Claire looked up from Sasha and over at the llamas. Her eyes caught on the brilliant blue gaze that pinned her from across the barn. Dutch was angry, but she didn’t think it was at her as much as the situation. Claire sent him a slow smile, which only made his brows draw closer together over his strong nose.
Let him be angry. He had to learn sooner or later that he couldn’t control everything. He might have issues with Claire, but apparently his daughter didn’t. And wasn’t Sasha’s well-being his primary concern?
CHAPTER FIVE
“SO YOU CAN HELP me out?” Two days later, Claire looked at Jewel and Jenna, her twenty-two-year-old twin sisters. They sat in their parents’ kitchen. Fred and Dona Renquist had gone out shopping. Jewel and Jenna were still living at home until they started their individual graduate programs.
Claire met the twins every week whenever they weren’t away at college. Now they’d both graduated and had some time on their hands before graduate school. In fact, Jewel had decided to move back until she entered her Physical Therapy program. Jenna was going right into law school.
“I have six months until I begin working on my physical-therapy degree. I’ve got an internship at the clinic, but it’s only part-time. I’ll be here for the Sheep and Wool Festival—and I can help you with starting up the yarn shop. It’ll be a nice break for me.” Jewel grabbed one of Dona’s pecan cookies, which she’d taken from the freezer. Mom always froze extra batches she’d baked so the girls could take them out to thaw and enjoy.
Claire looked at Jenna. “Are you sure you can take time off for this?”
“The Sheep and Wool Festival is just one weekend, right?” Jenna sipped her iced tea.
“Yes, but I need help on Thursday, then I need someone to work shifts with me so I know the llamas are safe from overexcited festival attendees.”
“Count me in.” Jenna smiled at her older sister.
Sitting around Mom and Dad’s kitchen table made the years fade. If Claire closed her eyes, she could still see the whole family here, meal after meal.
“It’s great that you two want to help me. I’d ask Mom and Dad, but their cruise starts Sunday and they fly out Saturday night.”
Fred and Dona were buying new luggage today.
The twins smiled. Even at twenty-two they were undeniably linked more than average siblings. They shared Claire’s green eyes, but had straight, bright red hair instead of Claire’s wavy blond.
Both Fred and Dona were teachers; Dona still taught sixth grade, and Fred high school mathematics. During their spring break, they’d decided to take themselves on a cruise.
Claire laughed. “I wonder if they’re fighting over what color luggage to buy.”
“Doubtful.” Jenna grinned. “As long as Mom’s happy, Dad is, too. Odds are he lets her pick whatever she wants. He intends to set the mood for a romantic Caribbean cruise.”
Jewel held up her hands. “I don’t want to hear any details.”
“Me, either.” Jenna shook her head.
“I agree, no details. But we’re really lucky that Mom and Dad have each other and that they’re still happy after all these years and everything they’ve been through.” Claire leaned back in the oak chair. It was hard to believe that only a couple of years ago their mother had needed major heart surgery.
“When Mom got sick, none of us had to help nearly as much as we might have. Since Dad went through cardiac rehab, he knew what she needed.” Claire felt it was her duty to be the voice of reason.
“Yeah, and it’s obvious to me that Mom recovered so quickly because she has Dad.” Jewel peered out the window at the plethora of bird feeders Dona had arranged on the back deck. “Look, two robins mating!”
Claire and Jenna groaned. Jewel always seemed to find the romance in every situation.
“Speaking of mating, Claire, what’s going on with you and Dutch?” Jenna took advantage of the moment to ask what Claire was sure she and Jewel had been thinking about all morning.
“What do you mean? He filled in for Charlie while he was gone.”
The twins exchanged a glance. “So why’s he still hanging out at your place?”
“It’s purely professionalism. Dutch has simply been following up on the llamas’ health. He birthed the crias, so it’s only natural that he’d want to keep caring for them.” She hoped she didn’t sound defensive.
“Yeah! I heard he’s been bringing his daughter around, too.” Jenna smirked.
“You never told me!” Jewel slapped Jenna’s arm. “Yeah, Claire. What’s going on?”
Claire rolled her eyes. “I do love being back here, but this is one part I didn’t miss.” She referred to what she called the girl-in-the-fishbowl syndrome. Anything that happened in Dovetail stayed in Dovetail and on everybody’s wagging tongues.
“You’re stalling, Claire. Give us the goods.” Jewel was not letting this go.
Claire took her time, breaking off half a cookie and chasing it with lemon water.
“Dutch brought his daughter, Sasha, over to meet the llamas,” she eventually said. “Sasha and I hit it off. They’ve been to visit maybe half a dozen times. She loves the animals.”
Claire kept to the facts, as the twins were bound to read volumes into each word.
“Ginny’s on her way to law school at the University of Baltimore—” she nodded at Jenna “—with you. Sasha’s going to be lonely for an older female in her life—and it’s nice that I can provide some of Natalie’s history.”
Claire took another bite of her cookie, astonished that neither Jewel nor Jenna had interrupted her musing.
“Sasha’s at an age where she’s naturally curious about what her mother was like at eleven or twelve.” She glanced at each twin in turn. “Since Natalie and I were inseparable at that age, it makes sense for me to be in her life right now. And I want to be. It’s a way of bringing back some good memories.” She splayed her hands on the kitchen table. “It’s also giving me a chance to make things up to Natalie. To make up for the time I wasn’t here when she was sick.”
“How’s Dutch taking it? He must be mad that Sasha likes you, in spite of what you—”
Jenna visibly clamped her mouth shut. Jewel shot her twin a glowering look. Too late. Claire could already feel the wounds in her heart start to seep.
Jewel tried to cover for her blunder. “In spite of missing her mother, I mean.”
Claire gave them a wry smile. “Actually, Sasha isn’t so wrapped up in Natalie at this point. Yes, Natalie was her mother and she’ll never forget her. But I get the impression that she’s ready to move on, that she doesn’t want to be grieving her mother all the time.” The way Dutch still did.
“So Dutch is letting go of his resentment?”
“Are you sure you want to get involved with them?”
Both twins spoke at once.
Claire released a short laugh. “No, it’s clear to me that Dutch isn’t letting go as much as he probably should. But who am I to judge? It’s none of my business.”
Jewel and Jenna shared a “she’s only kidding herself” look.
“Don’t you think you could make a difference? You and Dutch did have something once.” Jewel turned back to Jenna for help.
“Yes,