Page 70 of Spilling the Tea

A few times, she’d been tempted to ask him to pose for her, but after their exchange during the ride to his ranch, she didn’twant to press her luck. She would even admit that she’d feared he might turn his truck around and take her back to the hotel. He hadn’t. Other than her commenting on the scenery outside the truck window, little conversation had been exchanged between them. She figured he hadn’t appreciated her speaking her mind; maybe she should not have. However, she would not apologize, because she’d meant everything she’d said.

His attitude had improved when they’d reached his ranch house. He’d become more talkative. He seemed to be in his element in his kitchen, and as he prepared their dinner, he moved around it like a pro chef. He’d even impressed her outside on the grill. She wanted her steak well done and it was cooked perfectly.

He had explained that Mama Laverne required each of her great-grands to enroll in her cooking school when they turned sixteen. They’d complained for a while, but she had taught them a lot. And he knew as they aged, all his brothers and cousins had appreciated learning how to cook.

One of the first things he’d done once they began riding was to show her his herds of cattle roaming the plains. Before leaving the ranch to go riding, she had met three of his ranch hands who lived in the bunkhouse and thought they were nice guys. Chance told her he got up before sunrise each weekday morning to begin his full day of work on his ranch, so he eagerly anticipated the weekends. He also managed his books.

“Dinner was delicious, Chance.”

He gazed at her from beneath the tilt of his Stetson. “Glad you enjoyed it,” he said, smiling. “By the way, you’re an excellent rider. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been riding all your life.”

“I might have. According to Sharon, I learned to ride here on this ranch when I was two.”

He nodded and tilted his Stetson back from his eyes. A gorgeouspair of eyes. “I’m glad you were able to connect with her, Zoey. It sounds like she has a wealth of information to share with you about your parents and your childhood.”

Zoey smiled. “I believe she does, and I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

She then shared what Sharon had told her about her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother’s diaries and the photo albums. “I can’t wait to see them. I’m finally learning about my mother’s family history with Ms. Felicia Laverne’s help, along with the diaries and photo albums.”

He nodded. “Come on. Let’s start riding again. In another mile, we’ll cross land that was originally part of the Satterfield spread. However, it was sold before I purchased mine.”

“That’s what Mama Laverne said. You don’t think the owner will mind us trespassing, do you?”

“Trevor is a long-time friend and like a member of the family. I figured you might want to look inside the cabin, so I called him earlier, and he gave me the code to unlock the door.”

She couldn’t stop the huge grin that spread across her face. “That was kind of him. Thanks, Chance.”

It didn’t take them long to reach the east side, and just like he said, it was more beautiful than the others, mainly because of the fruit grove. There appeared to be acres and acres of fruit trees of all kinds. The scent of citrus filled the air.

“What kind of fruit trees are those?” she asked.

“Peach, orange, grapefruit, fig, and pomegranate. There’s even a small vineyard filled with grapes. The property line dividing Whispering Pines and the Satterfield land runs through the middle of the grove.”

She lifted a brow. “I wonder how that happened.”

“Not sure, but I imagine Mama Laverne does. You might want to ask her.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.”

“She might even tell you about the tomb.”

“The tomb?”

“Yes, it is a beautiful tomb built in the fruit grove. Its placement in the middle of the grove, nearly at the beginning, gives the impression that the person inside is watching over the grove.”

“Who’s buried there?”

“My great-grandaunt Victoria. I understand the fruit grove was her favorite place on Whispering Pines, and she requested to be buried there instead of the family cemetery.”

They continued riding. Finally, in the distance, she saw a cabin on a vast lake. Suddenly, there was a memory flash. “That’s the lake, Chance,” she said excitedly.

He gazed over at her. “You remembered something?”

“I just got a flashback from one of my dreams. My mom, dad, and I enjoying a picnic by that lake.”

“Let’s get closer and check it out. Hopefully, you’ll remember more,” he said.

They galloped their horses and slowed when they neared the cabin. They dismounted and tied the horses to a nearby tree.

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