Chapter 7
“He’ll be here any minute.” Ash looked out her bedroom window, eyeing the street below. “I had to call off the outside painters, since I haven’t gotten my colors approved yet.”
“You don’t think he’ll like the colors you picked out?” asked Maggie on the cell phone. “Those colors you sent links for looked great to me.”
“Thanks, Maggie. But no, I think he won’t like anything but white. He hates change of any kind.”
“But he’s your cousin, right? Why don’t you just level with him about who you are? Then you could call in a family favor.”
“No way! I’m pretty sure the family disowned my mother, and I don’t blame them. They probably won’t be too happy to discover her daughter has snatched away the family home. My only chance is to win them over before I let them know who my mother is.”
“Come on, Ash. You’re a fantastic person. Who wouldn’t like you?”
Ash rolled her eyes, even though Maggie couldn’t see the gesture. “Adam, for one. I make him mad almost every time I open my mouth.”
“If he hates you so much, why did he call you three times last week?”
“To buy my antique furniture.” Ash put Maggie on speaker phone so she could brush her teeth. “I promise, that’s all it was.”
“What about your date today?”
“It’s not a date—it’s a meeting to discuss paint colors, after which, I’ll probably have to keep the outside white,” Ash garbled with a mouthful of toothpaste.
“If it’s just a meeting, why did he tell you to wear jeans and walking shoes and bring a jacket?”
“I don’t know… that’s what I’m worried about. I don’t want him to hate me, but I don’t want him to like me—not like that. It would be even more disastrous. He’s my cousin for Pete’s sake!”
“Yeah, that’s too bad, because he sounds hot.”
Ash spit into the sink. “Oh he’s hot, no doubt about it, but I can’t let myself think of him that way.”
“Let me get this straight. He’s hot, but you’re trying not to have the hots for him. And you want him to like you, but you don’t want him to like you.” Maggie let her voice go gravelly on the second like.
“Exactly.”
A long, low whistle sounded through the phone. “Ash, you are in so much trouble.”
“That’s why I’m freaking out here.”
“Listen Ash, I’ve been doing some research, and I have a solution.”
“What?” Ash was wary of the amused tone in her friend’s voice.
“It turns out you can legally marry your first cousin in New York. So you and Adam come here and get married and then go back to Oregon.”
“Right. And then we can live happily ever after and have deformed children.”
Maggie snickered. “You could always adopt.”
“Maggie, be serious here.”
“Okay, okay. I’m being serious. I think you should look on the bright side… at least you won’t be all alone on your twenty-sixth birthday.”
“It’s not like anybody knows about it.”
“Well, you could casually mention it to Adam.”
“I’ve already done enough mortifying things around him, I’m not going to beg for attention on my birthday.” Ash walked back to her window, watching the cars drive by on Scott Street.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, but I better figure it out fast.” Ash spotted Adam getting out of a truck across the street, and her heart started hammering out a jazz pattern. “He’s here.”
Maggie’s laugh rang in her ear.
“Why are you laughing? It’s not funny.”
“Yes it is! I can’t help laughing. You’re the only person I know who gets in these predicaments. I say, you should just tell him the truth today.”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“How about, ‘Hey Adam. Guess what? I’m your long-lost cousin.’”
“I need to tell my aunt first. I think I owe her that much.” A knock sounded down below at the front door.
“I think sooner is better than later. They’ve already been around you enough to know you’re nothing like your mother was. I think they’ll accept you just fine.”
“Well, I’m invited back to dinner again tomorrow night. Maybe I’ll go early and try to talk to Aunt Donna alone.” The knocking got louder. “Gotta go, Maggie. Thanks for listening.”
Ash bounded downstairs just as one of the painters opened the door and Adam stomped his way inside.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly, as the painter went back to his roller. “Sorry I kept you waiting. I was upstairs.”
“I see you’re going ahead with the inside painting.”
