CHAPTER SIX

 

 

The saw blade stuck for the hundredth time. Andrew forced himself to stop, to let go of the handle, to shake out his hands. He took a deep breath, then another. Handsaws were temperamental at the best of times, but when he was so angry and disgusted his hands started shaking, it made things worse.

He forced himself to clear his mind, to focus only on the piece of wood in front of him. He was in the animal barn, replacing a leg on one of the counters. Jamal had put the non-emergency call in last week, and even though it would’ve been simpler to pass it on to Brian or one of the guys, Andrew took the call. He liked doing projects like this; they reminded him of why he enjoyed this job, and he tried to do at least one a week.

Finishing the cut, he began to sand the new leg. This would’ve been easier in the shop, but because he needed to be in the barn to do it, he’d only brought a bucket of hand tools. It was more relaxing this way. Although, as he rubbed the sandpaper around the edges, he realized he wasn’t relaxed, and deep breathing wasn’t helping any more.

It had been days since the interview with Uncle Bob, and Andrew was still angry. Heather had noticed it at dinner last night, but he’d forced a smile and told her it was nothing. After what Bob had said to Heather, there was no way Andrew was going to bring up their uncle again to her. But he couldn’t deny he was angry…and disgusted…and hurting.

Hurting because, by being unable to sit through an interview with Uncle Bob, he’d lost his chance with Rachel. If she was going to stand by Bob, her boss, then he didn’t want anything to do with her.

Did he?

Well, heck yes, he wanted something to do with her. He wanted a lot to do with her. But she was smart and kind, so how could she stand to work with Bob? And how could she choose him over Andrew?

Ahhh, there’s the thing.

Andrew was honest enough to admit to himself that’s what he was upset over; he really thought he had something special going with Rachel, but by doing what she did, she showed Bob to be more important to her. And Andrew wasn’t going to stand to be second-best in any woman’s heart.

Was he?

He closed his eyes on a growl, disgusted at himself.

It was her choice, he reminded himself.

No, it was your choice not to fight for her.

He sighed, and ran his thumb over the edge of the leg he was holding.

Was that the truth? Had he given up on her too easily? If he hadn’t given into her ultimatum, if he’d told her no, he didn’t want the job, but still wanted to date her…what would she have said?

“What are you still doing here?”

The question—and the voice—was so unexpected, Andrew’s eyes flew open as he whirled around.

“What?” he barked, recognizing the pair who’d just come in the main door. “What are you doing here?”

He thought he’d be alone in the barn—even the animals were all out in their pens for the kids to look at.

Jaclyn didn’t like his question, judging from the way she frowned as she walked closer. She’d been at the ranch even longer than Andrew had, a fixture everyone knew and loved. And she was half-crazy, talking to fairies and gnomes and carrying her rabbits around. She had a big gray one in a diaper draped over her shoulder right now.

Oh, and she was the ranch’s resident match-maker. It was something Andrew had watched with a mixture of amusement, disbelief, and jealousy. Over the years, she’d helped dozens of couples to the altar, although she claimed it was thanks to the fairies. And not once had she offered any advice to Andrew.

So he matched her frown for frown, barely paying any attention to her nephew Joshua, who’d followed with a rabbit on a leash and his attention on his phone.

But Jaclyn took offense at the frown. “Don’t look at me like that, young man! I merely asked what you were still doing here.”

Andrew waggled the table leg. “I work here. Jamal needed—”

“No, not here”–she waved her free arm in a circle, encompassing the barn and the outside—“here here.”

“Congratulations,” he said blandly, “You just said ‘here’ three times in a row.”

“Hear-hear,” Joshua muttered from behind her, still looking at his phone.

Jaclyn sent a scowl his way, then turned back to Andrew. “I meant that I’m surprised you’re still working at the ranch. I thought you were getting another job.”

Alarm bells began to go off in Andrew’s head. “What? Who told you that?”

No one knew he’d interviewed on Monday, and Heather was the only one who knew he was considering looking for more work. Well, her and Rachel.

