“We’ll be fine.”
Sadie followed Scarlett to the front door. “What about supper? Emmett’s making fried chicken and Aunt Amelia is joining us. Should I plan on Jessie and Reid, too?”
“I’ll let him know that everyone expects him for dinner.” Scarlett hugged Sadie. “After the kids go to bed tonight, I’ll help blow up the balloons.” She stepped outside and closed the door preventing Sadie from following her onto the porch.
“What’s that?” Reid asked when Scarlett set the cooler on the floor and climbed into the passenger seat.
“A snack if we get hungry.”
Reid shifted the pickup into Drive and took off. “We can get to the cabin faster using the highway,” he said.
“I didn’t know there was another way to get there.”
He nodded. “A couple of dirt roads intersect the ranch, but I don’t know what shape they’re in.”
Scarlett stared at the passing scenery. “Texas is so different from Wisconsin. I’m used to cornfields and bean fields. Down here all you see is hay or cattle.”
“Do you like the winters up north?” he asked.
“I enjoy the different seasons but the older I grow, the less I like the cold. We got a lot of snow this past winter and there were a few days I couldn’t drive in to work.”
A commercial came on the radio and when they both reached to turn the volume down at the same time, their fingers bumped. Scarlett looked away first because she didn’t want him to see her blush like a schoolgirl. “Sadie and Lydia mentioned you settled in Albuquerque. How’d you end up there?”
“I landed a job as a mechanic for a trucking company.” He slowed the pickup and moved over to the shoulder, then turned onto the property. “It looks like my grandfather had fresh gravel put down on this road, too.”
Scarlett sensed Reid didn’t want to talk about his life in New Mexico so she dropped the subject. “I can’t believe my cousins married your brothers after my great-aunt warned us girls to steer clear of you boys.”
“Amelia was right to be concerned about Gunner and Logan, but not me.”
She laughed. “Maybe I imagined it was you who kissed me at the church that day.”
He grinned. “That was pretty bold, huh?”
“You were my first kiss.”
He glanced at her. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
“The guys in Wisconsin must have been dumber than the dairy cows up there not to try to steal a kiss from a girl as pretty as you.”
She laughed. “Watch what you say about our cows.”
The next time Reid glanced across the seat, his eyes dropped to her mouth. “I’m a better kisser now.”
Scarlett’s pulse kicked into overdrive and the temperature inside the cab inched higher. “Just so you know, I’m a better kisser, too.”
“I’ll take that as a challenge.”
“You should.” She turned her face toward the window. She didn’t know if she was more shocked at herself for sparring with Reid or for enjoying it so much.
“Where’d you go to college?” he asked.
“University of Wisconsin at Madison. I wanted to go out of state but my parents said it was too expensive.”
“Are your folks still in Madison?”
“Yes, but they’re making plans to move to Florida. Sadie’s parents bought a home down there and Mom and Dad fell in the love with the retirement community. Dad’s a computer geek and he can work anywhere. Mom retired from teaching a few years ago, so they’re ready for a change.”
“Brothers or sisters?” he asked.
“Sadie, Lydia and I are only children.” Reid parked the truck in front of the cabin and she said, “It could use some paint.” They got out and walked closer.
Cedar trees surrounded the small structure made from shiplap. The corrugated metal roof was rusted but gave the place a charming country feel. Two wooden poles and a crossbeam held up the overhang. “A couple of chairs on the porch would welcome visitors.” Her eyes strayed to the dense foliage surrounding the cabin.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’m checking for serial killers lurking in the woods.”
He chuckled. “You think Jessie might object to sleeping this far away from the main house?”
“I don’t know. But it wouldn’t hurt to clear away some of the brush to allow more sunshine in.”
“Let’s take a look inside.” He opened the door. “You might want to wait a minute and let me check for any furry squatters.”
“Good idea.” She backed up a step.
Reid left the door open and she heard his boots clomp against the plank floor. A minute later he called out. “All clear.”
She entered the cabin expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. Years of dust and dirt clung to the walls and floor—but nothing a good scrubbing wouldn’t take care of. “Is there a bathroom?”
He pointed down a short hallway and Scarlett poked her head inside. Sparse but functional. There were two small bedrooms, each with a window. “Electricity?”
Reid flipped a switch on the wall and the overhead light above the kitchen sink came on. That answered her question.
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