Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch (The Ryan Family #1) by Carolyn Brown

“Yep, and whiskey, both.” He waved and disappeared around the end of the house.

Addy sat back down on the swing for a think. She hadn’t quite figured out what could be so important that Grady couldn’t talk to her on the phone by the time that he came out of the house and sat down in one of the wicker chairs instead of on the swing beside her.

“We need to talk.” Grady pulled out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket, removed his glasses, and cleaned them. “I don’t know how to say this other than just spit it out: I’ve met someone, and I’ve fallen in love with her. I’m in love with Aurelia, like I was with Amelia.”

“Really?” Addy asked. “Tell me more about her.”

“She’s the head nurse at the hospital, and I don’t know why we have taken so long to realize that there’s something between us.”

“It sounds like you should be really happy. So why the need for such a serious talk?” Addy said.

“Well…” Grady fidgeted in his chair. “I told her about you, and she’s not comfortable with me having a woman for a best friend.” He wrung his hands the whole time he talked.

“So because she says so, you’re going to give up our friendship? Just like that?” Addy could barely believe it. “Is this why you didn’t tell me about her before? How long have you two been together?”

“I’ve been seeing her since New Year’s, and I didn’t tell you because I knew this is what you would say,” Grady answered. “We moved in together this morning.”

“Wow, that’s mighty fast. And don’t you think it’s odd that her name is so close to Amelia’s? Betsy said she looked just like her, too. Are you sure you’re not confusing love with grief?”

“I would have told you sooner, but with Mia and Jesse both coming home and…” He let the sentence hang.

“Hey, don’t blame this on Jesse or Mia. I think you need to take a step back and think this over. First, are you really over Amelia? And second, do you want to move in with a woman who says you can’t even talk to a good friend? Neither one sounds healthy.”

“I’m sorry I kept you in the dark, but you haven’t always told me everything either. Like who Mia’s father is, and I had to hear it through gossip about Mia leaving with Ricky O’Malley. I was here the day that she left, and you didn’t mention it,” he said. “Or is it because you had Jesse here to talk to instead?” His gaze came up to meet hers. “I can see there’s something between you two and that it was hindering our friendship.”

“Hey, Jesse’s been home a week and you’ve hardly even been around the whole time he’s been here. In fact, I don’t think you once asked how I was doing. Maybe then it would’ve been easier to tell you about Mia and Ricky.” She suddenly realized just how one-sided their friendship had been, and that made her even madder than him telling her that he couldn’t talk to her anymore.

Grady stood and headed toward the porch steps. “You can just fax Sonny’s reports to the hospital every week from now on.”

“Fine, Dr. Adams.” Addy stood too and crossed her arms over her chest. “I wish you and Aurelia the best of luck. I have a feeling you might need it.”

As soon as Grady had driven off, Addy marched out to the bunkhouse and slung open the door without knocking. Jesse was sitting on the sofa with his feet propped up on an old coffee table that had seen lots of scuffed-up boots in its lifetime. Everything that she had packed away and stored out there had been taken out of the boxes, and the living area of the bunkhouse looked a helluva lot like Jesse’s bedroom had when she first moved into the house.

“Did he ask you if y’all could be more than friends?” Jesse asked.

“Why did you put all this stuff out?” She slumped down on the sofa beside him.

“My question first.” He picked up one of the two beers from the end table and handed it to her. “Is Coors still your favorite?”

“Yup.” She downed a third of the long-neck bottle before setting it down on the coffee table and burping. “That wasn’t very ladylike, but then I don’t feel much like a lady today. Grady didn’t want to take our friendship to a new level. His new girlfriend doesn’t want him to talk to me anymore. She’s not comfortable with him having a woman for a best friend. Now, your turn about all this.” She waved her hand around the room.

“I’ve lived in barracks for twenty years. I wanted to feel like I was home. Now back to you, why are you so pissed?” he asked. “You can kick any bush between here and the Gulf of Mexico and find a dozen best friends. There’s one sitting here drinking beer with you if you don’t want to start kicking.”

“He shouldn’t let a woman control him, especially one who’s named Aurelia, and looks like his deceased wife, Amelia,” Addy said.

“He hasn’t been out here to the ranch in days. Didn’t that give you a clue that something was going on?”

“You’d think it would have, but I was giving him all the benefits of doubts.” She turned up the bottle again. “And that pisses me off.”

“I’m not surprised that Grady let a woman railroad him into doing what she wants. He always was kind of a pushover.” Jesse dropped his feet down to the floor. “I’m having another beer. You want one, or do you want a shot of Jack Daniel’s?”