Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(104)

He stood and swiped his hand on his jeans and held it out to her. “Mrs. Owen, it’s nice to meet you.”

The woman held her hat on her head and looked up, up, up at him, squinted, and then smiled at him as she shook hands with him. “My, but you’re a tall one, aren’t you, Mr. Ketchum? I think Maizy may have mentioned you to me. I’m sorry I interrupted earlier. I didn’t realize…”

“That’s okay. I surprised Maizy, too, showing up to help her work.”

Mrs. Owen turned to look at her daughter and he caught the silent exchange between them, ending with Maizy making big eyes at her as if to say, “I’ll explain later.”

Spencer could plainly see the resemblance between mother and daughter. Maizy had inherited her curls from her mother, judging by the white ringlets peeking out from her hat. Maizy had also inherited her petite stature from her mother, as well as the shape of her eyes, although Mrs. Owen’s were bright blue. She’d also inherited her mother’s smile.

“Mom, why don’t you work with us? Once this bed is finished we’ll be done for the day.”

Maizy’s mother glanced at him and smiled. “If that’s all right with Spencer, I’d like it just fine. That’ll give me a chance to get to know the man who’s been kissing my daughter.”

Spencer chuckled when Maizy rolled her eyes and looked heavenward. “Mom.”

Spencer smiled at Mrs. Owen and placed his bucket between them. She stepped from bush to bush, snipping the spent blooms she could reach, and Spencer followed behind her, cleaning out the undersides of the bushes so she didn’t have to kneel. While they did this, she proceeded to politely grill him about his livelihood, his friends, his prospects, and his intentions. Spencer thought she was cute, sort of like General Patton meets Betty White.

“Mom,” Maizy said as they gathered up their tools and prepared to leave. “I’m having supper with Spencer this evening, so I won’t be over later. That all right?”

“Of course. Would Spencer maybe like to—”

“Mom, normally I’d say yes, but he and I need to spend some time alone. And I think you need to know something else…” Maizy glanced at him and crossed her arms over her chest, looking resolute.

“Yes, dear?”

“Spencer has two very close friends. Actually, they’re more like brothers. They’re—”

“Oh, you mean the bears? Cody and…Heath? That’s his name, right? Like that nice young actor who died? He was so good in that one movie—”

Maizy blinked twice. “What? Mom? You know about Cody and Heath?”

Mrs. Owen patted Maizy’s arm. “Of course I know about them. Lucy told me. But don’t be mad. When you looked so sad the last time I saw you, I sat Lucy down and grilled her.”

“That rat—”

“Oh, don’t be mad at her, Maizy. I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I caught her in a weak moment and she told me over a piece of turtle cheesecake. Did they make you unhappy?”

Maizy looked at him and sighed. “Mom, it’s complicated but no, they didn’t make me unhappy.”

Maizy’s mother turned to him and patted his arm, squinted at his tattoos, and said, “Why…that’s some rather extensive ink you have there, Spencer? That’s the proper lingo nowadays, right? ‘Ink’?”

Spencer grinned, liking her more all the time. “Yes, ma’am.”

She looked more closely and said, “I fail to see why so many people get their garters in a twist over such things. If it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone else then they should suck it, right?”

“Mom!” Maizy went bug-eyed and put her head in her hands.

“What? Is that not the right terminology?” she asked her daughter and then turned back to him. “I’ve been through some health challenges recently, and realized that I’ve been living my life like a ghost in my own home and my community. I decided it’s high time that I got out here and seized the day with the rest of you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I love your nice manners. I’d like to meet Cody and Heath sometime too, if they’re as nice as you. Lucy says they are, and that they’re also quite large, like you. I suppose that’s why she calls you the bears.”

Mrs. Owen’s eyes twinkled as she talked to him and he was struck once again by the family resemblance. “I suppose so, ma’am.”

Spencer escorted Maizy and her mother up the walkway, paying attention to the areas that were cracked and making sure that Maizy and her mom didn’t trip or lose their footing.