She assumed his frown meant he didn’t approve of the inside paint color, either. “They’re just priming right now. The real color is a little darker beige—I think it’s called English Breakfast with Cream. It’s pretty boring, but I’ve planned some fun accent colors. That whole wall over there will be red.”
One eyebrow lifted, and he opened his mouth as if to tsk his disapproval. Instead, he clenched his jaw and swung his arm toward the open door. “Ready to go?”
She walked outside and put on the brakes so fast he almost ran into her. “Where are we going, exactly?”
“I’m assuming you haven’t seen much of Yamhill County.”
“Surely I’m not missing much.” Her sarcastic words tumbled out before she had a chance to stop them. She had to control her impudent tongue if she had any chance with the Walker family.
When he grinned, flashing his dimples, she released the breath she’d been holding.
“I consider that a personal challenge, Annalee. Five bucks says by the time I’m done with this tour, you’ll be eating those words.” He extended his hand, watching her expectantly.
“You’re on, Mr. Walker.” She shook his hand, though her face warmed at his touch. “But I’ll warn you, I’m hard to impress.”
“I’m assuming you’ve never even seen a live cow up close.” His dark eyes danced with delight, probably thinking this would be a simple bet to win. “Don’t have many of those in the Big Apple, do you?”
“I’ll have you know, I was born and raised in Texas.” She almost laughed when his eyes flew open wide.
“How about a bear, then?”
“A bear? I’ve no desire to get up close and personal with a bear.”
“Okay… ever been to a vineyard?”
Ash squealed, “A vineyard? I’d love to visit a… I mean…” She continued in a more sedate voice. “A vineyard could be interesting.”
“Ah-ha! Sounds like I’m taking you to a vineyard.” He nudged her ahead, across the street, to the waiting pick-up, following her to the passenger side to open her door. He’s so gentlemanly. His hand steadied her as she climbed up the step into the high truck seat. Wait—maybe he’s being too gentlemanly.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she coughed to cover up the nervous tremor in her voice. “I thought we were meeting to talk about paint colors. Touring around, going to a vineyard—that sounds kind of like a date.”
He shut the passenger door and rested his arms on the open windowsill. His head cocked to one side like a curious puppy. “You say that like it would be a terrible thing if we went on a date.”
“It would! I can’t date you.” When his brows furrowed, she hurried to clarify. “What I mean is… I can’t date anyone right now… not for a while. I just got out of a bad relationship.” That much was certainly true—she’d sworn off dating since Zach destroyed her heart.
Adam’s jaw muscles flexed as if he wanted to slug someone. “How long were you with this guy?”
The way Adam asked the question clearly displayed his disgust toward “this guy.” She couldn’t suppress a surge of pleasure at Adam’s protectiveness. If she’d ever had a brother, she imagined he would be like this. How could she preserve her relationship with Adam? What could she say so he wouldn’t feel angry when he learned they were cousins?
“Zach and I were together almost a year—that’s why I’m not even thinking about dating anyone right now. But I hope you and I can be friends, even though we got off to a bad start.”
“Friends—absolutely!” With an enigmatic smile, he slapped the side of the truck, strolled around to the driver’s side and climbed inside.
Huh… so Adam really just wants to be friends.
He kept a rolling descriptive monologue going as he drove through the Willamette Valley. Ash wondered why she hadn’t noticed the beauty of the rolling hills while driving her rental car from the airport in Portland. The vineyards with the mountains in the distance would have made a gorgeous postcard image.
In the quaint tasting room of the Passion Lane Winery, she sampled some wines, trying to pretend she had a sophisticated palette as the wine was described. “Oh, right… I taste that berry with a hint of earthiness you’re talking about.”
When the sommelier turned his back, Ash shrugged and made a funny face at Adam, who almost spurted out his mouthful of wine.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she told Adam as the left the winery. “I thought that was fun, but I couldn’t taste all those slight differences he described in the wines.”
“It takes practice to distinguish the flavors of wines. I’m sure you could take a few bites of any food and recognize most of the seasonings.”
