When he turned and grabbed his hat off the counter I asked, “You aren’t staying for a cup?”
“No, I have to get down to the office. My Pa wants to meet you, so if you don’t mind, we’ll come round for lunch around noon.”
“Of course,” I replied, suddenly nervous at the thought of having to prepare my first meal, and of meeting Luke’s father.
“Great, I’ll see you then.” Luke touched the brim of his hat in farewell, then I listened to the sound of his boots as he made his way out of the house. When the door closed, I hurried to the window in the living room, just in time to see him swing up onto the back of a horse and ride away.
Chapter 21
I wasn’t sure if the men would want to eat at the island in the kitchen, or the formal dining room table, so I had place settings ready on both.
Lunch wasn’t one of the meals that Ms. Lucille had listed on her menu, since lunch on Saturdays was not usually made at the house, so I had to improvise. I looked through the refrigerator and pantry to see what I had to work with, and decided to go with chicken and dumplings.
I figured a hearty meal to get them through the rest of the day would be good, I just hoped it wasn’t so heavy that it made them tired. Chicken and dumplings was on the list of Luke’s favorite foods, so I hoped to make a good first impression.
I heard the front door open, and my heart went in to overdrive. I smoothed my blouse and the front of my maxi skirt, then smoothed back my ponytail, unsure if I should meet them in the living room or wait in the kitchen. I waited, and a second later, Luke came in, followed by a tall handsome gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair.
They both placed their hats on the side table, then Luke introduced us, “Pa, this is Mirabelle. Mirabelle, this is my father, Hank.”
“Hank,” I said as I walked forward, my hand outstretched. When he took my hand, turned it, and brought it to his lips, I smiled at the twinkle in his eye.
“Well, Mirabelle, you sure are gonna pretty up this place, aren’t you?”
My smile turned into a full-on grin at his flirtation.
“Please, call me Belle.” I turned to Luke and asked, “Would you like to sit in the dining room, or in here?”
“This is fine,” Luke responded, indicating the island.
They sat at the table, and I served up the steaming bowls of chicken and dumplings. “Be careful, it’s hot,” I warned as I took my place across from Luke.
“So, Belle, Luke says you come from California,” Hank started as we waited for the food to cool.
“Yes, I was living in San Diego with my husband, before his death.” I was thankful that the counseling I’d had in the center made talking about Ricky’s death easier. It no longer felt like a dagger to my heart whenever I mentioned him, but rather filled me up with fond memories and warm feelings. “Before that I was in Louisiana, but I’m actually from Florida.”
“A travelin’ girl,” Hank said with a grin, then his face sobered and he added, “I’m sorry to hear about your husband. My Martha passed ten years ago, and I still miss her to this day.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “You’ve lived here your entire life?”
“Luke has. Martha and I moved here after we were wed, so I’ve had the ranch going on forty years now. I mostly oversee things now, with Luke running the business and taking care of the books, but pretty soon it’ll be all Luke’s … And Matty’s, of course.”
“Matty’d start running it now, if I let him,” Luke said with a proud grin, and it was obvious he loved his son very much.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Hank agreed fondly. “It’s hard for a boy to be separated from his momma, but couldn’t drag Matty away from this ranch for anything in the world. Just like his daddy.”
I wasn’t sure if I should ask questions about Matty’s mom, but I couldn’t deny that I was curious to know what had happened.
Although he seemed reluctant to talk about it, Luke must have figured that I’d find out sooner or later, so he answered my unspoken question.
“Matty’s mother wasn’t suited to life on the ranch. She tried, I know she did, but she was never truly happy here. When we divorced, we agreed that Matty should live with me. It was hard enough that his parents were separating; we couldn’t take him from his home as well. I know it was one of the hardest decisions she ever made, and it still pains her that she only gets him part time. She’s a good woman.”
I gave him a small smile, warmth flooding me at the fact that he spoke so highly of his ex-wife. I loved that although they parted, they’d done it amiably, and they were concerned about their son’s happiness first. It showed me the kind of man he was, and I had to admit, even if it was just to myself, that I liked everything I knew about Luke so far.