“Very hungry,” Becky agreed. “Hello, Colt. Did you have a good time at preschool today?”
“Yup.” He glanced at Hope. “I’m hungry too.”
Cameron wiggled in Hope’s arms. “Hu’gry too,” her other son agreed.
“Snack time it is.”
She’d barely gotten her boys settled when the door rang again, and she shot to her feet.
“Sorry, I forgot to lock the door after me,” Becky murmured.
But instead of a wayward customer, it was Auntie Dana coming into the shop. “I forgot it was early closing day,” she said apologetically.
“Twist the lock,” Hope instructed her aunt, “Then come and join us. We’re about to have a snack. Unless you need me to grab you some material?”
Dana took off her layers and settled on the couch beside Becky. “No snack, and no material.” She took a deep breath. “I need advice.”
Hope and Becky exchanged glances. “Okay.”
“I don’t want to ask Allison or Laurel because I think it might get a little awkward.” Dana shook her head. “Not that talking to you is any less awkward, but anyway…”
Hope’s amusement grew. “We don’t mind embarrassing conversations, do we, Becky?”
“Embarrassing is what we do best.” Becky said it with an absolutely straight face.
“I’m thinking about dating Mark.”
The words gushed out of Dana like water bursting from a broken pipe.
All of the cousins knew—and had known since the day he’d arrived—that something had gone down back at the beginning of March. But since nothing more had happened except for Mark beginning to work with the rest of the family, living quietly with Uncle George at the Whiskey Creek ranch, everyone had gone into wait-and-see mode.
Becky looked delighted. “Oh, really?”
Dana frowned. “You sound as if I just announced I won a lottery.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you kind of did.” Becky offered a smile, the soft, kind, and caring one that seemed to well up out of her like magic. “You’ve had a lot of sadness in your life, Auntie Dana. I was there once—not in the same way, but I do know what it’s like to feel lost. Uncle Mark was in the right place at the right time for me, but he was also the right man. Because no matter how scared I was, he seemed to know what to do.”
“Do you want to date him? Or anyone?” Hope asked her aunt. “I mean, putting aside the fact that I also think Uncle Mark is a pretty cool guy, and quite the hottie—”
“Hope.” Dana sounded slightly scandalized.
“Oh, please.” Becky this time. “I am perhaps not as well-versed in categorizing hotties as Hope is, but I think you’d call him a silver fox.”
Aunt Dana’s cheeks were bright red. “He’s pleasant enough to look at.”
Hope snorted then covered it up by reaching for her drink. “Pleasant is good.”
Becky grinned.
Hope returned to her original question. “I mean it. Are you looking for someone to date? Because you don’t have to if that’s not something you’re interested in.”
Dana looked down at her fingers for a moment before nodding decisively. “I had considered it was time to find company I like to do things with. I don’t want my children to feel as if they have to be constantly entertaining me. And I love spending time with my sisters-in-law, but it’s the same thing there. They have their own circles and husbands, and that’s healthy and good.”
“So you want someone to spend time with?”
Dana nodded.
“Someone to…” Becky looked at Hope as if trying to figure out which way to steer the conversation. “Go for rides with? Help weed the garden? Deal with spiders?”
Dana’s lips curled upward. “I can do the spider part on my own, thank you, but, yes. Someone to talk to at the end of the day.”
“Do you have a problem with Mark being your brother-in-law?” Hope had to ask. “I’m allowed to ask about that, considering my husband dated my sister at one point.”
“I don’t think…” Dana hesitated then spoke clearly. “It doesn’t bother me. Mark was my friend in high school before I fell in love with his older brother. And Mark’s been away from Rocky for so long, it’s not as if— Well, honestly, it feels as if he’s a bit of a stranger come to town, and I’m curious about him.”
Hope leaned forward and spoke softly. “Did you actually have a question, Auntie Dana? Because it sounds like you’re interested, but you’re worried someone will react badly to what you’re considering.”
Dana nodded slowly. “Do you think that’s silly? I’m sixty years old, with grown children and grandchildren and plenty of things to occupy my time. I’ve had a husband—I don’t know that I want another one.”
“Sixty years old is still young enough to want a good, close friend you like spending time with.” Hope said it with a decisive nod.
“And if you don’t want another husband, you don’t have to marry him.” Becky shrugged. “Date him. You can even fool around—we won’t tell.”
Hope snickered. “You are so bad.”
“Well, speaking bluntly, I plan to be having sex with Trevor when I’m sixty years old. I don’t see any reason why Auntie Dana shouldn’t have somebody nice in her world to enjoy that with.” Becky’s cheeks were also flaming red, but the sentiment was sincere.
“And on that note, we’ve officially gone well into the area where my daughters-in-law would have never dared venture, so thank you,” Dana said with her own embarrassed smile. “You’re right, on all counts. Now I’ll ask you to forget that this conversation ever took place. Especially the last part.”
“Already forgotten, although I’m very glad you came to us and didn’t go to Jaxi or Ashley for advice.”
Becky laughed loud enough Arabella’s arms shot out in surprise. “No, they would’ve been a little more blunt.”
“Oh, dear.”
Amusement danced in the room, the three of them from such different backgrounds, with different sadness in their pasts and yet sweet happiness in their current lives.
And for one, hopeful potential hovering so close.
Whatever it was that Auntie Dana was looking for, Hope wished her nothing but joy.
18
The past two months had felt like an eternity.
Dana had spent every minute of it with her mind whirling through questions and possibilities. To say that Mark’s arrival had been a shock was an understatement.
Back in March, she had only begun to ease toward the bigger changes she needed to make. Ben had been dead for over three years, and while sadness rushed in at times, she refused to lie to herself. There were moments when she was grateful he was gone. The man she’d fallen in love with had been missing for a long time. Not her fault, and not what she wanted, but it was real.
She’d grieved long before she’d watched his casket lowered into the ground.
And now, nearly two months after she’d stumbled into Mark at Becky’s house, it was time to admit another truth.