Page 18 of Sweet Surprises

He didn’t let go right away when she had her feet on the ground, and she glanced up at him.

His cerulean eyes flashed and he cleared his throat, tearing his gaze from hers as he let go of her hand.

He felt it too…

“Let’s go see the cows,” he said flatly, tromping off in the direction of the red barn without waiting to see if she would follow.

Charlotte shook off the odd sensation and jogged after him, grateful for her new snow boots. Back in the city she had hesitated at the expense, but Allie had said she would need them, and she was right.

As they got closer to the barn, a cheerful, masculine voice drifted to them.

“Laura, Mary, Carrie,” he sang out. “Come on now.”

“That’s my dad,” Tag informed her. “He let Olivia name those cows, and she named them after her books.”

“Olivia,” Charlotte echoed, trying not to pant as she matched his long strides and tried to follow what he was saying.

“My daughter,” Tag said. “She’s thirteen now, but she was ten when she was reading thoseLittle Housebooks, and she was obsessed with them.”

“Me too,” Charlotte agreed, the idea of naming the cows after the daughters in the books making her smile. “They’re really good.”

Tag nodded and they walked on with the snow crunching under their boots. The field was painted in the colors of the sunrise, and the air was sweet, though it was cold enough their breath plumed out in front of them.

“It’s amazing,” Charlotte sighed, forgetting that Tag wasn’t a big talker.

He glanced over at her appraisingly. Whatever he saw must have met with his approval, because he nodded again.

“There’s no place like it,” he said gruffly. “But don’t expect anything exciting to happen here. It’s not like your city.”

“We lived in a small town when I was a kid,” she said, picturing Trinity Falls in her mind. “I’ve missed it ever since we moved.”

The tiny Pennsylvania town had grown to fairytale status in her mind. Two years ago, she’d gone down for a quick visit and to honor someone who had helped her family years ago, and it was odd to see the little town again with adult eyes. She had expected to find that the magic had faded. But if anything, she had loved it even more now that she had seen more of the world and understood how rare the simple, joyful little village really was.

This place reminds me of that. It feels like home.

Tag nodded and gave a small grunt in reply.

She waited, but he seemed to have nothing more to say on the matter.

As soon as they reached the other side of the barn, she spotted a tall man on horseback, clucking to a herd of beautiful cows. Some were the classic black and white of a childhood drawing. Others had big, black eyes and brown coats so light it made them look soft to the touch.

“Brown jersey cows,” she said, feeling delighted that she knew what she was looking at. “And black and white Holsteins.”

“Hey, Dad,” Tag called out. “Charlotte’s here.”

The man pulled up his horse, and only then did Charlotte realize that he was old enough to be Tag’s father. His posture up on the horse made him look much younger.

“Well, hello there, young lady,” Mr. Lawrence said, jumping off the horse and heading over to her.

She expected him to tie the horse up, but it waited patiently for him. When she held out her hand to shake his, the man drew her into a quick, hard hug.

“Allie thinks the world of you,” he said, pulling back and looking her in the eyes as he clapped her shoulder. “We’re all so glad you could come up here and help with the shop.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure, Mr. Lawrence,” she told him. “Thank you for offering me a place to stay.”

“It’s Daniel,” he said. “And that apartment isn’t much.”

He frowned, looking a little unhappy about it.

---