But Jaclyn just gave him a “surely you’re not this stupid” look and her lips tightened. “Who do you think?”

Oh. Right.

The fairies.

Andrew just managed to contain his snort of disbelief. He turned slightly to place the leg on the surface beside him, and continued sanding. “I’ve got work to do,” he said as a way to excuse himself.

Behind him, Jaclyn hummed thoughtfully. “There’s a girl involved?”

“Pretty sure by the time a man reaches my age, I’m supposed to call her a woman, not a girl.”

“Ah-ha! So I was right?”

Yeah, you’re right.

Rachel wasn’t a girl; she was a woman, and she was most definitely involved. Andrew hadn’t been able to get her—or that kiss!—out of his mind for days. She’d connected with him in a way no one else had, and the spark between them was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

When had he stopped sanding?

Andrew realized he was staring down at the piece of wood in his hand, not seeing it. No, he was seeing a pair of sparkling dark eyes and a wide smile. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself to forget her.

It didn’t work.

“Andrew,” Jaclyn said softly, “let me help.”

He wasn’t able to stop his sharp bark of laughter, so he tossed the sandpaper down on top of the leg. “Fine,” he said as he turned around and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Leaning his hip against the counter behind him, he nodded to the old woman, half-dreading what she was going to do. “Is that why you’re here?”

Jaclyn stepped closer and clucked her tongue. “Don’t be silly. I came because Doodles here wanted to see the other animals. Isn’t that right, Doodles?”

She appeared to be speaking to the lump of gray fur in her arms.

“He’s really quite sociable,” she assured Andrew. “I guess he just doesn’t like you.”

“I’m devastated,” Andrew said cheerfully.

“Yes, I can tell.” She frowned at Andrew again. “I don’t know if I want to handle this one. You remember my great-nephew Joshy, don’t you? Joshy!”

Behind her, Joshua sighed slightly and clicked his phone off. He put it in his pocket, tugged on the leash of the rabbit beside him, and there was a genuine smile on his face when he looked at the old woman. “Yes, Aunt Jaclyn?”

“Come meet Andrew.”

Andrew nodded to Joshua—who probably hated being called Joshy. “We’ve met before.”

Last year, Joshua had married the local midwife, and they’d adopted two pre-teens. His son Collin was the same age as Sophie, and his daughter Nellie was Sean’s age. The girls played on the same hockey team, in fact.

Joshua nodded to Andrew with a smile. “Tell Sophie that was a heck of a goal last weekend.”

“Thanks.”

How was he involved in Jaclyn’s nonsense?

The old woman cleared her throat. “Yes, yes, we’re all friends. Now, Joshy, tell me what you…see.”

To Andrew’s surprise, Joshua complied. Still holding that rabbit’s leash, the man took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then…opened them. And this time, it seemed as if he’d opened them in an entirely different way—as if he was looking at the world an entirely different way. It was weird, and made Andrew stand up a little straighter.

When Joshua spoke, it sounded as if his voice was coming from far away. “I think you belong somewhere else. Somewhere with her. Somewhere…” He shrugged. “With family.”

Andrew scowled. Joshua bought into Jaclyn’s supernatural mumbo-jumbo? The man had a doctorate in astrophysics or something. This was nonsense! He turned back to his work.

“I have a family,” he muttered as he reached for the wooden leg.

Behind him, Joshua didn’t deny that. “Yes, but I mean…a bigger family, I think. Bigger than you and Heather and the kids. Listen to them. Love them. Forgive them.”

Forgive them?

Andrew hadn’t spoken to his cousins or other aunts and uncles in years, because…well, because he was afraid they agreed with Bob. And he’d made sure he and Heather hadn’t needed them; they’d been fine on their own. Forgive Bob?

He snorted softly, dismissing Joshua’s words. “I belong here.”

Jaclyn interrupted their conversation. “Pish! Wade can survive without you. Oh, you’ve built this place with your blood and sweat, we know that, but it’s time for you to move on. Time to do something for yourself.”

