Page 28 of Blue Moon Cowboy
“It’s very kind of you to invite me to stay, Pops. Thank you.”
“I’m happy to meet you. My boy seems to think the world of you, so that means something. Jason is a good judge of character.” Mike brushed brownie crumbs from his hands, then looked at her. “Tell me about where you grew up.”
Lainey spent twenty minutes discussing her childhood, what it was like growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles, and the few things she missed from living in such a big city.
When Mike yawned for the fourth time, Lainey stood. “I’m not going to be able to stay awake much longer. If it is easier, I can sleep in my van.”
“Nonsense. You go upstairs and sleep in the guest room. It’s the first door on the right. I’ll see you in the morning, darlin’. You have sweet dreams.”
“Thank you, sir. Good night.” Lainey had already carried in a bag with what she’d need for an overnight stay. She’d left it by the back door. After retrieving it, she went upstairs and entered a room that either Brylee or Lisa must have decorated because there were too many feminine and thoughtful touches for any of the Price men to have styled the room.
Lainey took Brylee’s advice and filled the old claw-foot tub, added a bit of bubble bath from the bottle on the bathroom counter, and sank down into bliss.
She could have fallen asleep in there, among the fragrant bubbles, but managed to stay awake long enough to rinse off,towel dry, brush her teeth, and rub the serum and cream into her skin that promised to make her look youthful again.
So far, the product hadn’t delivered on the promise, but it had slightly softened the fine lines and wrinkles. At her age, with the gray hairs and wrinkles multiplying by the day, she figured she’d take whatever help she could get and be grateful for it.
Lainey pulled on a pair of soft pajamas, climbed between cotton sheets that smelled like sunshine, and fell asleep with a vision of a young Jason sitting in the strawberry patch.
The next morning, Lainey awakened early after a wonderful night’s rest. She dressed, stripped the sheets off her bed, and carried them downstairs to the laundry room. She’d stuffed them into the washing machine and turned it on, then wandered to the front hallway to study the family photos hanging on the wall.
She flicked on a light and looked at the photos that went back more than a century. She could pick out a young Mike with his bride, and then photos of him and his wife with their two sons. There were photos of the boys growing up. An image of the two boys competing at the fair with ribbons held in both hands and two steers behind them made her smile.
Lainey paused in front of a photo of Jason standing with a lovely dark-haired woman who wore a lacy wedding gown. They looked at each other with such tenderness and love, it made her heart ache for Jason and all he’d lost. His wife looked like she’d been a caring, sweet person—someone Lainey would have enjoyed meeting.
She perused a few photos of Jason and Judy with their children. The youngest daughter, Megan, looked more like Shaun than Lisa. They all appeared so happy. So loved.
The next photo was of Shaun’s graduation, and then Lisa’s wedding, and a photo of Lisa and Tyler holding Dani as a baby.
A creaking floorboard startled Lainey, and she spun around, bumping into a solid chest. Hands grabbed her upper arms to steady her, and she looked up, shocked to see Jason staring at her.
Before her heart began to pound, she realized it wasn’t Jason at all.
Lainey took a step back, then another. This man was shorter and broader than Jason, and his eyes were hazel. He had a scar that ran from the left corner of his mouth to his chin, and he didn’t hold himself with the same ease and confidence as Jason.
“You’re Galen,” Lainey said, extending her hand. “I’m Lainey. Pops, I mean Mike, invited me to stay in the guest room last night.”
“He was in bed when I got home, but I did see the van outside. You’re Jase’s friend.” Galen gave her a friendly smile and shook her hand. “Will you be able to stay long?”
“No. I plan to head out this morning for Boise, but I wanted to leave the guest room ready for more company when I go. That bed is so comfortable.”
“Lisa picked it out. She and Brylee redid the room after Lisa and Tyler moved to town. When Tyler was deployed, and Lisa lived with us, it was their bedroom. Before that, it was the room Jason and his wife shared, and prior to that, it was my grandparents’ room. Pops has a room down the hall from the kitchen.”
Lainey glanced into the hallway. “Do we need to be quiet?” she whispered to Galen.
He laughed. “You could send a herd of elephants or a marching band through his room, and he wouldn’t hear a thing until he put his hearing aids in.”
“Good to know.” Lainey followed Galen into the kitchen. “May I help with breakfast?”
“Sure. You any good at peeling potatoes?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m good, but I can get the job done.”
Galen nodded approvingly. “Great. You do that, and I’ll start on the rest.”
By the time Mike wandered into the kitchen, looking spry for someone his age, Galen pulled a pan of banana bread out of the upper oven built into the wall, while bacon sizzled on a baking sheet in the lower oven.
Lainey stood at the stove, stirring fried potatoes and keeping an eye on the scrambled eggs. Orange juice was already on the table, and coffee lent its aroma to the mouthwatering scents filling the kitchen as it percolated in an electric pot near the stove.
