Jane pointed to the pot on the end. “This is raspberry jam,” she said. “It goes great with some of the cheeses and those little crackers on the end.”
Lenore hadn’t even seen those, and her mouth watered as she took in the wheat squares with salted oats on top. It looked like pomegranate seeds sprinkled near the crackers too, and Lenore wanted to dive into this fruit platter and swim around.
“The middle one is apple blossom honey,” she said. “We get it from the Franklin apple orchards, and it isdelicious. And on the end, you have salted clotted cream. I actually think it’s best in coffee.”
She gave a little giggle, smiled at both of them, and said, “Drinks are coming right up.”
She left again, and Lenore looked across the table to Brandon. He met her eye, but neither one of them moved to take the food. “You got a pen?” he asked.
Lenore scrambled into her purse to get out the pen she’d brought for him to sign the contract.
“Let’s get this done and out of the way, and then we can enjoy brunch.”
Lenore watched him scratch his signature across the bottom of the page, close the folder, and hand it back to her. He nodded like that was that, and relief like Lenore had never known filled her.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “And yeah, you can move in any time on Saturday.”
Her stomach shivered a little bit at the thought. Then she reached for the largest, ripest strawberry, determined to do exactly what Brandon had said—enjoy brunch…with the hottest man in Three Rivers.
5
Caroline Rhinehart woke gradually as the scent of coffee filled the air. Sometimes she could hardly believe the life she’d been gifted. She’d never envisioned herself as a rancher’s wife, but nothing had brought her as much joy as being married to Dawson, living on his family ranch, and raising kids with him.
She loved his parents, and his brothers, and that she got to take her children outside every day and show them the amazing things that God had created on this earth.
No matter how early Caroline woke in the morning, Dawson was always up before her. She didn’t even try anymore, especially now that she had entered the third trimester of her third pregnancy.
Dawson loved taking care of her, and he told her that he enjoyed spending time with the children in the morning—just the three of them—before she “came and stole their attention from him.”
He’d said that last part with a wry smile on his face, and Caroline had fallen more in love with him that he’d found ways to be a good father to their two kids.
She rested one hand on her pregnant belly, cradling their new baby there, and hoping it knew how much it was already loved. She and Dawson had decided not to learn the gender of the baby, as they had a boy and a girl already, and it didn’t really matter.
Footsteps came down the hall: the slow, plunking ones of her husband, accompanied by quicker, lighter ones belonging to her kids.
They stopped just outside the door, which stood ajar, and Dawson’s low rumble said something, and Colt ran off. The door squeaked slightly as it opened, and Dawson said, “Go on.”
Caroline opened her eyes, a sleepy smile coming to her face as Joy came to her side of the bed. She babbled something that Caroline couldn’t understand, and she simply scooted back and lifted the comforter for her little girl to climb into bed with her.
Joy promptly did, snuggling into Caroline’s side while holding a plastic pony in her hand.
“You’re awake,” Dawson said.
“Getting there.”
He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m taking Colt down to Link’s today,” he said. “Joy didn’t want to come. And she didn’t eat much breakfast either.”
“Okay,” Caroline said, trying to remember why he was going to Lincoln Glover’s today. She couldn’t quite recall, as her pregnancy brain had been particularly problematic this time.
“Zona said she’d be by later,” Dawson continued as he tucked the blanket around Joy’s feet. “She said she’d take Joy with her to the library if you want.”
“Okay,” Caroline said. She’d likely have her sister-in-law do that, as Joy loved going to the library, and Caroline didn’t love the drive there.
“I love you, sweetheart.”
Caroline tipped her face up to kiss him goodbye. “Love you too,” she murmured as he pulled away.
He left, and Caroline wasn’t sure if she dozed off again or not, but she came to full attention with the thought,It’s Dawson’s birthday today.
