Page 75 of Sweet Surprises

“Yes,” he said, ducking his head around Charlotte to peek over her shoulder. “Is that her?”

“Hello, Chance,” her mom said with a smile. “Yes. I’m Charlotte’s mom.”

“Hi, Mrs. Charlotte,” Chance said solemnly. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

To her credit, Mom didn’t even crack a smile.

“You can call me Mimi,” she said, offering him her hand. “And it’s very nice to meet you, too.”

Chance took her hand and shook it with an enthusiasm that had his whole arm moving.

“Do you like making pancakes?” he asked excitedly. Charlotte was pretty sure he had already spotted the big breakfast feast that was being prepared.

“I do,” she told him. “And I also like to paint. How about you?”

“Charlotte painted cows and things at the ice cream shop,” Chance said, nodding.

“That was mostly tracing from photos,” Charlotte said quickly. “My mom has a special talent for drawing things herself.”

“I don’t know,” her mom said. “I really like what you did at the shop. It has character.”

“Firewood delivery,” Tripp yelled from the front door.

“Boots,” all three women yelled back.

That struck Chance as so funny that he fell on the floor laughing and Charlotte had to scoop him up again so he didn’t get flour in his hair from the pancakes.

By the time they were on their feet again, Tripp and Zane had come in, and she could hear Tag and Olivia talking in the hall.

“Merry Christmas,” Tripp said, grabbing his mom and spinning her around. “West is outside with the kids.”

“Merry Christmas,” Maggie laughed. “This is Charlotte’s mom.”

“Hi, boys,” her mom said. “I’m Mimi.”

The men introduced themselves and Olivia slipped past to wrap an arm around Charlotte’s shoulder.

“Hi,” Tag said, his cerulean eyes flashing to Charlotte before he turned to her mom. “I’m Tag, and this is my daughter, Olivia. And I think you might have already met Chance.”

They all looked to Chance, who had picked the wrong moment to try and sneak a slice of bacon from the counter.

“Wait for the family, bud,” Tag reprimanded him gently.

“But Uncle Tripp took one,” Chance said.

Tripp shook his head in denial, but it was clear that his mouth was full. Charlotte’s mom laughed and everyone joined her, including Chance.

“You’ll get along here just fine,” Maggie said, patting Mimi’s shoulder.

“I was going to show your mom the living room,” Tag said to Charlotte a little too loudly.

“Oh yes,” Maggie said, nodding knowingly. “She’ll want to see the picture of Stone Lawrence and the one of Sugarville Grove when there was nothing but farmland all around.”

“I’d like to see that too,” Charlotte said, moving to join them.

Tag got a weird look on his face.

“Oh, you can see it anytime, sweetheart,” Maggie told her. “And I need you to help me with these eggs.”

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