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

At midnight a distant ringing woke him. Thinking it was the alarm clock beside his bed, he reached over to slap it, only to find that Addy had her phone in her hand.

“Hello,” she said in a groggy voice. “We’ll be home in a few minutes. We had snow cones, and we came out to our old party stomping grounds, and both of us fell asleep.”

He could hear Mia’s voice saying that she was worried when she came home and her mother wasn’t in her bedroom.

“You’re out past curfew, too, darlin’ girl,” Addy noted.

“I’m a grown woman,” Mia raised her voice.

“So am I. We’ll be home in five minutes. Don’t wait up for me,” Addy said. “The snow cone was delicious, by the way.”

“I will wait up. I worry about you,” Mia said.

“See you in a few then,” Addy said and ended the call.

“Busted!” Jesse chuckled.

“I didn’t lie. The snow cone was delicious, and what came after it was amazing. Now, I suppose we’d better get dressed and go home. I don’t think we can both use one quilt like a sarong.” She placed her palms on his chest and leaned in for a kiss.

Her touch warmed his whole body and made him want another round of passionate sex—no, that wasn’t right—he wanted to make love to her again. There was a vast difference in a roll in the sheets and making love, and what he and Addy had was definitely the latter.





Chapter Twenty



Addy hummed as she got ready for the day on Wednesday morning. She and Jesse had made love out there in a pasture with the moon and stars looking down on them. She hadn’t thought of anything during those hours but his arms around her and his skin touching hers, and it had been absolutely amazing. She was still humming an old country song by Wynonna Judd, “Mama He’s Crazy,” when she made it to the kitchen.

“You’re in a good mood this morning,” Pearl said.

“Yes, I am, and I hope nothing spoils it, but I’ve got a feeling this baby shower tonight could, so I intend to love my good mood all day.” Addy got the bacon out of the fridge and a cast iron skillet from the pantry.

“I imagine the gossip will be in full force by tonight, but there will be questions, I’m sure,” Pearl chuckled.

“Phone already been ringing?” Addy asked as the skillet heated up.

“First thing this morning,” Sonny piped up from his place at the table. “Rumors spread faster than the speed of light in a small town. What happened to cause all this?”

Addy told them about Lylah and Vivien eavesdropping in the Walmart store. “We said just enough that they know Jesse is Mia’s father.” She went on to tell Pearl that she had taken full responsibility for Jesse not knowing. “That should take the heat off him so folks don’t think he’s been a horrible person.”

“You done good, girl.” Pearl smiled.

“Yes, you did.” Sonny laid his paper aside.

“I hope so, but I bet there’ll be some whispers at the baby shower tonight,” Addy said.

“I’m sure there will be, and I bet since y’all were buying baby clothes that those two gossipin’ women think one or both of you are expecting a baby. Lylah and Vivien are going to look a little foolish when they find out that neither of my girls are pregnant,” Sonny commented and went back to his newspaper.

“Good mornin’.” Jesse pushed his way into the kitchen.

“You’re mighty chipper, son.” Sonny looked up over the top of his paper this time.

Jesse filled a mug with coffee and then carried the pot to the table to top off his dad’s cup. “Yes, I am. I had a job offer from my old Air Force teammate yesterday. He offered me a six-figure salary and a big benefit package to work with him and my team in private security. I turned him down because this place right here is where my heart is, so I am happy and chipper this morning. I’ve figured out where I want to be for the rest of my life, and I’m at peace with the decision.”

“Good for you,” Sonny said.

Pearl stopped what she was doing and hugged Jesse. “I’m so glad to hear that. I would never want any of my boys to be here unless their heart was in ranching.”

“Well, mine is,” Jesse said.

“Yours is what?” Mia asked as she entered the room by the back door and went straight for the coffeepot.

“My heart is right here on this ranch, and I’m not leaving,” he answered.

Mia poured a mugful of coffee, added sugar and cream, and took a sip. “That’s good to know after that phone call you got yesterday. Did you and Mama discuss Frankie’s offer over your snow cones last night? And did Mama get a coconut cream like she always does? She never changes her flavor.”

“We did and she did, and I got the same kind.” Jesse smiled.

“Y’all are getting old.” Mia yawned. “I got up early and did the alpaca feeding and got their troughs cleaned and refilled. It’s amazing how dirty that water can get in only a day.”

“Ranchin’ is never done,” Sonny said. “It’s kind of like a relationship. You’ve got to work at it constantly.”

“You got that right,” Addy said.

* * *



Just as she had thought, the minute that Addy and Pearl walked into the fellowship hall that evening after a short Wednesday night Bible study, the buzz of conversation ceased.