Mia opened the oven and took out the sweet potato casserole. “Did I tell you that Beau likes to cook, and he fixes supper almost every night for his grandpa? Vernon never learned how to cook and was kind of lost after Beau’s granny died.”
“Sounds like Sonny.” Pearl carried a platter of sliced bread to the dining room table. “It’s a good thing he’s got you girls and his sons to look after him if I die before he does. I insisted that my boys learn how to cook, clean house, and do laundry. Good thing I did since they’re slow about getting married.”
“Thank you for doing that,” Addy said. “I’m going to teach Sam and Taylor to do all that too. I’m sure my sisters-in-law would love it if my brothers could cook. I don’t think either of them knows how to even start a washing machine.”
Stevie thought about the two serious relationships she had had in the past. One of those men had been a chef at a fancy restaurant, and he hadn’t wanted her to even enter the kitchen in his apartment. The other, a fellow veterinarian, couldn’t boil water without burning it. In both cases, it hadn’t been a question of whether he could cook or not that caused the breakup. But if she ever had sons, she agreed with Pearl and Addy. Guys needed to be able to do normal, everyday things for themselves.
Just like Cody does, she thought.
As if on cue, Cody appeared in the doorway and asked, “Can I do anything to help y’all?”
“You can tell all those guys to get their hands washed and come to dinner,” Pearl said, “and help your father, only don’t let him know you’re helping.”
“Will do,” Cody said with a nod.
Beau was the first one to come into the kitchen. “Where am I supposed to sit? It’s been a long time since I sat down to a meal with more than two people at the table.”
“You can sit by me.” Mia took his hand and led him to the back side of the dining room table. “We should have invited Vernon.”
“He’s having dinner down at the diner with his buddies like he does every Sunday after church,” Beau said. “Sometimes, I go with him. I’ve learned a lot from those wise old guys.”
“Like what?” Jessie brought in the babies and helped Addy get them strapped into their high chairs.
“Like what to do in a drought, the difference in big round bales and small ones when it comes to feeding in the winter, when to plow, and when to expect the cows to start dropping calves. Then there’s the stories they tell about when they were young men just starting out and all the hardships and the good times they had,” Beau answered.
Sonny took his place at the end of the table and hung his cane on the back of the chair. “You are a smart kid to know how to listen and learn.”
“Thank you for that, sir, but sometimes, I’m not so smart when it comes to patience. I’m learning, but it’s sure not easy. When does that happen?” Beau pulled out a chair for Mia and seated her before he sat down.
“You’ll have to ask someone older than me,” Sonny chuckled.
When everyone was settled into their places, Addy said, “Sonny, will you say grace for us?”
“I thought maybe Beau could do that for us,” Sonny answered with just a hint of a smile on his face.
Stevie had no doubt this was a test, but Beau simply smiled and said, “It would be an honor.” He bowed his head and said a short grace, thanking God for the beautiful day, the family, and the hands that prepared the meal. When he said, “Amen,” Sonny was nodding, and Mia was smiling, even though her face was slightly red.
“Thank you, son,” Sonny said. “Now, let’s get this food passed around the table. I do love me some good ham. Tomorrow, I bet that Addy uses the ham bone to make us up a pot of red beans.”
“You are so right,” Addy said, “and some fried potatoes and whatever is left over from today’s dinner to go with them.”
“Do you put the ham bone in when you start the beans or wait until you add water the first time?” Beau asked.
“From the beginning,” Addy answered.
“And you always save the bacon drippings from breakfast to use for the potatoes,” Mia added.
“That’s what Mama taught me, but I’ve never used ham for red beans. I bet Grandpa would love them fixed that way.” Beau took the sweet potato casserole from Mia and scooped out a portion onto his plate. “Would it be all right if Mia shows me around the ranch after dinner? I’d love to see the alpacas and get a tour of the place.”
“Of course,” Sonny answered.
“Another test passed with flying colors,” Cody whispered for Stevie’s ears only.
“Why’s that?” Stevie asked.
“Because he asked permission,” Cody said out the corner of his mouth. “Mia’s got a keeper there.”
Stevie gave him a brief nod, and wondered if she had a keeper in Cody, or if this thing between them was just a flash in the pan.
Chapter Seventeen
Mia came into the bunkhouse, threw her coat over the rocking chair, and with a long sigh flopped down on the sofa. Stevie knew there were unspoken words behind that sigh, and they were not good. She’d done the same thing too many times to count since she was Mia’s age.
“Coffee, tea, or beer?” Stevie followed Mia’s example, and removed her coat but took it to her bedroom.
“Beer, unless you’ve got whiskey hiding here somewhere,” Mia answered.
“Beer it is.” Stevie headed to the kitchen. She’d seen Cody give Mia beer but never hard liquor, so evidently that was all right in the Ryan family. She took two long-neck bottles from the refrigerator, twisted the tops off both, and carried them to the living area.
Mia reached up, took one from her, and downed about a fourth before she came up with a loud burp. “Beau would probably tell me that was cute, instead of saying that ladies don’t do that.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Stevie sat down in the rocking chair on the other side of the beat-up coffee table.
“He’s too perfect.” Mia sighed again. “Mama likes him. Daddy and Poppa think he hung the moon, and I want to like him. I really do.”
“But?” Stevie asked.
“He’s even rich.” Another long sigh, and she downed more of the beer. “He works at the feed store so he can get to know other ranchers, and he takes online classes to learn more about ranching, and his grandpa has already told him that when he dies, his big ranch will go to Beau,” Mia groaned.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Stevie asked.
“He won’t ever ask me for my money, and he’s doing everything he can to learn to be a good rancher. He’s a good man, but there’s no sizzle like there was with Ricky. I wanted there to be, but it’s just not there,” Mia said. “Do you think it’s because he’s not as sexy as Ricky? Or maybe I’m just drawn to bad boys, and good guys don’t do jack squat for me.”
Stevie could commiserate with Mia. On so many of her dates, the sizzle, whether real or imagined, she thought she would feel with Cody wasn’t there either. “I don’t think it has to do with whether a guy is tall, dark, and handsome or even a little bit of a bad boy. It’s…” She stopped when a hard knock on the door broke her concentration.