Almost against his will, Andrew felt himself turning again, facing them with the length of wood dangling from his hand. “What do you mean?” he asked quietly.

“I mean we love you, but someone else can do this job now. But there’s something out there only you can do, and you need to do it.” Her expression softened to a small smile as she hefted the rabbit in her arms. “You’re balanced on the cusp of something big, my boy. Make sure you fall in the right direction. You can fall back here where it’s comfortable and safe and you know what your life is. Or you can fall there, take a chance, forgive those who need forgiving…and find your happily ever after with her.”

Her.

Andrew didn’t need to ask who Jaclyn meant; he knew the truth in his heart. But was this truth? Was Jaclyn right? Was he really choosing between scary change and comfortable stagnation?

Was Rachel part of his future? If he made that step, the step towards Quinn Valley, could he forgive Bob, if it meant having her in his life? Would it really mean a happily ever after for him?

He shook his head slightly, not sure why or how he was falling for Jaclyn’s mumbo-jumbo.

“Hey, Andrew.” Joshua met his eyes with a smile, which seemed eerily like his great-aunts. “What’s the worst that could happen?” He shrugged, as if acknowledging the weirdness of the situation. “I know it sounds crazy, but just trust yourself. Trust the fairies or the universe or quantum physics or God or whatever you want, just trust yourself to take that step. It’ll work out okay.”

In the ensuing silence, Andrew was sure he could hear the sound of dust hitting the sunbeam through the window above.

Was Joshua right? Would trusting everything would work out make everything work out?

He was getting a headache.

Jaclyn broke the silence when she patted her nephew’s back and smiled. “You’ve been blessed with the gift, Joshy. We’ll have you matching up couples in no time! Now, grab Snickers there, and let’s go visit the piglets. They’re adorable! Bye, Andrew!”

Like a tiny tornado, the old woman was already striding towards the door. Joshua’s smile grew as he nodded to Andrew and tugged the rabbit into movement.

“Good luck, man,” he called over his shoulder.

Andrew didn’t bother waving—he was still deep in thought.

Trust yourself to take the next step.

That next step was fairly obvious; he could try to forget Rachel, or he could contact her. But could he forgive Bob?

He took a deep breath. He wasn’t ready to think about Bob or the rest of the family…but Rachel? He could think about her. He could take that step.

Placing the wooden leg beside the can of polyurethane, he took another deep breath and wiped his hands on his uniform pants. Then he pulled out his phone and called up the email app.

Trust yourself to take the next step.

Okay…

 

 

“So then the guy asks me—no lie—to look at a wart on the back of his neck and tell him if it needed removing!” Brooke Quinn burst into laughter as she finished the anecdote.

Rachel, who was sitting across from her friend in the cute little Valley Ice Cream Parlor, sharing a chocolate peanut butter cup sundae, plopped her spoon back into the ice cream in disgust.

“That’s—that’s revolting! What did you do?”

“I told him the date was over and walked out. Left him with the check and the rest of my pot pie.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” Rachel mock-frowned. “And Quinn’s does such great pot pies since your cousin hired that new chef.”

Brooke chuckled again. “Hired and got engaged to, I think you mean.” She scooped up another bite of sundae, but before she popped it into her mouth, she sighed. “At least some of my cousins are finding love. Soulmates is a great way to meet people, I admit, and I’m glad you told me about the site, but I guess I’m just a magnet for losers who only want a free medical diagnosis.”

“Well, you are Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

Her friend glared. “Ha-ha,” she said around the bite of ice cream.

Rachel felt a little sorry for Brooke, but at least the other woman could laugh about it. And not all of her cousins were finding love. Andrew, after all, was one of her cousins, and Rachel knew for a fact the poor man wasn’t having any luck on the dating scene.

Because you sabotaged him.