She started to agree with his statement, but got distracted by his hand on the small of her back. She had to think about something besides the tiny tingles spreading up and down her spine. “A cup of flour equals 140 grams. A cup of sugar equals 200 grams. A cup of butter equals 230 grams…”
“What are you doing?”
His hand slipped away, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Just practicing my measurements.”
He shook his head at her bemusing words. “Are you ready for the next event?”
“Depends… Is that one where we discuss paint colors?”
“No, it’s where you really get to see the Willamette Valley… and more. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
“I’m not. I love skyscrapers and balconies—the higher the better. Are we going to climb a mountain?”
“No, we’re going to take a helicopter ride.”
Tears sprang to her eyes before she could stop them. “Are you teasing me?”
“No, but…” He stopped in front of her and lifted her hands into his. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I didn’t realize it would scare you.”
“I’m not scared. It’s just…” She swiped at her eyes. “How did you know I’ve always wanted to go on a helicopter ride? But I can’t let you do that—I’ll pay for my ticket.” She opened her small purse, hoping she’d remembered to put her credit card back in her wallet.
“Put that away.” He snatched the purse from her hands. “You can’t pay—it’s a birthday present.”
She almost swallowed her tongue. “How did you know?”
He tapped his forehead, his eyebrows dancing. “I know lots of things.”
What else does he know? “Still, it’s too expensive. We’re supposed to be spending time together as friends.”
“I said we’re friends, and I meant it! I can afford it, so stop arguing.”
His dark-eyed glower should’ve frightened her, but she was growing accustomed to his stern countenance, realizing it covered up a soft heart. She’d begun to make a game of coaxing a smile from him, hoping for a peek at those enticing dimples.
“Okay. You can pay.”
“Good.” His shoulders relaxed, but his smile evaded her.
“Tell me how you knew about my birthday. Have you been talking to Maggie, somehow?”
Her question lured out a self-satisfied grin, dimples and all. “I saw it on your building permit when your contractor filed it at city hall.”
Ash’s heart jumped into her throat. Was her middle name on any of that paperwork? If he saw Annalee Scott Hendrix would he guess her connection to their mutual grandmother, Caroline Scott? She had to confess the truth to Donna tomorrow, before he found out from some other source. He was being so nice, she felt like a heel for hiding the truth.
“Hey…” His fingers brushed her cheek. “Are you okay? Did I frighten you, somehow? I promise I’m not stalking you or anything.”
She trembled at his gentle touch, hating the way her face displayed every emotion for all to see. “No, I’m fine.”
“Then we should get going before we miss our flight time. I’ve got some granola bars we can eat on the drive to tide us over ‘til afterwards. And I know a great place for a late lunch.”
She hurried toward the truck before he was tempted to put his hand on her back again, especially since she was tempted to let him. “And when are we discussing paint colors?” She glanced over her shoulder and caught him grinning.
“By the time I’m done with you today, I expect you’ll be happy with any paint color I suggest.”
She chuckled. “You’re the city official. Aren’t I supposed to be the one bribing you?”
“You shouldn’t be surprised that a small country town like Romance does everything backwards, including our bribes.”
“In that case, I hope our helicopter pilot was trained in a big city.”
~*~
Adam risked a glance at Ash, who sagged in her seat as he drove her home, the setting sun casting soft shadows on her rosy cheeks.
“Sorry if I made you overdo it today. You look a little tired.”
“Compared to having fun, rest is highly overrated.” She dug in her purse to retrieve a five-dollar bill, sporting a sassy grin as she waved it at him. “You won.”
With a wink, he pushed it back at her, loving her sense of humor. “Compared to savoring victory, money is highly overrated.”
“I have to admit this has been the best birthday, ever—maybe the best day of my life.”
Ash’s declaration, underscored with a tired smile, warmed him in an unexpected way, and he yearned to gift her with more such days. Though she’d been thrilled at the helicopter ride, she seemed equally awestruck when he took her to his ranch. If she was faking her enthusiasm, she certainly fooled him.
