Chapter Two
“Brie, you look so much like your mama!” Irene pulled me into a hug, and I widened my eyes at the sudden affection. “I’m so glad that you’re here. You’re going to love it!” There was a soothing, smooth drawl to her voice. She pulled back and looked at me before glancing at Sarah. “I can tell that you girls are related.” Sarah gave me a soft smile as she looked up at me and said hi.
“Hi, Sarah. Hi, Irene,” I said as I smiled at them. “Thank you for inviting me out here.” Irene wasn’t able to come to the small memorial service for Mom due to her work at the ranch. But I had brought Mom with me in the beautiful urn that I’d chosen with what little money that I had left, stowed away in my luggage.
“Of course! I promised Tess that I’d take care of you if anything happened.” Irene’s face fell as she spoke and I watched a wave of sadness pass over her face. “I never thought that would actually happen since Tess was one of the most vibrant souls that I’ve ever known.”
I nodded in agreement. Mom was just that to everyone, and there were a lot of people missing her.
“Well, let’s get your bag and head out of here. There’s so much to show you.” Irene smiled again, and we walked over to the baggage claim. I felt the summer heat come through the door in waves. It was August, and I glanced down at my ripped jeans for a moment with a scowl. It was hot back home, too, but this air felt heavier to me. I was glad that I packed a good mix of seasonal clothing to get by for a while. I stepped forward and looked around the crowd as Irene’s accent carried through the air around me. It was warm, affable, and made me smile. I decided that Texas might not be so bad after all.
I picked up my green bag as it rolled around. Then, I secured my backpack over my shoulders and took a deep breath. “Let’s go,” I said with false confidence. Irene nodded and smiled. She must’ve said hello to ten people on the way out, making me wonder how big Texas really was. In New York, you would be friendly to those you knew, but not to everyone.
We made a long drive out to Beaumont, where the ranch was located, just close to the edge of Louisiana. We passed a good-sized city and a lot of water before we headed onto the curvy road into the rolling hills. It was beautiful. I saw a property about fifteen feet ahead and I wondered if that was my new home. There were various houses ranging in size, with three barns and a lot of land for animals. “Is that where you live?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s Burke Ranch, one of the biggest cattle suppliers in the state of Texas!” Irene replied with pride in her voice as I frowned beside her. “I know, sweetie. It seems cruel, but it’s survival. It’s what people do here. You’ll grow accustomed to life out here in the country.” She pulled through a gate that was wide open and I stared at the surroundings as Irene wound around and parked at a smaller structure before she put the big SUV into park. “This is our house. It might not look like much from the outside, but there’s a good living space in there and you’ll have your own bedroom. I made Sarah promise to leave you be when you need your privacy.” Irene smiled as she opened the door and slipped out onto the cement in her cowboy boots.
Did everyone wear those here? I scrutinized my worn Converse shoes and opened my own door to step outside and look around. There was a main house a few miles away and I looked at it as Sarah followed my gaze. “That’s Mr. Burke’s place. He’s the owner.” Wow. It looked massive, and I could see how successful the farm was just by the looks of that house. He must have a huge family to live there… but Irene mentioned only one son.
“Oh, Brie. I talked to Lance before we came out to fetch you. He hasn’t filled the nanny position yet. Are you comfortable with kids?” Irene asked me.
My eyes widened. “How old?” I asked as Irene led the way to the door.
“Logan is just three years old. He’s the sweetest thing, and I know you’ll be okay. I’m almost always in the house in case you need help. I thought I’d offer you the job first since you’re here and we didn’t discuss any plans. Anyway, go on in, hon. Take a look around.”
It was nice inside even though it did look like a simple cottage from the outside. There was a great living room, a nice kitchen suited for a family, as well as two hallways that led off the main room. “That hallway leads down to our rooms and the one on the left here goes to your room. I wanted you to have some space to yourself.”
“Thank you,” I said as I admired a big window at the end of my hallway. “So, about the job. I’m okay with kids. I knew people back home that had some and they were great.”
“That’s fantastic! Lance works all hours so he really wanted someone to care for Logan since he’s so busy around this place,” Irene told me. “There’s a nanny room in the main house as well. That’s just for when he’s out at night in a pinch. Lance prefers to be in at night when Logan is sleeping.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” A child that age couldn’t sleep in a house alone, particularly one that size. I was curious to see what it looked like inside so I didn’t object when Irene told me that she’d take me over in the morning and show me around. Today, she wanted me to settle in and get a feel for the place.
I grabbed some water from the fridge and took my bag back to my room. It was spacious, with French doors that led to a small deck of my own. The room itself had a queen-sized bed and a dresser with a large walk in closet. I liked it. I placed my suitcase on the bed and my backpack beside it. I hung my clothes slowly and played some music on my phone, songs that made me think of New York and my mother. I walked outside once I’d set everything up in the bathroom in the hallway and gazed over the fields with a growing smile.
I could hear the animals nearby, but my view was of stalks of corn and a beautiful pond. I could see fruit trees just past that and wondered what kind they were. Sitting down at the comfortable table, I sipped my water and relaxed a little.
Irene cooked a roast for dinner and I had a chance to meet her husband, Michael. He was head of the ranch hands and every bit the cowboy. He removed his hat and nodded at me. “You do look like Tess, Brie.” He smiled and shook my hand before he kissed it and excused himself to change for supper. Irene watched him with love shining in her eyes.
“Are they all like that here in Texas?” I teased her as she blushed and pushed a strand of red hair behind her ear.
“You’re in a different world, my girl. Buckle up,” my aunt told me as she turned to remove the meal from the oven.
That night, I watched as someone walked around the pond in the moonlight before taking his shirt off and looking around. Oh my goodness. Was he going to skinny dip? I shrunk back against my door and hid as a man with a muscled chest slipped out of his jeans and splashed into the water.
Buckle up, indeed.