“I promised I would.”
“Hey, what’s all the fuss about?” Drew came ambling out of the house.
Lottie rolled her eyes and whispered, “Your father has turned into an old man.”
“I heard that, Lottie,” Drew said with a scowl.
“I don’t care if you did, Drew. It’s true. You’re not ready for the grave yet. Lose a few of those extra pounds you’re carrying and see if you don’t feel like a new man.”
“Well, now you’re my doctor, too. Did you learn all that in Africa?”
Lottie grinned. “Actually, I learned a lot of things on my trip. I spent a good deal of time on the tour bus with a homeopathic doctor, as it happens.”
“Oh, yeah? Did he cure your ailments?”
“If I had any,” Lottie said softly, “I’m sure Jonathan would’ve cured them.”
Drew’s eye twitched and just for a second his face grew pale. “Well, come in. You girls can jabber all you want inside the house.”
* * *
Drew held the front door open for Lottie and Drea and they marched into the parlor. Lottie had brought them all a home-cooked dinner, Cajun chicken and shrimp pasta, her signature dish and one of Drea’s favorites. It was warming on the stove.
Drew took a seat and listened to his daughter and Lottie chat about Broadway plays, clothes and music. Whenever Lottie was around, Drew felt old. Her vibrancy and zest for life looked darn good on her. She was a pain in his rear end, but she was also a lifelong friend. One who never ceased to speak her mind. Whenever she was gone, he missed her. And whenever she was home, he wished she’d keep her opinions of him to herself. He was tired, his bones ached, but listening to his daughter and Lottie chat lightened his mood.
“Dad, did Lottie tell you she went on safari?”
“She did.”
“Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?”
“Well... I suppose.”
“It was a grand adventure,” Lottie said, her soft brown eyes gleaming. “I loved every minute of it.”
“But now you’re home for a while, right?” Drea asked.
“Lord above, yes. I’m home for a good long time. Texas is in my blood. I missed it and my nephews.”
The relief Drew felt gave him pause. Why was he so darn happy to have her home? Hell, whenever Lottie was around, his head became jumbled up with all sorts of mixed emotions.
“And I’m especially glad I’m back in time to see you.” She took Drea’s hand. She’d been more a mother to Drea than he’d been a father.
“How long are you here, honey?”
“I’ll be staying for several weeks, putting together the fund-raiser for the hospital.”
“Mason told me about it. You two are working together, so I know it’ll be successful.”
“I think dinner’s just about ready,” Drew announced.
“Gosh, I smell something delicious cooking,” Drea said.
“It’s Lottie’s Cajun supper.”
“Your favorite, Dad.” Drea gave him a big smile, her eyes twinkling.
“As I recall, it’s your favorite, too. And Lord knows, she wouldn’t be fixin’ anything so delicious if it was just me.”
Lottie whipped her head his way. “Drew MacDonald, why are you always so disagreeable?”
“You saying you fixed that special meal on my account?”
Lottie rolled her eyes. She did that a lot and he found it annoyingly cute. “I’m saying we all like the dish, so why not dig in.”
“Sounds great to me. I missed lunch and I’m starving.” Drea stood and gave them both a quick glance.
“I’ve got the table set,” Drew said. Well, Lottie had helped. She’d arrived just a few minutes before Drea got home and they’d worked quickly together. His heart flipped over the second he’d laid eyes on Lottie, after her being gone for so long, and he’d been a bit flustered ever since.
“Sounds good to me. I only hope the meal’s as good as you two remember it.”
“If you made it, Lottie, we’re gonna love it.” Drea eyed him, sending him a message to give Lottie his assurances, as well. But she didn’t need any more encouragement, he decided. She was the strongest woman he knew.
As Lottie walked past him, arm in arm with his daughter, the woman’s sweet, fruity scent teased his nostrils, reminding him of freshly picked strawberries. Oh man, it was going to be a long night.
* * *
The autumn sun arced over the horizon, shedding light and warmth on the morning. Drea squatted in the dirt and gave a good hard pull on one of the many weeds, gripping the base near the root with her gloved hands. The darn thing wouldn’t budge. She’d be damned if it would get the better of her. She stared at it, as if hoping it would wilt under her intense scrutiny.
No such luck.
While she was here in Boone Springs she’d vowed to tidy up her father’s neglected yard. Since her meetings didn’t begin until eleven, today was a good day to get started.
“Okay, you monster, you’re not getting the better of me.” On her knees now, she tightened her grip and pulled with all her might. “You’re going...down.”
The weed popped from the earth and the momentum sent her flying back. She landed on her butt in a pile of wilted petunias. “Ow.”
“Looks like the weed wasn’t the only one going down.”
She stared up, straight into Mason’s face, and saw a smirk twitching the corners of his mouth. “Are you kidding me? Where did you come from?”
He put out his hand to help her up.
She ignored it, bracing her hands on the ground and shooting to her feet, then dusting the dirt off her jeans. Why was this man always catching her in embarrassing situations?
“I usually run this way in the morning.”
She took in his black jogging pants and snug white T-shirt. His arms were two blocks of muscle straining against the cotton material. It was sigh-worthy how good he looked this early in the morning. The whole package smacked of good health and vitality and...sexy man.
The truth was the truth. Mason was still handsome, but that one kiss the other night meant nothing to her. She clung to her resentment, because the alternative—getting hurt again—wasn’t an option.
“I’ll remember that,” she said. She would make sure not to bump into him again at this hour.
“You’re up early.”
“Gardening, as you can see. My dad’s been neglecting the grounds and I’m hoping to make a dent in all this.”
“If I know you, you’ll fix up this garden and make it shine.” His words came with an approving gleam in his dark eyes.
“You sound so sure of yourself.”
“I am.”
“And you know that about me how?”
“I can see how hard you’re working on the fund-raiser. You won’t stop until you reach your goal.”
He was right. She was a woman on a mission. She’d never had much approval in her life,