Page 3 of Christmas with the Cowboy
“Where is he?” Reed asked.
“Checking the north fence. We’ve had issues up there.”
“What kind of issues?”
Audrey was about to reply when her attention jerked to the large window over the kitchen table. Her mouth opened, then closed again, and she shifted her attention back to her son.
“We need to talk.”
“What?” Reed caught sight of dust rising in the air at the far end of the driveway.
“Now.”
Lex was watching her grandmother with a look of open curiosity, the tea towel in one hand. Audrey gave her a quick smile, then took Reed by the elbow and steered him into the living room. He glanced back at the rooster tail, figuring it was still a mile away.
“What?” he asked as soon as Audrey had him at the far side of the living room, noting that she’d hauled him far enough from the kitchen to keep Lex from “accidentally” hearing what she had to say.
“This may be a false alarm, but…you know how I’ve always talked about arranging all the ranch records and photos and…general history…into some kind of order?”
“Yes…?”
“I started. And I hired help.” Her mouth flattened and she met his gaze. “I thought I’d have time to tell you. I mean, it shouldn’t matter, but it might and—”
His mom was never like this. Ever.
“What the hell?”
“Trenna. I hired Trenna Hunt. She’s going to teach history at the community college starting in January, and I asked if she’d help me. She said, yes, then you told me you were coming home a few weeks early, and she’s not supposed to start until next week, and there was still time to tell her I didn’t need her if that turned out to be the case—”
“Mom. Chill. I’m good.”Stunned but good.“It’s been more than fifteen years.”
Audrey let out a breath. “Yes. But it seemed only fair to warn you ahead of time.”
“Fifteen years, Mom.”
“Right.” She gave him a cautious look, which clearly said that she didn’t know if fifteen years was enough time. It was. He’d built a new life and so had she.
“I’ll just head out and meet her then,” Audrey said, smoothing her hands down the sides of her jeans.
“Does she know about me and Lex being here?”
Audrey shook her head. “Not that you’re already here. You both moved up your timetables.”
“Go meet her, Mom. I’ll be right out.” Trenna Hunt. Fifteen years. As he’d said, a long time.
Why the hell was his stomach knotting?
“So,” Lex said lightly, staring into the bowl as she scooped out dollops of dough. “What’s up?”
“Old girlfriend.” Reed knew that unless it was absolutely necessary, it was best not to hide things from an inquisitive teen.
“One that required a red alert?”
“Bad breakup,” Reed said shortly.
Lex put a hand on her hip. “When did this happen?”
“Before you were born.” He’d done his share of dating after the sting of his failed marriage had worn off, but had yet to bring a woman home to meet the family so to speak, Lex being that family.
