Page 77 of Stables

Paisley keeps one hand firmly gripping my pants as she turns and peers closer. “Hi.” Her fingers press against her cheek and she wiggles them towards the bundled three month old.

“Uppie.” Paisley lets go of me and turns away to be scooped up by Dixon who’s appeared next to me.

She smiles down from near his shoulder.

I’m glad he can lift her. Even before my ribs hurt, she’s been almost too heavy for me.

“Is Mason inside?” Dixon asks Lori before pulling the heavy wooden front door open for us.

“Yep, he has some new developments this week.” Her mouth thins as she falls in step with us going into the expansive living room.

This place is as big as a lodge. Huge logs make up the walls. They must be at least three feet in diameter each.

Amazing.

The smell of fresh bread and some sort of savory meat hangs heavy in the air.

And I already had dessert in the truck.

Dixon’s palm rests in the middle of my back until we move towards a massive oak dining table that dominates one end of the wide space.

It looks like at least a dozen people would fit around it.

What would it be like to have a big family that would fill it?

“Daddy Dixon, I hungry.” Paisley wiggles in his arms.

“Daddy?” A lean man who resembles Dixon leans back in his chair at the head of the table, grinning.

Fire completely consumes my face.

“It won’t be the last time you hear it.” Dixon tugs out a seat near him and sits, arranging Paisley to dangle her legs over his knee.

“It suits you.” The man turns towards me and stands, offering his calloused palm. “Don’t mind my rude brother. My name is Mason. Welcome.” His smiling amber eyes look identical to Dixon’s.

“Thank you for having me.” I hold up the bag of tomatoes from the garden. “Is there someplace I can set these?”

“Oh, yes. Lori? Look what she brought!” He moves closer to his wife, and gently takes the sleeping boy from her.

I catch him murmuring something under his breath to her, but can’t hear the words.

Whatever it was makes her blush and smile.

They look happy.

Will Dixon and I be that way?

“Maybe after dinner we can walk through the garden? I’d love some pointers.” Lori takes the bag and motions me to follow herinto the kitchen. “I’ve had a hard time with mine. How did you get yours so big? They’re gorgeous.” Pulling two baseball sized fruit out, she rinses them and pulls out a long knife to begin to dice them.

“It took me a while to figure them out,” I admit. “They take a lot more water than I realized.”

“Oh, I’m excited. Sophia isn’t interested, so I hope you don’t mind if I pick your brain.” Lori slides the chopped pieces over a big salad. “These will make it taste so much better. I’m glad Sawyer isn’t here tonight, he’d eat them all off the top.” She giggles and grabs the bowl. “Will you get the bread?” Gesturing with her chin, she points at a heaping pile of fresh biscuits.

It feels good to help.

Placing them close to the center of the table, Dixon reaches over and plucks one of the steaming rolls off the top and splits it open, then sets the two halves on the table in front of Paisley. “It’ll be hot,” he warns her.

She flattens her pudgy palm to hover just over the surface.

---