This time she didn’t disagree with her subconscious. She was the reason he’d been so—so— What had he been? Disgusted? Horrified? Disg-orrified? Angry, that was for sure. Why was he so angry with Bob? She didn’t know—probably would never know—but she’d been the one to push him into that interview. That confrontation.

He’d had every right to call her out on her outrageous bargain, then storm off.

And what was even worse, now her boss knew she’d manipulated his own nephew. Granted, she’d done it because she’d thought it was in both Andrew’s and Bob’s best interests…but that didn’t make it right.

So now her boss was irritated with her, and he’d always been so pleased with her work. And she’d blown it with Andrew, so all week she’d been eaten up with guilt over her actions and anger at herself for losing a guy who could kiss like that.

Was it any wonder she was drowning her sorrows in ice cream?

She sighed and reached for her spoon again.

This stinks.

Across from her, Brooke groaned. “And the holidays are coming up, and I just know someone’s going to ask me how the dating scene is going. I’ve heard Grandma has been getting nosy when it comes to our love lives, and I don’t know how I feel about that. Thanksgiving is only a week away.”

Rachel raised her brow and gestured for her friend to continue, since her mouth was full.

Brooke poked her spoon into the chocolate fudge on top of the sundae. “The whole family gathers at the ranch, and the food is just amazing. All the traditional stuff, but also some family favorites we don’t have any other time of the year. Grandma spends days making her special dumplings. All the cousins adore them.”

Did Andrew? When was the last time he’d had his grandmother’s dumplings? When was the last time he’d spent Thanksgiving with his family? Why hadn’t he? It was sad to think he was keeping himself apart from this wonderful family.

“Speaking of cousins…”

Brooke’s prompt—so in line with Rachel’s own thoughts—had Rachel’s pulse speeding up as she blinked in panic. “What?”

But her friend was staring at the counter. “See that guy?” She’d lowered her voice, as if gossiping. “That’s my cousin Georgia’s new boyfriend, Logan.”

Rachel had to admit the guy was good-looking. And if Brooke’s cousin Georgia had found a new beau—with two other cousins recently settling down with their forevers—then it was easy to see why Brooke might be a little exasperated.

Her friend was waiting for a response, so Rachel took a big bite of ice cream and hummed appreciatively at Logan’s back.

Brooke sighed. “At least, she’s introducing him as her boyfriend, but I think there’s something fishy going on. She’s acting a little suspicious, if you ask me, which you haven’t, I know. I’m going to try to find out some more about him at Thanksgiving.”

But Rachel didn’t have time to appreciate her friend’s wit, or find out why Brooke thought Georgia dating Logan was suspicious, because the doctor turned back to their earlier conversation.

“How about you?”

Brooke’s question startled Rachel. “What about me?”

“What are you up to for the holiday?”

Oh.

She relaxed slightly. “My parents are leaving on a cruise two days after Thanksgiving, so I think they’re traveling that Thursday.” Rachel shrugged. “I figured I’d just stay up here.”

Brooke nodded. “I’ll ask Mom and Dad if you can spend it with the family, if you’d like. There’s already so many of us, they might not notice another person.”

“Thanks.” Rachel forced a smile. “But I’m okay. I don’t want to intrude.” And it would probably break her heart to be surrounded by Andrew’s family when he wasn’t.

Her friend put down her spoon and cocked her head. She hummed thoughtfully. “Okay, spill.”

“What?”

“I’m your doctor and your friend. I know you pretty well, and I know we’re not eating this deliciously unhealthy junk because of me. You’re feeling sorry for yourself.”

Rachel took another bite of ice cream, but didn’t deny it.

“How’s online dating going?”

Brooke had nailed the reason for Rachel’s sadness, as usual. She swallowed.

“I met…a guy.” For some reason, it seemed important to keep Andrew’s identity a secret. As if telling his cousin she’d had a date with him would be a betrayal. “We’ve had a great time online, chatting, and last week I went out with him.” She toyed with her spoon, not able to meet Brooke’s eyes. “It was amazing, like really amazing.”

“And? What’s the problem?”