He couldn’t help comparing her wide-eyed eagerness at having a horse eat a carrot from her hand to Darla’s nervous countenance around the ranch animals. No doubt, Ash would’ve attempted to climb on and ride bareback if he hadn’t warned her off, promising to let her ride with a proper saddle on another day.
The sun was setting as he drove her home, and so far, he’d avoided the paint color issue. He had no idea what colors she wanted to use, but he assumed it was something loud and obnoxious. He didn’t want his grandmother’s house to be painted any of the colors he’d seen in Times Square. But the truth was, the more time he spent with Ash, the less he cared about the perfect preservation of the family home.
He’d set out to fulfill his mother’s wish that he treat Ash like family, and make up for his insensitive behavior. And Ash insisted they could only be friends. But right now, it simply felt right to have Ash riding in the front seat of his truck.
Her smile was addicting. Once he’d seen her lush lips curve upward in a grin, crinkling the corners of her sparkling blue eyes, he became obsessed with making her smile over and over again.
“How old are you?”
Her question came out of the blue, and he couldn’t help feeling a little defensive. He was only four years older than her, but thirty sounded ancient.
“How old do you think I am?”
“Oh, so you’re going to play that game, are you? Fine… let me look you over.”
She leaned forward, her eyes roaming up and down. He made sure his gut was sucked in, not that he had any extra weight. Between his work on the ranch and his woodworking, he had muscles aplenty.
“I’d say you’re not a day over thirty-eight.”
“Thirty-eight! Do I look that old? I’m only thirty!”
She snickered behind her fingers, and he knew he’d been had.
“Okay, fine. You asked a question… now it’s my turn. Where did you live in Texas before you moved to New York?”
Was it his imagination, or did she turn a little pale?
“Houston and Dallas. What kind of music do you like?”
“Country, classic rock, jazz, and big band.”
“Seriously? I figured you for pure country.”
There it was—that contagious smile of hers. An effortless grin slid onto his face. He’d smiled more today than he had in the past ten years… he couldn’t help it.
“Naturally, I like country music. But Mom and Dad taught me to like classic rock and jazz, and Grammy liked big band music.”
“Grammy?” Her face clouded. “Tell me the truth—do you hate me for living in her house? For changing it?”
“You knew about my grandmother?” He kept his eyes on the road, trying to hold his emotions in check.
“Not until Erin told me last Sunday.”
“What did she tell you?”
“She told me all about you and your brothers and how close you were to your grandmother. She also mentioned that you’re allergic to cats.”
“She’s right about the cats.” He glanced over and caught the ghost of a smile. “She’s also right about me and Grammy.”
“Will you tell me about her?” she asked in a small voice.
His voice was as tight as the band around his chest. “She was amazing—the most unselfish person I’ve ever met. Her favorite thing to do was bake. So she baked cookies and cakes and pies and gave them away. She gave them to strangers on the street and people who were sick and workers on the side of the road. She fed after-school snacks to every kid who stopped by on the way home from the elementary school close to her house. Some of the kids walked three blocks the wrong direction so they could get a hot, fresh-baked cookie.”
Adam heard a sniff and saw Ash wiping her eyes on her sleeve. “Please don’t cry. I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty about living in her house.”
“I wish…” Ash’s voice cracked. “I wish I could’ve met her.”
Her tears washed away the last of his resistance. He pulled the truck to a stop on the street in front of his grandmother’s house, but he wasn’t thinking about Grammy. All he wanted was to hold Ash in his arms until she stopped crying. And then he wanted to bring that pert smile back to her lips. And then he wanted to kiss those lush lips until she admitted she was attracted to him.
He turned toward her. “I wish she could’ve met you, too. I think she would’ve loved you.”
A choking noise escaped her throat as she jerked the truck door open. “I have to go, Adam.”
“Wait—”
“Thanks again for a wonderful day. See you tomorrow at dinner.” She dashed away like she was running for her life.
I’m getting slow in my old age.