off and developed into neighborhoods. It was Hugh’s desire that the ranch remain at least a thousand acres, which is how it got its name.”
“Are Knox and his brother Dylan still developing neighborhoods?” Noelle asked.
“They sure are. They’re working on a project now. Do you remember Swallow’s Creek?”
“I do. I used to go swimming in that creek.”
“I remember. Your mama used to worry about you getting eaten by water moccasins.”
“I had forgotten about that.” A reminiscent grin moved over Noelle’s lips. Her mom had been afraid of everything.
“What are water moccasins?” Aiden asked, his voice coated with concern.
Birdie’s eyes widened. “Oops. I need to remember about those little ears listening.”
“Nothing you need to be concerned about,” Noelle inserted smoothly.
Birdie quickly changed the subject. “Knox and Dylan are working on a residential development near Swallow’s Creek.”
“Knox must be super busy, running the ranch and doing his real estate.” Noelle