Rachel sighed. “I manipulated him into doing something he didn’t want to do, and it backfired. It was… It was bad.”

She didn’t realize how hard she was bending the plastic spoon until it snapped in half, and the sudden noise jolted her.

“He’s never going to talk to me again, and…” She swallowed her tears. “I was just trying to help,” she added pitifully.

“Oh, honey.” Brooke’s hand closed around hers. “I’m so sorry. You don’t have to talk about it, but I know your heart. You have a good heart, and I know if you did something like that, it was with the best of intentions.”

“He’s never going to want to talk to me again, much less see me.”

Goodbye, amazing kisses.

Brooke’s hold on her hand tightened briefly, before she let go. “Just have faith, Rachel. If it was meant to be, he’ll come around. And if not, maybe we can prod him a little. Email him, if nothing else.”

Her friend’s face was blurry when Rachel looked up. Why? Oh, she was crying. “You think so?” she sniffed.

Brooke smiled. “I know so. And if he still doesn’t see reason, then it wasn’t as perfect as you thought.”

Actually, that made sense, in a fatalistic way. Rachel sniffed again, then nodded. In her purse, her cell phone buzzed, and the noise made her come back to herself somehow. She blinked and nodded.

“I think I need more ice cream,” she said in a watery voice.

Brooke chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. “I’ll go order another one—small—and get a few more spoons. I think we’re going to need ‘em.”

She bounced up to head to the counter just as Rachel’s phone buzzed again. With her friend gone, she pulled the phone out and swiped up. When she saw the email notification from Soulmates.com, her heart gave a little lurch.

No. It can’t be.

It probably wasn’t, but she hurried to open the email.

And that’s when she stopped breathing, because it was. It was an email from Andrew, and he wasn’t condemning her.

 

Rachel,

I wasn’t kidding when I said I liked you and could see this—what we’ve got between us—going further. I know you said I had to interview in order to see you again, and I did. Well, I didn’t make it far, and I’m sorry you had to see me like that, but I’d like to think I met the terms of your bargain.

I interviewed, and you owe me another date.

No, wait.

It’s taken me this long to realize the reason I miss you so much is because we have something special. If you’re not willing to see me again after that mess I made of everything, I understand…but I hope you will. I can’t even claim this is because of the bargain, or your end of it.

This is just me asking: Will you go out with me again?

I won’t even ask for kisses if you’re not ready for that.

Yours,

Andrew

 

Rachel’s breath whooshed out of her as she re-read the email again, then she sucked in a frantic gulp and re-read a third time.

Another date! Another date with Andrew! And he’d said he missed her and thought they had something special!

And he’d signed it “Yours, Andrew.”

She pressed her phone to her chest and blinked down at the almost-empty ice cream bowl.

Yours.

Was he hers? Was she his? And he was letting her decide?

Surely it was the sugar that was making her feel this jittery, as if she could run ten miles and bounce around The Valley Ice Cream Parlor and sing at the top of her lungs? It was a fierce kind of joy, although “joy” didn’t exactly cover it. It was relief and excitement and joy and terror all rolled into one.

Brooke was still up at the counter, so Rachel bounced in her seat a little, then took a deep breath and clicked on the button to reply.

 

My Andrew,

Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!

I’ll come to Riston so you don’t have to come here again.

I’m so, so sorry for what I did, and I’ll find a way to make it up to you, I swear. Thank you for giving me another chance. We can take things slow, like we were supposed to originally, and see where it goes.

Yours,

Rachel

 

As she pressed “send,” a calmness came over her. This was a surety, and knowing she’d made the right decision. This was the right move, and she’d be able to show Andrew how wrong she’d been.

She’d be able to show him how right they were together.

When Brooke came back to the table with a handful of spoons and a small sundae, Rachel was beaming like a dork.

“Whoa!” she said as she slipped into her seat. “What changed?”

Rachel reached for a spoon. “I got an email.”

Brooke hummed. “Well, tell me about it then.”

So she did.